"...But the real delight of the performance—and of the evening as a whole—was the superlative dancing of Andrew Needhammer as the lead male. Suddenly the stage glowed with a presence forceful beyond sheer technical sureness and sensitivity to the line and the choreography become vibrant," wrote a New York Times reviewer about Needhammer's 1984 performance in an American Ballet Theater performance. Photo by Jennifer W. Lester

NAU poised to produce
classic dancers

He's danced leading roles alongside Rudolf Nureyev and Mikhail Baryshnikov and on stages throughout the world, and now Andrew Needhammer is sharing his passion for pirouettes with Flagstaff.

Needhammer, dance coordinator for NAU's Community Music and Dance Academy, brings more than 25 years of classic ballet dance experience to Northern Arizona University and the community.

"Ballet dancing is the only thing I have ever wanted to do," Needhammer said. "I am glad to be teaching and encouraging that kind of passion for dance in my students."

A registered teacher and associate of the Royal Academy of Dance, Needhammer directs the ballet outreach program at the School of Music's Community Music and Dance Academy, which teaches about
120 K-12 budding ballerinas each year and instructs about 45 students ages four and through adult in jazz, tap and modern dance. Registration for the dance academy is online.

Although his current focus is on teaching, Needhammer will slip on his own ballet shoes to play the role of a toy maker who brings his creations to life in the academy's upcoming performance of Coppelia in the Clifford White Theater on May 16 and 17.

Young dancers at NAU's Community Music and Dance Academy get their inspiration from Andrew Needhammer and his 25-plus years of classic ballet dance experience.

Needhammer produces and directs the academy's performances, which also will include Peer Gynt on May 31 in Ardrey Auditorium.

Academy students experience classic Royal Academy of Dance instruction, an accredited method of teaching ballet usually found in larger cities, explains Todd Sullivan, director of the School of Music. "The caliber of our classical ballet program equals those in large cities such as New York, Los Angeles or Chicago," he said.

"Classic Royal Academy instruction is important because it takes growing bodies into account and it is very thorough," Needhammer said. "By the time a dancer finishes our program, they are ready to join a ballet company."

The classically trained dancer also works with the Flagstaff Symphony for its annual performance of The Nutcracker, and choreographs and directs a ballet for the opening of the Flagstaff Festival of Science each fall. His NAU and community involvement recently led him to receive NAU's Service Professional Advisory Council Leadership Award.

Needhammer came to NAU in 2004 after 12 years as a principal dancer and education and outreach director with Ballet Arizona.

By the time he was 10, he was a member of the Joffrey Ballet in New York City. He later joined the National Ballet of Canada, where he performed in many of the classics and contemporary ballets around the world, including leading roles in Nureyev's Sleeping Beauty.

"Needhammer is a demanding, compassionate and excellent role model. Students travel from all over the state to train with him," Sullivan said. "He encourages and supports his students to strive for excellence to produce productions at a professional level."

One recent student, who is now studying dance on a full scholarship at University of Arizona, was one of 100 dancers chosen to perform in an international London competition.

Needhammer also trains Olympic hopeful figure skaters, including Flagstaff's Max Settlage, who took home a silver medal from the United States Junior National Figure Skating Championships in December.

For information about the upcoming performances, call NAU's Central Ticket Office at (928) 523-5661.