atm711 Posted April 1, 2002 Share Posted April 1, 2002 It is with great sadness that I learned of the death of Ben Harkarvy today. Ben was the Director of the Dance Division at Juilliard. Ben and I were inseparable during our teen years and early twenties. We studied together with George Chaffee and Mme. Anderson-Ivantsova and we stayed in touch through his years with Pennsylvania Ballet. I have always taken pride in the fact that I was Ben's first student. It was Ben I always looked to for guidance, no matter who we studied with. Ben has certainly deserved all the a ccolades he received in his remarkable career. It has always amazed me that he was a ble to do this when one considers all the pitfalls he had to overcome. He had nothing of a dancer's body and would never be a professional--and the route to Choreographer, Director, etc. was through a company. It was his keen mind and articulate speech that saw him through. God bless you, Ben. Link to comment
Leigh Witchel Posted April 2, 2002 Share Posted April 2, 2002 Atm - I'm so sorry to hear this. The entire dance department in Juilliard (to say nothing of a great deal of the dance world) must be in shock and mourning. I only took a few classes with him (which were quite good) - I know many who think of him with great fondness. It is indeed a loss. Link to comment
vrsfanatic Posted April 2, 2002 Share Posted April 2, 2002 I am deeply saddened to hear the news of the passing of Ben. He encouraged me to study teaching as a profession, something up until that point in my life I just thought one did through osmosis. He was a wonderful man and teacher as well as a great lover of ballet. May he rest in peace! Link to comment
catlady Posted April 4, 2002 Share Posted April 4, 2002 What a tremendous loss for the dance world. I had the privledge of studying with him for a short while and found him to be everything I was looking for in a teacher. He will be missed. Link to comment
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