Submitted Photo Brandon Alvarez and Jacey Leifson practice partnering at Rinat Mouzafarov’s Institute of Dance and Ballet Theatre, in this photo by Ronald Rouse.

Two local ballet students leaped at the chance this summer to improve their skills through working with a professional dance company.

Branden Alvarez received a full scholarship to study for a month, beginning July 1, at Ballet Magnificat! in Jackson, Mississippi. Jacey Leifson recently returned from a week in Mississippi in early June. Both have been students at Rinat Mouzafarov’s Institute of Dance and Ballet Theatre for the past two and a half years.

Mouzafarov explained Ballet Magnificat! is a premier Christian dance company, founded by Kathy Thibodeaux, a 1982 silver medalist in international competition who now is one of the world’s top choreographers. The company offers high quality productions that are performed around the world, he said.

Mouzafarov has had a longstanding relationship with the company, both in working with its dancers and having his dancers accepted through auditions into the company’s summer programs. It is the first summer workshop for Alvarez.

“I originally never wanted to do dance. It wasn’t in my plan, at least. I wanted to do sports,” Alvarez said. At his mother’s insistence, he found himself in a ballet class anyway.

“She put me in there because she knew it would help me with my football, but I ended up liking ballet a lot, so I wanted to stay,” he said.

Alvarez, who was a home-school student, played football in Surrey his junior and senior years of high school as middle linebacker and center. A 2022 graduate, he played in the All-Star game and made All-State in football.

“Ballet was a big factor in that,” he said of the strength and speed gained from dance.

Alvarez, who will turn 19 while in Mississippi, is employed at a sporting goods store and trains in ballet more than two hours a day. He said he feels confident, having studied under Mouzafarov, that he is ready for the challenge with Ballet Magnificat!

“I’m still going to learn a lot, but I’m confident that I’ll go down there and that I’ll be pretty strong,” he said. “The biggest thing that I want to do is just get stronger in my technique and my partnering.”

Mouzafarov said the program, which attracts dancers from around the world, will provide Alvarez with experiences that could lead to more opportunities in the field of dance.

Alvarez said he is open to dancing professionally if that opportunity arises.

“Whatever the future has or whatever God has planned for me, it will come,” he said.

Mouzafarov said Alvarez’s strengths are his intellect, his ear for the music as a piano and guitar musician himself and his elegance. Family support also is important for dancers, and that has been helpful for both Alvarez and Leifson, he said.

Leifson, 14, said she enjoyed her week at Ballet Magnificat!

“It is really fun, and it’s a different experience,” she said. “Creative workshop was really fun because you just got to dance for fun.”

Leifson travels an hour from Butte to attend ballet classes in Minot. Mouzafarov said she has advanced quickly in the program due to her dedication.

“I just try to be the best I possibly can,” she said. “I’ve just always loved to dance. But I never found a studio that fostered my love until I came here and Mr. Rinat started working with me. I just grew and I loved it so much.”