Poolesville is very fortunate to have a vibrant culture of art, theater and dance unusual for such a small town. Dance first came to town in 1998 with Fran Ichijo’s Hope Garden Ballet Academy providing learning opportunities for untold numbers of dancers. After Fran retired, the studio reopened in 2022 as Essence Studios with former student and Poolesville native Claire Jones at the helm.
Claire has continued Fran’s tradition of providing the highest caliber of teaching and performing, preparing the dancers for careers in classical ballet, as well as a lifetime of joy in dance and the performing arts. Essence strives to bring the benefits of many dance forms to Poolesville’s close-knit and supportive community.
Claire danced and performed under Miss Fran throughout her school years in Poolesville and trained for several years with the Maryland Youth Ballet. Claire has an impressive resume in classical ballet, tap, contemporary and modern dance, choreography, theater, and stage management and lighting, both academically and professionally. Claire has been teaching all age groups for over fourteen years at multiple studios in Columbia, Germantown, Silver Spring, and Frederick.
Claire has a passion for sharing the physical, mental, emotional, social, and academic benefits of dance with children and adults alike. Dancers develop confidence, poise, self-reliance, and discipline. Older dancers can improve their balance, mood, and mental acuity.
Claire’s energy, enthusiasm and drive have helped to expand the dance selections for Youth to include tap, jazz, contemporary, and hip hop, while her Adult program has also expanded. It now includes tap, yoga, stretch, and senior barre, in addition to the continuously running adult ballet. Over the Summer, she also has varied themed camps running for all ages, such as a Musical Theater Camp for middle and high schoolers.
While Essence Studio provides dance training, a separate, independent non-profit, Hope Garden Children’s Ballet Theatre, exists to give the dancers of Essence and other local dancers a chance to perform in professional quality ballet productions. HGCBT’s Board of Directors is composed of a handful of Poolesville area residents, all of whom either had or have children who dance with both Essence Studios and with HGCBT. Brad Gularson, Joanna Borman, Cindy Tchorni, Kim Yourick, Patricia vanBergen, and Claire’s parents, Jeff Jones and Beth Fayard Jones, are all volunteers dedicated to this endeavor.
Rooted in the idea that dance and the performing arts can give a voice and place of community to all, HGCBT offers unique access in an arts-scarce region to participate in the creation and performance of excellent dance in professional-level performances. HGCBT provides these opportunities for community members of all ages and abilities, as well as all socio-economic, ethnic, and racial backgrounds. HGCBT’s mission is to enrich the northwestern Montgomery County region through this transformational art.
On December 16th at 2 and 6 pm, Hope Garden Children’s Ballet Theater will present its holiday production, A Winter’s Eve, celebrating the season’s holidays with dance! It will unite a Christmas classic with broader cultural representations, transporting the audience into a wondrous world of seasonal celebrations!
In act one HGCBT Artistic Director and Choreographer Claire Jones re-envisions Raymond Briggs’ illustrated classic “The Snowman” for dance! Join the Snowman as he explores the world with his young friend to experience other cultures celebrating the season, featuring Kwanzaa, observed through African/modern dance and Diwali through traditional Indian dance.
Act two features excerpts from the timeless and traditional ballet, Tchaikovsky’s “The Nutcracker.” Step into Clara’s dream and experience the Land of the Sweets with our Sugar Plum Fairy and Cavalier, as they journey to lands around the globe through exquisite and timeless classical ballet. Be sure to support this perfect holiday event for the entire family!