2026 Summer Intensive Program
Daily & Weekly Class Schedule:
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Week 1: July 6th - 10th
Bernard Gaddis (Founder/Director of Contemporary West Dance Theatre)
9:00 - 10:45 am Ballet Technique
11:00 - 11:45 am Pointe Technique
12:00 - 1:00 pm Variation
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Week 2: July 13th – 17th
Bernard Gaddis (Founder/Director of Contemporary West Dance Theatre)
9:00 am – 1:00 pm Contemporary Dance
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Week 3: July 20th – 24th
Meredith Rainey (Formerly of Pennsylvania-Milwaukee Ballet)
9:00 - 10:45 am Ballet Technique
11:00 - 11:45 am. Pointe Technique
12:00 - 1:00 pm Variation
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Week 4: July 27th - 31st
Meredith Rainey (Formerly of Pennsylvania-Milwaukee Ballet)
9:00 am – 1:00 pm Contemporary Dance
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ADDITIONAL DETAILS TO FOLLOW!
​Contact Sarah Beck at Sarah@Brandywineballet.org
with questions or to schedule an audition.
REGISTRATION OPENS JANUARY 2026
Current Brandywine Ballet & Contemporary Company dancers may register without an audition.
2026
Summer Intensive Instructor Biographies
Week 3 & Week 4: July 20th - 24th & July 27th - July 31st
Meredith Rainey
Meredith began dancing at 15 in his hometown of Fort Lauderdale. In 1985 he became the first African American dancer of the Milwaukee Ballet. In 1987, he was invited to join the newly formed Pennsylvania-Milwaukee Ballet, when the collaboration ended, he remained with the Pennsylvania Ballet for 17 years—the majority of the time as a soloist—until his retirement in 2006.
Among other awards and fellowships, Meredith has been the recipient of the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts Fellowship (1995 & 2002), the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation Artist as Catalyst Grant (2001), the Independence Foundation Fellowship in the Arts (2002), a finalist for the Pew Fellowship in the Arts (2003), and a Pew Center for Arts and Heritage Grant (2010).
Meredith has been commissioned to create works for Pennsylvania Ballet, Ballet X, Delaware Ballet, Hubbard Street 2, National Ballet De Cali, Danse4Nia Repertory Ensemble and institutions such as The University of the Arts, Drexel University, Stockton University, Goucher College, Swarthmore College and Bryn Mawr College. His work has been performed in North and South America and throughout Spain.
In 2009, Meredith founded and directed Carbon Dance Theatre a contemporary ballet company in Philadelphia. In 2014 after deciding to concentrate on more artistic projects Meredith closed the company and remained a sought-after teacher, mentor, and independent choreographer.
In the Fall of 2019, Meredith graduated with top honors as a member of the first cohort of candidates for the Masters of Fine Arts in Dance from The University of the Arts.
Week 1 & Week 2: July 6th - 10th & July 13th - 17th
Bernard H. Gaddis
Founder & Artistic Director of Contemporary West Dance Theatre (CWDT)
CWDT is the first professional Contemporary dance company in the history of Nevada and has since relocated to Philadelphia and is now celebrating its 19th year. Mr. Gaddis' dance studies began in Philadelphia at the High School for the Performing Arts, where he received numerous awards and scholarships; including a full scholarship to the prestigious Governor’s School for the performing Arts, a school for gifted dance students. Mr. Gaddis has also received scholarships to Pennsylvania Ballet, Dance Theater of Harlem, Princeton Ballet, & The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. Bernard’s first professional dance experience was with the Philadelphia dance company "Philadanco" under the direction of the renowned Joan Myers Brown. Bernard also studied and trained in the Horton modern technique under the tutelage of Mr. James Truitte, a first generation member and dancer with the Lester Horton Company and The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater; Bernard studied under Mr. Truitte as well as Ms. Althea Leslie and Faye Snow both protege of Mr. Truitte’s. to become a master teacher in the Horton technique. Bernard has since been a certified Master Horton and Ballet teacher that has been teaching for the past twenty five years both nationally and internationally to many dancers in Universities and Professional companies.
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While a member of The Philadelphia Dance Company, Bernard became the Co-Founder, Artistic Director, and Choreographer for Philadanco’s second performing company D2. Bernard has received numerous awards for his role as Artistic Director & Choreographer, most notably the prestigious award for Men Making a Difference in the city of Philadelphia presented to him by Senator Chakka Fattah and the Living the Dream award for community leadership and helping solidify the arts in Las Vegas.
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A principal dancer with The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Bernard danced under the Directorship of the renowned Judith Jamison. Bernard has performed for World renowned dignitaries. Bernard was best known for dancing roles such as Revelation’s Sinner Man, Wade in The Water and Ulysses Dove’s Bad Blood to name a few. Later, Bernard joined the L.A. cast of The Broadway Musical The Lion King as a principal dancer and chorus singer where he work with acclaimed director Julie Tamour. While in L.A., Mr. Gaddis was Event Coordinator and Artistic Director for Cienega Entertainment Group. Mr. Gaddis was a Principal Artist for several Cirque Du Soleil shows in Las Vegas, performing as a Dancer, Choreographer and Dance Captain for several of the headlining acts in Zumanity and Mystere.. Bernard has performed with many companies as a Guest artist, such as, Oakland Ballet, Ballet Pacifica, The Koresh Dance Company, Pennsylvania Ballet, Lula Washington Dance Theatre, Dallas Black Dance Theatre, Philadanco, Leja Dance Theater and the Paris company: Zingaro. Bernard’s choreography has been chosen for ACDA dance festival and his work won first place and was taken to the jacobs pillow festival and the Kennedy Center. Bernard was recently chosen as a choreographer for Joffrey’s Creative Movers Choreographic Initative and will have his work premiere on the Joffrey’s Concert Group and will be performed at the Ailey Citigroup Theater in 2026.