As we walked into the dance studio on east 104th Street, we saw a cream colored room and posters of a dancer from Cuba and a ballerina doing a plié, and on the floor six females and one male dressed in feetless tights and leotards. The left wall was covered with mirrors so that the dancers could see themselves. The teacher Niña Klyvert-Lawson played an instrumental jazz piece to accompany the dancers.

The students, in parallel lines, imitated her warm up moves. She showed her students a sequence that looked difficult but the talented students accomplished it with grace. While doing the sequence one of her students was ashamed of a curved backbone however, she assured her student that it was fine.The students do feet, arm, and leg exercises and creative movements sequences.

Finally after warming up, the students rehearse a dance piece for the May 22nd celebration , Gestures, at Aaron Davis Hall. Gestures is a teenage student dance company which commissions professional adult choreographers, working in the styles of ballet, tap, modern, jazz, and African dance. This year for the celebration they have commissioned choreographer Ron Brown.The Junior and Senior ensembles and returning alumni are preparing pieces to dance at the festival,which is it's tenth year.

After watching her students run through dance routines, Mrs. Klyvert-Lawson spoke with HarlemLive reporters. At the age of four Mrs.Klyvert-Lawson began dancing when her doctor prescribed she take dance because her feet were turned out. Her mother enrolled her into a creative movement ballet class. This was the the turning point for her life long career. She has been teaching dance to young people at Harbor for 12 years. Klyvert-Lawson started out with one and left for three years to pursue a choreography career. Mrs. Klyvert-Lawson told Harlem Live that if she wasn't dancing then she would want to be a writer of children's books or own a restaurant.

For more information on The Conservatory for the Performing Arts you can write to Norman Lawerence or Nina K. Lawson at 1 East 104th Street, 5th Floor, New York, NY 10029. Or you can call (212) 427-2244 ext. 570.