(Photo courtesy of
Steve Carrigg)
Only three dancers from the United States attempted the internationally recognized certification of proficiency and dance competence of the rigorous Vocational Ballet Syllabus of the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) on March 4, 2007, including St. Mary’s Academy (SMA) sophomore Nicky Nienow-Birch. Nienow-Birch was the only American to pass the certification. During the summer of 2007, the ballerina, who has been dancing for 12 years, traveled to the summer dance program at the Banff Centre in Banff, Alberta, where she trained and performed with the professional program on a full scholarship. In the fall of 2007 as a junior at SMA, she was accepted to the School of Oregon Ballet Theatre (OBT) in the highest division, Level IV. Although she entered after Nutcracker auditions, she has been cast to rehearse several roles, performed in all six of OBT's Alaska shows, and is slated to perform in OBT’s Portland performances.
“Nicole hasn’t been with us very long but she’s proven herself very reliable and has earned her spot onstage for Nutcracker,” says Christopher Stowell, Oregon Ballet Theatre Artistic Director.
Damara Bennett, Director of the School of OBT adds, “Nicole is a quick learner with a fantastic work ethic and a winning personality. She has natural ability and a very beautiful movement quality.”
Nienow-Birch’s work ethic isn’t just relegated to dance. Her class schedule and good grades speak to her inner drive in all things. “Nicky’s focus, hard work, and dedication to dance has completely amazed us,” said her parents, Tom Birch and Mary Nienow.
“We are incredibly proud of her and all that she has accomplished,” adds her mother, Mary Nienow. “She is very moving to watch in performance and it’s been a real joy of my life to watch her develop as an artist.”
Nienow-Birch trains at the June Taylor School of Dance in Tualatin, Oregon, and she is also a member of the Northwest Dance Theatre (NWDT), a pre-professional dance company. June Taylor-Dixon has been her teacher for the last 13 years.
Patricia Barr, principal of St. Mary’s Academy, is very proud of Nienow-Birch. “Nicky is a very dedicated artist, an exceptional student, and a gracious individual. She also manages her time with amazing expertise!”
The Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) is one of the largest and most influential dance education and training organizations in the world. With her certification in the Final Examination, Nienow-Birch now becomes one of the Academy’s 13,000 members spread across 79 countries. As a student of dance, she is an affiliate member, which allows her access to many seminars, courses, and guidance from some of the best teachers in the world.
Founded by the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary, St. Mary’s Academy of Portland, is Oregon’s oldest continuously operating secondary school and one of 716 all-female schools in the country. The student body represents a diverse background of young women from over 30 urban, suburban and rural communities in Oregon and Southwest Washington. St. Mary’s Academy is distinguished by development of the whole person, and is the only school in the state to receive three U.S. Department of Education Blue Ribbon Schools awards.
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