An archive of Weekly Wrap-Up emails will be maintained below.
Weekly Wrap-Up from October 27, 2022
Today is Thursday, October 27 and this is your weekly wrap-up. Below are some dates and reminders for all Training Program students and parents:
1. We will be offering two optional open classes for Levels 1, 2 and 3 this Saturday morning, October 29. A ballet technique class will be held from 10:00-10:45am and a contemporary/stretch class will be held from 11:00-11:30am. These optional open classes are available to any Level 1, Level 2 or Level 3 student for no additional cost. We will be offering a handful of these Saturday morning classes this year. They are meant to serve as a make-up class, or just an extra class to get ahead with your technique.
2. We will CLOSE AT 3:15PM on Monday, October 31, due to Halloween/Trick-or-Treat. There will be no rehearsals and no evening classes.
3. Congratulations to our October students of the month! Our October word was DISCIPLINED. The disciplined student makes choices that fuel their own performance as well as the performance of the group. Our October students of the month are:
Training Program Level 4 and up: Elisabeth Rowdabaugh
Training Program Levels 1-3: Hope Affholter
Academic Conservatory: Aubrey Cordes
The faculty appreciates the good choices you are making and the leadership you are showing in your level!
4. An important note from your Buddy Program coordinator, Miss Hannah: Attention Big Buddies: For the month of November, any big buddy who writes to their little buddy every week will be entered to win a $30 Standing Ovation Gift Card. We recommend allotting 5-10 minutes on Sunday evenings or Monday mornings to fill out the weekly wellness check-up and write a note to your little buddy(ies) so you don't forget. To be eligible, you must submit 4 notes total, one for every week listed: October 31-November 5, November 7-12, November 4-19, and November 21-22 (note the shortened week for Thanksgiving). The winner will receive their gift card on Monday, November 28, perfect timing to go purchase a back-up pair of performance tights, a new dress-down leotard, or contribute toward flat/pointe shoes. Attention ALL Buddies: The last week of November goes into Nutcracker. PLEASE prioritize getting your buddy a small gift during the week of performances. We will have a system in place so you may deliver your gift at the theatre. If your dancer is not participating in the Nutcracker, it is at your family's discretion to offer a gift. The buddy program is mandatory and is such a special part of the training program. Please reach out to Miss Hannah if you have any questions: coaching@projectballet.org
And now, reminders and information specifically for our Nutcracker cast members:
1. Account balances for anything outside of your monthly payment plan (snacks, opt out fees, private lessons, etc.) must be paid in full before Nutcracker in order for your child to be permitted to participate. Please make sure any open invoices are paid.
2. Nutcracker tickets will go on sale at the Embassy on Wednesday, November 2. (November 1 will be a pre-sale for Embassy members only.) Wednesday, November 2 is a pre-sale for Project Ballet families only, using code FAMILY. Then, tickets will be released to the general public on Thursday, November 3. Tickets are priced at $15, $26 and $34, plus ticketing fees imposed by the Embassy and by Ticketmaster. If you want to pay the least amount of fees, go directly to the Embassy box office, in person. If you don't mind the fees, you can order online through Ticketmaster. Our tickets will not show up on the Embassy or Ticketmaster website until tickets go on sale. We will be sure to send you the links just as soon as they are available. Once ticket sales open, we will also have a ton of flyers available at the front desk. You can take as many as you would like to pass out and post around town to help get the word out about our event.
3. The Project Ballet Parent Association is now collecting orders for boxed lunches for Saturday, December 3 and Sunday, December 4. These lunches are intended for staff and cast members in Levels 4 and up who are planning to stay at the theater in between the matinee and evening shows. Younger cast members and family members are also more than welcome to order a lunch, but it must be picked up at the stage door after the matinee performance and carried out. Dancers in Level 3 and below, and family members, are not permitted backstage between shows. Here is the SATURDAY FORM and the SUNDAY FORM. They are due Saturday, November 19.
4. The PBPA is also selling Flower Bouquets. The Bouquets should be ordered now VIA THIS LINK and can be picked up in the Embassy lobby at the Nutcracker Boutique. This is a great way to make sure you have flowers on hand for your dancer after the performance. One less thing for you to have to remember during performance weekend!
5. Finally, I have attached another copy of the Nutcracker Supply List for your convenience. Also, here again are the links for Nutcracker Apparel, Nutcracker Blu-Rays, Nutcracker Yard Signs, and Nutcracker Photo Sign-Up for Level 4+ and for Level 3 and below.
Weekly Wrap-Up from October 20, 2022
Today is Thursday, October 20, 2022 and this is your weekly wrap-up. I hope everyone had a restful fall break weekend. Tonight's email has a lot of Nutcracker information. If your child is not in the Nutcracker cast, thank you for your patience.
1. Tomorrow, we were originally going to be open for a Student Council meeting and Yearbook Club meeting. However Mrs. Frank, the faculty liaison for these groups, is ill, so we will now be closed tomorrow, Friday, October 21.
2. Next week we will be extending the special Level 4 & Level 5 classes this coming Monday and Tuesday to be two hour classes, from 1:00-3:00pm. Please check the web calendar for details.
3. A reminder that we will be offering two optional open classes for Levels 1, 2 and 3 on Saturday morning, October 29. A ballet technique class will be held from 10:00-10:45am and a contemporary/stretch class will be held from 11:00-11:30am. These optional open classes are available to any Level 1, Level 2 or Level 3 student for no additional cost. We will be offering a handful of these Saturday morning classes this year. They are meant to serve as a make-up class, or just an extra class to get ahead with your technique.
4. We will CLOSE AT 3:15PM on Monday, October 31, due to Halloween/Trick-or-Treat. There will be no rehearsals and no evening classes.
5. Attached is the 2022 Nutcracker COSTUME SUPPLY LIST. Please look up your dancer's role(s) to see what supplies they will need for the first dress rehearsal on Saturday, November 19.
6. Below are the links to sign-up to have your dancer's picture professionally taken by Nicki Navarro. There is no commitment to purchase. If your dancer has more than one costume, or would like their photo taken with a sibling or friend, please allow plenty of extra time between appointments for changing costumes. Dancers MAY miss all or part of class for photo appointments.
7. Here is a LINK to order a high quality Blu-Ray video recording of The Nutcracker. (There is no personal video recording permitted during the show.)
8. Here is a LINK to order cast t-shirts (red) or sweatshirts (navy). Note: The back of the shirt is currently displaying an overlapped graphic. This is a glitch on their website. The graphic will not overlap. Apparel orders have a hard deadline of November 9. Make sure to place your order by November 9.
9. Tickets are tentatively scheduled to go on sale the week of November 1, at the Embassy. I will keep you updated on details as they come available.
10. Finally, the PB Parent Association will again be holding a Nutcracker Resale for Costume Supplies! From the PBPA: "Do you have Nutcracker costume supplies you no longer need? Please consider digging these items out and bringing them to PB this Saturday or this coming Monday. Your efforts to find and bring these items will be so appreciated to families that are new to the Nutcracker or performing a brand new role! You may sell or donate - to do so follow the easy instructions on the attached document. We will be using the honor system this year so if you are not comfortable with this, but would still like to sell your item, please feel free to post on the Parent FB Page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/projectballetparents Any questions related to this, please contact Carol Rauch, PBPA President, at 260-414-8133." Thank you to Carol and the PBPA!
Weekly Wrap-Up from October 13, 2022
Today is Thursday, October 13, 2022 and this is your weekly wrap-up.
1. Fall break is October 14, 15 and 16. We will be CLOSED for the three day weekend. No classes, no rehearsals.
2. We will be offering two optional open classes for Levels 1, 2 and 3 on Saturday morning, October 29. A ballet technique class will be held from 10:00-10:45am and a contemporary/stretch class will be held from 11:00-11:30am. These optional open classes are available to any Level 1, Level 2 or Level 3 student for no additional cost. We will be offering a handful of these Saturday morning classes this year. They are meant to serve as a make-up class, or just an extra class to get ahead with your technique.
3. We will CLOSE AT 3:15PM on Monday, October 31, due to Halloween/Trick-or-Treat. There will be no rehearsals and no evening classes.
4. Please talk to your dancer about being tidy with their belongings. Lately, the front desk staff has been cleaning up trash and personal belongings left all over the building. Every dancer in the training program has been assigned a locker or cubby. Please take care to store your belongings in your locker or cubby. If you are eating a meal or a snack in the lunchroom, please throw away your trash, and wipe up any spills or crumbs. We appreciate you having a conversation with your dancer about this - especially the parents of our Level 4, Level 5 and Advanced dancers, who are the worst offenders since they spend so much of their day in our building.
5. The Nutcracker supply list, photo shoot sign-up, t-shirt order form, and video order form will be emailed home in next week's wrap-up. Tickets are tentatively scheduled to go on sale at the Embassy the week of November 1. (I am awaiting confirmation from the Embassy on the exact ticket release schedule for the week.)
6. I have updated the web calendar with the detailed in-studio and theater dress rehearsal schedules (for November 19, December 1 and December 2). Please look ahead at those schedules and put your arrival and pick-up times on your family calendar now!
Have a wonderful fall break - enjoy your Saturday off!
Weekly Wrap-Up from October 6, 2022
Today is Thursday, October 6, 2022 and this is your weekly wrap-up. (Oops - today is actually Saturday, October 8 - I had this email sitting in my draft folder and completely spaced sending it on Thursday evening. Forgive me!) We have a lot of important dates coming up in October:
1. Fall break is October 14, 15 and 16. We will be CLOSED for the three day weekend. No classes, no rehearsals.
2. We are still accepting registrations for our Friday Workshops. Below is a description of the workshops offered on Friday, October 21. We need 10 participants for the first two workshops and 12 for the last workshop. SIGN-UP HERE.
3. Our Preparatory dancers will join us for Nutcracker rehearsals beginning on Saturday, October 22. This year we have twenty-one Preparatory level dancers in our Nutcracker cast, performing as Angels, Cannon Soldiers and Party Little Brothers.
4. Master teacher Melinda Howe, from the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, will be visiting Project Ballet for three days on October 24, 25 and 26. Each day she will teach one ballet master class, observed by our ballet faculty, and then the faculty will spend the rest of our afternoon discussing her suggestions to maximize the progress of that particular level. There will be no Nutcracker rehearsals while Melinda is here, and each level will have two days off, on the days that they do not have their master class scheduled. This is going to be a very important learning opportunity for our teachers, as well as a great opportunity for our students.
- Level 4 will have their master class from 1:00-2:30pm on Monday, October 24 and will have the afternoon off on Tuesday, October 25 and Wednesday, October 26.
- Level 5 will have their master class from 1:00-2:30pm on Tuesday, October 25 and will have the afternoon off on Monday, October 24 and Wednesday, October 26.
- Advanced will have their master class from 1:00-2:30pm on Wednesday, October 26 and will have the afternoon off on Monday, October 24 and Tuesday, October 25.
Students in Levels 4, 5 and Advanced are invited to take class with Level 3 at any point during the week of the master classes, as well as the week immediately before and after. During weeks of October 17, 24 and 31 you are welcome to take class with Level 3 if you'd like to make-up any classes canceled due to the master class series. No sign-up required, please simply join in with Level 3, if desired.
5. We will be offering two optional open classes for Levels 1, 2 and 3 on Saturday morning, October 29. A ballet technique class will be held from 10:00-10:45am and a contemporary/stretch class will be held from 11:00-11:30am. These optional open classes are available to any Level 1, Level 2 or Level 3 student for no additional cost. We will be offering a handful of these Saturday morning classes each year. They are meant to serve as a make-up class, or just an extra class to get ahead with your technique.
6. We will CLOSE AT 3:15PM on Monday, October 31, due to Halloween/Trick-or-Treat. There will be no rehearsals and no evening classes.
Weekly Wrap-Up from September 29, 2022
Today is Thursday, September 29, 2022 and this is your weekly-wrap up.
1. A reminder that all families must participate in our mandatory Season Sponsorship Fundraiser. Paperwork is attached. This Saturday, October 1, is the deadline. Please communicate with Hilary if you have any questions: manager@projectballet.org
2. We will be having a "Welcome to Fall" dress down fundraiser on Monday, October 3! We are in need of standard white printer paper. On Monday, please bring in a ream of 8.5x11 basic white printer paper and in exchange you can wear your best fall outfits for class and rehearsal! All levels - Level 1 and up - are invited to participate in the fundraiser! We'd love to see your fall colored leotards, flannel shirts, braids, and overalls. Our only requirement is that we still need you to be able to dance freely and modestly in your fall outfit - especially if you are scheduled for a Nutcracker rehearsal! Thank you for supporting Project Ballet! (A note from the front office: We will not be able to accept delayed donations. If you don't bring a ream of paper on Monday, you will not be permitted to dress down.)
3. Dancers in Levels 4 and up will need a copy of The Ballerina Mindset by Megan Fairchild for our book club that will begin meeting next Thursday, October 6 at 1:00pm (during the first few minutes of ballet class). Please read the Introduction and Chapter 1, though page 22. Parents, this book would be a great read-aloud for you and your dancer to read together.
4. If you previously cleared an absence with me, please also make sure to submit an absentee form to the front office - and mention in the description that you have pre-approval. (You are more than welcome to submit absentee forms days/weeks/months in advance. Simply indicate the date of the future absence on the form.)
5. Our character trait for September was ENTHUSIASTIC! The enthusiastic student puts their heart in their work and is not embarrassed to let it show.
Student of the Month, Levels 1-3: Cora HewittStudent of the Month, Levels 4+: Samantha LaSalleStudent of the Month, Academics: Alexandra CarterCongratulations to these three very enthusiastic students of the month! The faculty truly appreciates how earnestly you approach your work.
Farewell, September! Only two months and two days until we move into the Embassy for our run of Nutcracker performances - eeeeek!
Weekly Wrap-Up from September 22, 2022
Today is Thursday, September 22, 2022 and this is your weekly-wrap up.
1. A reminder that all families must participate in our annual Season Sponsorship Fundraiser. This is our one mandatory fundraiser. Paperwork is attached. The deadline is approaching.
2. Nutcracker rehearsals for Levels 1-3 start next Saturday, October 1! The web calendar will have your rehearsal time. Rehearsals are updated for the coming week by Sunday. Be sure to check the web calendar on Sunday, September 25 to find out your October 1 rehearsal time. Rehearsals are always scheduled between 12-5pm. (No rehearsals on 10/15 - fall break!)
3. Dancers in Level 4, Level 5 and Advanced need to remember to fill-out our wellness survey each Monday (linked through the web calendar). Miss Lauren has asked that, whenever possible, dancers need to communicate their injury parameters/concerns with her via the weekly survey. That way she has an official written record, and she can more easily share the information with your other teachers.
Enjoy this beautiful fall weather! Have a great weekend!
Weekly Wrap-Up from September 15, 2022
Dear Parents and Students,
Today is Thursday, September 15, and this is your weekly wrap-up.
1. Nutcracker casting for Level 1 and up is finished! Yay! The cast list was posted at 3:00pm today. You can find the list on the windows in the courtyard outside PB's front door. You can check the list anytime, 24/7 for the next week or so. Sometime towards the end of September, once everyone has had a chance to see their part(s), we will take the list down and will post it on the parent portal for your reference.
2. Nutcracker rehearsals will start on Monday, September 19 for Levels 4 and up, and on Saturday, October 1 for Levels 1-3. Preparatory Nutcracker registration will begin next week.
3. I am starting a book club for Level 4, 5 and Advanced, during the first few minutes of our Thursday ballet class. We will be reading and discussing the book "Ballerina Mindset" by Megan Fairchild. We will start our book study on Thursday, October 6 at 1:00pm with a discussion of the Introduction and Chapter 1. I have asked the students to purchase a copy of the book to read the Intro and Chapter 1 by October 6. The book is $13 on Amazon. If your family cannot afford a copy, I have asked the students to reach out to me and I will buy them one, or we will find another family who is willing to buy two copies. We can also share copies between students.
4. Tomorrow we have three workshops scheduled:
"Improve your Arabesque with Mrs. McLeish" from 12:30-2:00pm, Levels 5 and up
"Floorwork with Miss Hannah" from 2:15-3:45pm, Levels 5 and up
"Stage Acting with Miss Laura" from 4:00-5:15pm, Level 3 and up
We need 10 dancers signed up for each workshop. Right now, we are a few dancers short for Miss Hannah's and Miss Laura's workshop. If you were planning to sign-up, please LINK to submit your registration by 6:00pm today. Otherwise, we will cancel these workshops and the building will close at 2:15pm tomorrow after the first workshop.
5. Finally, if your dancer is going to miss all (or part) of class for any reason, please make sure to submit an absentee form. This form serves as an official record of absence in our system, and it's important that we have documentation of the absence. The front office would especially like to remind parents to make sure to send absentee forms for injury absences. We have noticed a number of kids going home early due to injury, but no absentee submitted - which means the office doesn't have an official record that your student has left the building. Thanks for your cooperation: ABSENTEE FORM
Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!
Weekly Wrap-Up from September 8, 2022
Dear Parents and Students,
Today is Thursday, September 8, and this is your first weekly wrap-up of the 2022-2023 school year. You should expect to receive a weekly e-mail from me every Thursday evening. If you ever do not receive an email, or if you need to see the wrap-up archive, it can be found HERE.
1. Please review the three documents attached to this email. One attachment is from Miss Hannah regarding our Big/Little Buddy Program. The second attachment is from our PB Parent Association. The third attachment is from our 4H Club, the PB Pioneers.
2. A reminder to Level 1 and Level 2 parents to make sure you REGISTER for the Nutcracker by this Saturday, September 10. We will begin the casting process on Saturday evening and cannot accept late registrations once that process has begun.
3. I would like to formally announce that Miss Lauren Dini has been promoted to Director of Students. Miss Lauren is a Project Ballet alumnus, has been a member of our faculty since 2014 and has most recently served as our Wellness Coordinator, supervising the mental and physical health of our students. Her new role as Director of Students will encompass her existing Wellness Coordinator responsibilities, as well as expand to include additional duties pertaining to the student-experience at Project Ballet, including coordinating ballet curriculum, ballet evaluations, and ballet conferences. This role will be a senior-level directorial position, immediately below myself (Artistic Director) and Jennifer Frank (Academic Director). Congratulations to Miss Lauren!
4. If you have not yet heard, I would also like to announce that Mrs. Laura Francis will be taking a temporary leave of absence during the second semester of this school year. Her husband is pursuing a new career, and it is temporarily taking him to Iowa for a few months. During their time in Iowa, Miss Laura will be stepping down from her daily teaching, rehearsing, and administrative responsibilities - though she will still be choreographing for the Spring Concert, and will continue to serve as a guest instructor as her schedule allows. We will miss Miss Laura during her leave of absence, but we look forward to supporting both Laura and Josh during this transition in their lives!
5. Miss Alaina shared the following ARTICLE with me, written by the famous modern dance pioneer, Martha Graham. We both found this article to be profoundly beautiful. Enjoy!
6. We are currently booking recurring private lessons. Our teachers have the following time slots open. You can book 4, 6, 8 or 10 lesson packages. Private lessons are a great way to challenge your dancer, review and troubleshoot steps they may be struggling with, and to provide individualized attention and encouragement. A private lesson package can also be a fun birthday gift for your dancer, or a reward for a special occasion!
Mrs. McLeish has only a few private lesson packages still available. Please click to register now:
- Tuesdays 11:00am, 4 lessons- Tuesdays 1:15pm, 4 lessons- Tuesdays 2:15pm, 4 lessons- Tuesdays 5:00pm, 4 lessons- Tuesdays 5:30pm, 4 lessons- Tuesdays 6:15pm, 4 lessons
MISS LAUREN is available to book private lesson packages on:
- Monday mornings from 9:00am-12:45pm
- Tuesday mornings from 9:00am-12:00pm
- Tuesday evenings from 6:15-6:45pm
- Wednesday mornings from 9:00am-12:00pm
- Wednesday evenings from 5:15-6:45pm
- Thursday mornings from 9:00am-12:45pm
MISS HANNAH is available to book private lesson packages on:
- Monday mornings from 7:30-9:00am
- Monday mornings from 11:00-11:30am
- Thursday mornings from 7:30-9:00am
- Thursdays mornings from 11:00am-12:15pm
MISS LAURA is available to book private lesson packages on:
- Wednesday mornings from 11:30am-12:30pm
- Wednesday evenings from 5:00-5:30pm
- Thursday mornings from 11:30am-12:30pm
Please reply to this email if you are interested in booking a lesson with Miss Lauren, Miss Hannah or Miss Laura. I will coordinate billing and scheduling for you.