Important Day of Performance Information:   Arrive at scheduled time, stage door locks at 30 minutes to curtain, no one enters auditorium without ticket.  We start on time!

Stage terminology:       Call – time dancer is in theater

       Stage call – time dancers are brought to stage from dressing rooms

       Curtain – auditorium lights go out, curtain opens and show begins

No late seating is allowed, arrive early avoid the hassel

Supplies needed:          Refresh hair care items (new hairnets, bobby and hair pins, gel, ponytail elastic)

Makeup:  foundation – 1 shade darker than skin, eggshell shadow, brown shadow, blush, lipstick & mascara

Attire:  All students must wear nude camis as costumes don’t go on until just prior to stage call. Bring clean, run free tights or ballet socks, clean ballet slippers, or footwear.  DO NOT IMMERSE LEATHER SHOES IN WATER, just wipe with damp cloth.

1)  Parents – Please expect to help out in some manner.  No task is too small.

2)  Check In / Check Out for Tower Theatre

• Entry to backstage – pass is required, no exceptions.

• 2 check-in/out volunteers needed for each day

3)  Class dressers/chaperones – Females only

4)   Show sponsors, print program ad coordinator, program design.

• Selling ads to parents and businesses

• Do you know a business that may be interested in being a supporter or sponsor?  We have multiple sponsorship levels and benefits for sponsoring.

• Program ads – template 1/4 page $25 – 1/2 page $50 & Full Page $75

              Businesses, or families congratulating their children.

5)  Fundraisers, for extra expenses such as posters, handbills

• Flower concessions – Jolene Spindler, chair.  She could use help setting up and selling flowers

• Raffle instead of silent auction?  Each class could be given a theme to put a basket together to raffle off.  Dancers sell tickets to friends and families.

  • Organizer needed, we have 2 moms to help!

6) Food for dancers:  Small bottles of water, ice for 4 picnic coolers

7) Tickets on sale after we set price and send our show logo  $12/$15 @door, 5 & under free

    youth $8

8) Clean Up Crew job

• need strong people – several men to move heavy items

• Many people to clean up dressing rooms  and backstage area.

• People to help bag and move costumes to loading dock

9)  Photographer needed

• ALL Students must attend – No obligation to buy

• packages available and payable directly to Tracy Smith,

• Held at ABC

• Bring all hair items

10:   Costumes – Stage and Screen costumes will go home with dancers at end of Sunday’s show.  Peter Pan costumes belong to ABC and remain with ABC.  We do appreciate donations to help with cleaning, repairs and replacements.

11)  Questions issues?   We try to resolve all issues, but some issues may remain and we all must work around them.

12)  Pre-show tasks

• Backdrops – Gesso back of “Gingerbread” drop (needed asap)

• Steam costumes

• Make new sets

  • Teapot someone to design fantasy teapot for “Alice Suite”

  • gesso & paint

• Materials to make support for

  • Teapot – 2x1s, foam board, gesso

  • Large “rock”  chicken wire, 2×2’s, papermaché, insulation foam (spray cans)

  • paint – greys

13)  Publicity agent

• Newspaper notice – submit now

• Radio PDAs

• Handbills

• Poster is complete,  we will make handbills from large poster

Like any production, program, or even a family gathering; many hands help make for an enjoyable event.  Any amount of time you can spare is so gratefully welcomed.  Can you find your name below?  Don’t be shy!

HELP NEEDED BEFORE SHOW:

VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR!!  Very important role for a smooth operating show

Volunteer coordinator assistant (Also critical)  _________________________________________________

Steam costumes   Chantel Piernicki, Susan Turrell

Hand sewing (costume repairs) Susan Turrell (during class)

Machine sewing (simple costume construction and /or alterations : Kelly Huber

Food/snacks for backstage:  Ruth & Russ Crawmer (apples & cheese for shows)

Art Work Painting:  Mary Madewell, Tricia Huggin

Memorial Day Storage locker:  Kelly Huber (Sat or Sun)

Silent AuctionTheme baskets – Organizer: ___Tricia Huggin

           Silent Auction Helpers:  Beth Huitt, Molly Casad, Christie Mahoney

Public announcements and promotion _____Christie Mahoney

Program Ads pages design & printing______Marilyn Elliott

Saturday Rehearsal studio cleanup (empty trash, sweep dressing room, vacuum hall & family room) – all the extra people on Saturdays creates quite a mess, Ms. Valerie could use some extra hands with tidying up after rehearsals.________________________________________________________________________________

DAY OF SHOWS:

Stage help Stage right runner ______Lucy Cochran

Stage help, Stage left runner   _____  Hannah Cochran

Stage manager _______Alesa Terry/co-director

Stage Left manager_____Katella Bahr

Ms. Alesa’s Assistant____Hallie Smith

Ms. Valerie’s Assistant _________________________

Ms. Charah’s Assistant__________________________

Costume mistress assistant_______________________

Set up Crew  - June 23 at 10 am Tower Theatre

Jolene Spindler                                 Strong Backs & Legs:  ___________________________________

 Katella Bahr                                                                                ___________________________________

 Monica Stewart                                                                          ___________________________________

 Narci Espinoza                                                                           ___________________________________

Load in/out crews – _____Jolene Spindler

____Monica Stewart 

Post Show cleanup    1. ____________________    2.______________________3.___________________________

4. ___________________________________ 5. _______________________6. ___________________________

Tomorrow, Monday November 12, is Veterans Day and schools and government offices close their offices and building to observe this important observance of those who served this country during times of war and peace.  We will observe the day with ballet classes.

Thanksgiving we will close Thursday, Friday and Saturday.  If your child will not attend his/her class on Wednesday, please do let us know.  The attendance book is a great place to record known absences!  It’s easy and so convenient.  Every student knows where the book is and to mark themselves before entering class.

My sincerest gratitude for those veterans, here and afar for their selfless service to our county.  My father served in both World War II and the Korean Wars and my husband during the early Vietnam War.  Thank you, Dad and Al.

These are questions I’ve heard off and on over the decades I’ve taught dance.   Let’s see if I can help shed light on the topic.

Ballet comes from centuries of tradition. First done with males dancing in full court dress, then by young women in light dresses as painted by Degas.  Today’s ballet classes find students in tights and leotards, ballet or pointe shoes on their feet.

Our ultimate goal aspires to dance on stage and from that goal we derive our dress code.  Prepare students as if on stage from the beginning class and they will shine like the stars they are.  Hair neatly secured in a bun, with stray hairs tamed with hair spray or gel presents a dancer ready for the stage — even if it’s a presentation for parents in the studio.   It also helps with practice, to discover what works and what doesn’t work to keep hair in place.

Recreational schools often leave leotard choice up to parents and students.  That is the studio owner’s choice, of course.  We like the uniformity of each student in the same leotard.  As a teacher, it’s visually easier on the eyes.  Some colors draw the eye,  I’d rather be drawn to each dancer equally.  Our goal at ABCBend is to make sure each student receives equal attention.

And lastly, we do want to follow tradition and look like dancers.

Yep, another glowing report on ABCBend’s awesome parent volunteers. Our 64 volunteers kept 72 children quiet backstage. They enthralled them with story-times and engaged with quiet activities. They prepared hair and makeup on wiggly heads, helped with costume changes with all the little bits and pieces that come with costumes.

Other parents donated snacks, cases of water, moved sets from studio to theater, then helped with scene changes. Still others took on the tasks of checking children in and out for 1 rehearsal and 2 performances.  Others took valuable time to organize our annual silent auction with items gathered from other by, yep – you guessed it, parents. And this is the short list of duties these caring parents took on.

All 64 parent volunteers made this show run without so much as a hiccup. We couldn’t have done it without them. These parents should have taken the final bow – not we teachers, and certainly not me. Our studio is special because of our families’ continued support of our school.

Valerie Holgers

Tricia Huggin, artist, painting sets 2010

The term stage moms and stage parents often conjures up unpleasant images. We’ve seen them portrayed on reality shows, but what those shows ignore are the true stage parents.

Our studio couldn’t survive without our stage parents. We call them “Ballet Angels”. This year we’ve had a piano donated, a new costume steamer purchased, snacks magically appear in our kitchen, costumes mended, large donations towards new ballet barres and new costumes.

Without these tireless ballet angels our performances would be simple informal studio affairs rather than the rich experience of stage productions. Not that studio presentations aren’t fun, we do hold one or two a year; but an annual performance allows our studio to reach an audience beyond our student’s families.

This year is no different from any other year for our ballet angels. These parents offer their precious time to ask for donations from friends, family and businesses; they organize raffles and auctions, sew costumes, construct and paint sets and so much more. They ask for no favors or special treatment for their children, just happy to lend a hand. The little amount recognition we can given seems insignificant in light of all that they accomplish.

Yes, these stage moms and dads are very special. without them our studio would not be what is today. We are truly thankful and grateful for their involvement.

I love to watch young dancers as they are challenged by someone “new” to them, as today in our first Master Class of the year. Ballet students love a challenge but sometimes their old teacher bores them. No one’s fault, just too much of the same thing, same person, same corrections, same suggestions. No matter how hard or how much time we take designing creative classes and exercises, students seem to know our “schtick”. This is where master classes taught by specialists are so valuable to both student body and teachers.

Our school is so very fortunate that Gretta Marchek from June Taylor’s School of Dance in Tualatin, Oregon, has family here in Central Oregon. And as such, travels to Bend each Memorial Day for visits with family. And, kudos to June Taylor for allowing us to enjoy Ms Gretta’s wonderful teaching style. Ms Gretta taught a master class last Memorial Day (in 2011) and here she is again!! Yea! How lucky are we? Very.

Today’s two-hour class covered all the usual issues, placement, use of legs, presentation, musicality and dynamics; and many, many other elements. As the class progressed, I saw how they worked towards a new and deeper awarenesses into dance technique. Legs stretched and bodies lifted so much that their placement became even more solid than at the start of class. Necks and shoulders relaxed as tension released, to be placed in more useful places such as the body’s core. Hands gained a softness and arms became shaped and firmly held.

I’ like to think that these young students of mine are all strong as a result Royal Academy of Dance examination process. Most take 4 – 6 classes per week from me, their primary teacher. Not all are hoping for a career in dance, but all love the challenge and joy of dance. What they share is the desire to listen and apply corrections and suggestions during barre and centre floor exercises of ballet class. This special teacher blew a breath of fresh air into our studio.

Today I watched as each dancer made improved changes over 2 hours, a miraculous feat indeed. I would say it is a testament to their drive to learn and grow in their craft, even at their young ages. (the oldest is 15, youngest 13)

Master classes benefit the teacher, me specifically, also. From the gallery, I observed how each child worked and strove for change. I watched as Ms Marchek worked with each student, pulling the best out of each. No one gave up. All tried their best. If I’d worn a buttoned jacket, the buttons would have all burst.

It is so much fun to see one’s students shine with someone else at the helm. As with all children, these wonderful ballet students are only on loan to me – and only for a short few years. Then they’ll be on their own life’s journey.