And the countdown is on!! Our students have been working so hard, and everything is coming together. Only 20 more tickets left! We are also excited to welcome back two alumni to perform with us.

All of the details you need to know about the performance are in this newsletter, so please read through carefully and let us know if you have any questions. Performance Guides and tickets will also be going out in the next couple of weeks.

Facebook and Instagram users: On performance day, take and share pictures with #IHON2016!

Tech Rehearsal Schedule

Tech rehearsals are essential to a successful performance! During these rehearsals students will practice on stage, working on spacing, practicing with props and sets, and getting used to dancing in a much bigger space.

All tech rehearsals are held at Danville High School Auditorium. Upon arrival at the Danville High School, you will find your class’s row in the auditorium and wait to be called on stage. Parents are responsible for watching their own students during rehearsals. For the Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday rehearsals, please dress in class attire (leotard/tights). To be respectful to the auditorium space, no food or drink is allowed. Take all snacks into the cafeteria (south of the auditorium), being mindful of your call time.

To help us run smooth rehearsals and create a great show, punctuality is expected and attendance is mandatory. Please arrive at least five minutes before your rehearsal time.

Tuesday, May 24

• 4:50 – 5:30 pm :: Monsters under the bed (Monday 3:15)
• 5:10 – 5:50 pm :: Sheep (Tuesday 5:30)
• 5:30 – 6:10 pm :: Mice (Tuesday 4:30)
• 5:50 – 6:30 pm :: Butterflies (Thursday 3:30)
• 6:10 – 6:50 pm :: Bees (Tuesday 3:30)
• 6:30 – 7:10 pm :: Dew Drops (Thursday 3:30)
• 6:50 – 7:30 pm :: Unicorns (Thursday 5:30)
• 7:10 – 8:00 pm :: Fairies (Tuesday/Thursday 6:30)

Wednesday, May 25th

• 5:00 – 5:30 pm :: Charm School/Garland Dancers (Monday 4:15)
• 5:30 – 6:00 pm :: Intermediate (Monday 5:30)
• 6:00 – 6:30 pm :: Advanced (Monday 7:00)
• 6:30 – 7:00 pm :: Charm School/Garland Dancers (Wednesday 4:15)
• 7:00 – 7:30 pm :: Intermediate (Wednesday 5:30)
• 7:30 – 8:00 pm :: Advanced (Wednesday 7:00) + end of Act II

Thursday, May 26th

Full Cast 5:00 – 8:00 pm

We will be running the show in its entirety. We’ll start with the grand finale, then all the dances in order. Once your student’s class has danced and is cleared by Miss Emily they may leave.

Performance Day :: May 28

When you arrive at the High School for the dress rehearsal and performance, please drop off your student in costume to the green room located in the Choir Room (off the north hallway across from the auditorium). No parents will be allowed in the green room during the dress rehearsal or performance. Snacks, entertainment, and supervision are provided.

In the likely event that performance sells out we will sell discounted general admission tickets to the dress rehearsal. If you wish to be in the audience during dress rehearsal you will need to either purchase a ticket or show your performance ticket to be admitted. Photography (no flash) and video is allowed during the dress rehearsal, but not during the performance (more about photos and video below).

Schedule

• Warm up for Monday/Wednesday classes at 9:00 am. Call time for all students in costume is 9:45 am.
• Dress Rehearsal 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
• Warm up for Monday/Wednesday classes at 2:00 pm. Call time for all students in costume is 3:00 pm.
• Doors open at 3:00 pm.
• Performance at 3:30 pm.

Costumes

Costumes will be sent home the last week of classes in studio (May 16-20). A lot of work has gone into selecting and fitting these costumes and headpieces, so please take good care of them! Please hang them in a closet and do not wear them until the dress rehearsal.

Basics (unless something different has been specified by Miss Emily) are:

• Tights – pink, footed tights (clean and no holes!)
• Hair – tidy bun
• Shoes – pink ballet shoes
• No black leotards under costumes

Memories

Beginning Sunday, May 1 you may pre-order photos, performance DVDs, and flower bouquets to present to your special dancer. Check out our website for early-bird specials through May 14! You may also purchase all of these items on Saturday, May 28 at the High School.

Individual and class portraits will be taken during dress rehearsal by our professional photographer: Photography by Sarah Crail. Digital download and several print options will be available for purchase, as well as a beautiful performance photo book. Check out a sample in the studio waiting room!

This year, the performance video will be shot and edited by MP Films and distributed by The Children’s Ballet. DVDs will be $17 each. Arm bouquets will be provided by Gillespie Florists and available for $10.

Sponsorship

As Hendricks County’s only non-profit ballet school, we strive to inspire the community – but this goal requires community support! Please consider advertising in our performance program or being a sponsor. Through May 1 you can get a quarter-page ad for only $50! Click here for more information.

Volunteer Opportunities

Are you handy with tools or creative with a paintbrush? We have several performance volunteer positions available including set up during rehearsals, making headpieces, and creating props. We also need ushers and help with tear-down after the performance. Let us know if you are willing and able to fill any of these areas!

Note from Miss Emily

Thank you so much for being students at The Children’s Ballet. We could not survive without your support, especially through this transition year. Dance is everything to me and being able to teach your students is an incredible privilege I do not take lightly. Our students are such pleasure to work with and never fail to put a smile on my face and in my heart. Thank you for your hard work, focus, and enthusiasm in class and rehearsals. I’ve seen so much improvement this year – learning and teaching dance is all about discovery!

Parents, thank you for supporting and encouraging your students, as well as The Children’s Ballet. We would not be able to do what we do without you. In all my years at The Children’s Ballet, I’ve learned that this particular dance community is such a special, supportive place. This year was no different, and I hope we can continue to share this community and our art with Hendricks County and beyond. There is magic here (and it’s not from a potion bottle), and I can’t wait to share with you on May 28th.

Summer Classes

We are excited to announce several opportunities to dance over the summer! We are offering two, three-week sessions in June and July. Classes are available for a range of ages and abilities! Learn more and register here.

In Class

Last month in Miss Emily’s classes, we had so much to do! We finished watching, reading about, and dancing Swan Lake. We also danced full steam ahead to prepare for our performance as the students finished learning their dances and excitedly tried on costumes!

Terms

“Break a leg” is an idiom in theater used to wish a performer “good luck”. Well-wishers typically say “Break a leg” to performers before they go on stage. While the origin of the phrase remains obscure, the expression reflects a theatrical superstition in which wishing a person “good luck” is considered “bad luck.”

Did You Know?

There are almost 100 students in It Happened One Night, and around 150 costumes!

Upcoming Events

Tuition Due

First class of May

Tech Week

Begins May 24

It Happened One Night

Saturday, May 28 at 3:30 pm

Summer Session I

Begins June 13

Shows To See

Verdi & Friends

Our friends at the Hendricks Symphonic Society will be presenting various works by Italian composers April 29-May 1. Support the symphony and find out more here.

Balanchine Masterworks & Carnival of the Animals

This performance by the Indianapolis School of Ballet is at the beautiful Toby in the IMA May 21-22. Find out more here.

Scheherazade 25

This concert honors the closing of artistic director David Hochoy’s 25th season with Dance Kaleidoscope. The concert will open with the entertaining American in Paris. Come down and celebrate dance with Indiana’s professional contemporary dance company at the IRT June 2-5. Find out more and see a preview here.

Inherit the Wind

Our friends at Hendricks Civic Theatre will be presenting this dramatic production June 3-12 at Longstreet Playhouse. The Children’s Ballet board member Jerry Vornholt will produce! Find out more here.