Observation Week / Make up Week

Hello Dancers!

As you can see, the benches that are normally in the hallways have been moved into the classroom. We call this week Observation Week, and we let parents and grandparents and anyone else you might bring into the class to observe your wonderful dancing! In our younger classes, parents get to stay in for the whole time! In the older classes, parents come in for the last part of class to see a dance that has been worked on for the past three weeks!

We will post some pictures of class later this week. For now, remember to invite any of those you'd like to come see your dancing!

Also, be sure to check out this article from The Stage, especially if you're thinking about making your love of dance into a career!

Happy Dancing!

- Molly

Petite Boutique: Holiday Time!

It's that time of year again - the time where it may or may not snow, your mum makes hot chocolate when you come home from school, and you have to wear mittens to keep your hands warm! It's the holiday season!

And here at the Petite Boutique, we are SO EXCITED! We have all kinds of goodies for sale that we don't usually carry during the rest of the year. One of my favorite items are the ornaments! Come check them out!

Happy (early) Thanksgiving!

Ballet Petite and Youth Performing Arts School would like to wish you a

Happy Thanksgiving!

Remember - there are NO CLASSES 11/25 - 11/28

And DON'T FORGET

to sign up for

HOLIDAY CAMPS!

How to: Find the Right Ballet Shoe!

Hello Dancers!

Do you have trouble finding the right shoe size? Ballet slippers can be tricky since they aren't like your sneakers. I know some parents have a hard time figuring out what the best size would be. To be honest, its actually an easy process!

1) First, start with your sneaker shoe size. Grab that size and try it on.

Does it fit? Here's how to tell!

2) Stand up! This lets your heel slide to the back of the shoe, which is where it should be.

3) Then, feel where your toes are. Are they poking the front of the shoe? If so, then the shoe is a little too small. If you have some room, then they are just right!

4) Finally, make sure you pull the laces tight if it is loose around the top of your foot. Tuck those laces inside the shoe to make sure they don't come out during class.

If you get to step 4 and the shoe is too big or too small, try another size up or size down and repeat!

Find out more information about ballet slippers here.

Happy Dancing!

Ballet on your Ipod!

Hello Dancers!

You know how easily you can download your favorite song off of itunes and listen to it on your ipod? Well, soon you can do the same thing with some of your favorite dances!

TenduTV, a digital dance distribution company (say that ten times fast!), acts much like itunes as it provides access to dance programming through digital media such as Itunes, Amazon, and Hulu. They host a myriad of programs - from choreographed dances made specifially for film, to documentaries and interviews rarely seen otherwise.

Their motto is: "We believe that everybody in the world loves dance. We believe that if we can give audiences the chance to watch dance, they will."

At Ballet Petite, we believe the same thing! This is another great opportunity for dancers like you and me to watch and learn from professionals, especially if we don't have time to get to see the live performances!

Happy Dancing!

- Molly

Fun and Festive at Ballet Petite!

After having been gone for two weeks, its nice to come back to a festive atmosphere of beautiful decorations! Our performance of "The Nutcracker" is just around the corner, and Ballet Petite is decorated accordingly..

Everyone loves to lose themselves in window displays during the holidays, and Ballet Petite is no exception! We are preparing furiously to deck the store with garlands galore. Here's a sneak peak at some of the pointe shoes our staff has been decorating.

What an exciting time at Ballet Petite!
Happy Dancing,
Sophie

Story Corner: the Princess and the Pea

Hello Dancers!

Do you like fairytales? We LOVE fairytales! We use many classic fairytales in our classrooms - they are timeless and unforgettable!

The story of the Princess and the Pea follows a prince who is searching for a princess to marry. However, the prince's mother, the queen, doesn't want him to just marry any old princess. She wants to find a real princess for him. So, when the princesses come to visit, the queen has them sleep on a bed of twenty-two mattresses with one pea tucked waaaaaaay at the bottom!

Which princess will feel the pea under her bed? Will she marry the prince? Come to class and find out!

Friday Update!

Here's what is coming up at Ballet Petite:

November 25th - 28th: No Classes - Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

December 10th-12th: Ballet Performance Company presents the Nutcracker!

December 14th - 19th: Make Up Week - look for sign up sheets in December!

December 20th-23rd, 27th-30th: Holiday Camp 2010! Sign up Today!

Shoe Celebration!

Hello Dancers!

Remember the show contest we announced? Well, we are already getting some amazing submissions! Check them out:

And here at the office, we're getting ready for winter! Can you tell what this shoe is?

Looks like Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer to me!

Happy Dancing!

- Molly

Auditions: Cinderella!

Attention Dancers!

AUDITIONS

for Ballet Performance Company's Spring 2011 production of

Cinderella

Bethesda
Friday January 14, 2010
Sign in @ 4:00
Audition @ 4:30

McLean
Thursday January 13, 2010
Sign in @ 5:00
Audition @ 5:15

Potomac
Monday January 10, 2010
Sign in @ 5:15
Audition @ 5:30

All Dancers must have been 5+ years of age prior to September 1, 2010
For more information please contact Melissa P Carney, BPC Artistic Director at BalletPerformanceCo@BalletPetite.com.

Manners with Angelina Ballerina

Hello Dancers!

We will be starting a new segment on the blog all about the manners we use as ballerinas. You might hear the teachers say "ballet etiquette"; etiquette is just a fancy word for manners.

Here are a few of the topics we'll be talking about:
- arriving to class on time
- classroom behavior
- respect (for your teacher and your fellow dancers)

Hopefully soon, we'll be posting some videos and pictures of our own ballerinas!

Have any questions about ballet etiquette in the classroom? Don't hesistate to contact us!

Happy Dancing!

Petite Boutique: We love pink!

Hello Dancers!

While I was in the boutique today, I decided to play a little I Spy and you know what - I spied SO many items we have that are pink! If pink is your favorite color, then have we got some items for you! Pink socks, pink leg warmers, pink tights... but best of all - pink tutus!

I know we talked a little bit about the history of tutus, so I thought I'd show you some pictures of what we have and what some of our ballerinas wear for performance. We have some tutus that have many layers like this one:

And we have some tutus with beautiful details!

One of my favorite tutus is the one the teachers wear when they host our fairytale birthday parties!

Doesn't Miss Kasey look amazing?

Happy Dancing!

The Nutcracker Chronicles

Hello Dancers!

I know we've been talking alot about Nutcracker lately, but thats only because I am getting so excited for the performances! But Ballet Petite isn't the only dance group to put on the Nutcracker this Christmas! In fact, many performances will begin as early as Thanksgiving weekend.

The New York Times has requested anyone who sees a performance this year to send them some pictures! So if you attend our performance, or perhaps a performance somewhere else - be sure to take some pictures and upload them here.

Also, writer ALASTAIR MACAULAY of the New York Times will be attending as many performances of the Nutcracker as possible and chronicling his journey. I will be following his articles to learn more.

Don't forget to get your tickets to Ballet Petite's Nutcracker performances December 10th - 12th! Tickets are almost sold out! Remember, all ticketing is done through the Greenberg Theatre.

Happy Dancing!

p.s. if you don't get the time to see a show, check out The Nutcracker in 3D! You can see the story on the big screen!

Meet Miss Lauren!

You may not see Miss Lauren too much about our Bethesda location, but thats because she is usually off teaching at Cabin John! Miss Lauren has been with Ballet Petite for almost four years now, and we couldn't imagine life without her! She is one of the sweetest people you'll ever meet and a superb dance teacher! Miss Lauren started dancing when she was three and has been trained in Ballet, Pointe, Jazz, Modern, Lyrical, Irish Step, Flamenco and Street Jam. . She was a principal dancer at The Metropolitan Ballet Theatre and Academy. She also majored in Dance at the University at Buffalo and is working on her degree in Early Childhood Development. She first started teaching in 2002 at a daycare center in Buffalo, NY and came to work for Ballet Petite in 2006.

Miss Lauren believes the best part about working at Ballet Petite is the "relationships and fun" she gets to share with her students. When she's not dancing, she likes to listen to music and cuddle up with her kitten.

Interested to learn more? Check out our Cabin John location and meet Miss Lauren in person!

Happy Dancing!

Amazing Dancers: Siphe November

Hello Dancers!

Everyone who comes out to dance is a talented and brave soul - but sometimes there are dancers who rise above the rest! This is the story of Siphe November from South Africa whose dancing was discovered in 2009 and led him to the National Ballet School in Toronto, Canada.

Siphe, who is 12 years old, was discovered by Kelly Dobbin and Scott Mathison who were visiting South Africa and attended a recital at an elementary school in Montagu. Upon seeing Siphe perform, they knew he was special! They helped him put together an audition tape for the National Ballet School and offered a place for him to live when he arrived in Canada.

Now, Siphe is enrolled full time at the school - and we know we are going to be seeing more of him!

Happy Dancing,

- Molly

p.s. Support Siphe on Facebook!

Holiday Shoe Contest!

Ballet Petite is having a

Holiday Shoe Decorating Contest!

Help give the Petite Boutique some flair while putting your old

dance shoes to good use!

Deadline for submitting shoes is Wednesday, November 24th.

All students may submit ONE holiday themed dance shoe for entry.
Completed shoes should be put in a plastic bag and brought to the
front desk of our Bethesda or Mclean locations. Shoes will be
featured in stores after Thanksgiving.

Pick up a Flyer in any one of our Boutiques!

The Tutu

Hello Dancers!

Have you ever wondered why you get to wear such beautiful tutus during your variations week, when you perform for your parents? In fact, why do ballerinas where tutus at all?

Tutus are designed to be both beautiful to the audience and allowing a free range of movement for the dancer. There are many different types. The Romantic Tutu, one of the first kinds, supposedly appeared in Paris in 1832 during La Sylphide. The style was named Romantic because it was popular during the Romantic period of ballet.

There are two types of Classical Tutus - the bell and the pancake. They are shaped like they sound! This image by Edgar Degas shows ballerinas in a Classical Bell tutu.

Today, the Classical Bell Tutu has evolved. It is shorter - to show more of the ballerinas legs - and is made of softer tulle.

We stock some beautiful tutus at the Petite Boutique, but can also custom make them for Christmas or other occasions!

Happy Dancing!

Shake it Up!

Do you think about dancing even when you're not in ballet class? Do you find yourself moving to the music when you're in a store with your mom? Do you wish you could dance in front of hundreds of people? If this sounds like you, then guess what - Disney channel has a brand new show you are going to love!

Its called Shake it Up and its about two best friends in Chicago who dream of becoming professional dancers! It premiers tomorrow (Sunday) at 7pm!

If you've ever thought about trying to dance professionally, definitely take some time to talk to one of our many instructors! They can give you some great advice on how to train, who to train with, and where to even start your career in the dancing world.

Happy Dancing & Dreaming!

- Molly

Jazz-y

Hello Dancers!

Today I was reading up on one of my favorite types of dance - Jazz! Jazz dance is full of energy and movement; unlike Ballet, which has elegant and graceful lines, Jazz embraces the sometimes crazy and improvisational. It's a little more funky, if you will, but many dance teachers encourage ballet training before beginning jazz.

The first official American jazz dancer was Joe Frisco, who performed vaudeville. However, jazz roots can be traced all the way back to the 1800s. New Orleans is one of the main cities known for its roots in jazz and maintains that reputation today.

We have some excellent jazz teachers here at Ballet Petite who would love to show you a little more!

Happy Dancing!

- Molly

the Petite Boutique: Getting Ready for Winter

Hello Dancers (and Shoppers!)

Here at the Petite Boutique, we are starting to get ready for winter! If you've noticed, it has definitely gotten colder over the past few days! But never fear - we have leg warmers in pink, white and purple if your legs get cold in class. And we also have wrap sweaters to match your leotard!

And don't forget to check out some of our brand new items from Melissa & Doug! Parents - if you're an early bird shopper looking for some stocking stuffers - these items are perfect!

Happy Dancing (and Shopping)!

- Molly

Story Corner: the Nutcracker

Hello Dancers!

Its time to look at one of our ballet stories! Last time, we looked at Rainbow Fish; today, we will talk about the infamous Christmas story, the Nutcracker! Who hasn't thought of being Clara and dancing with the sugar plum fairies?

The Nutcracker ballet is based on the book "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King" written by E.T.A. Hoffman. It follows Clara, a girl who receives a magical nutcracker from her uncle for Christmas. At night, the nutcracker comes alive and fights a mighty battle against the mouse king. When Clara helps him triump over the Mouse King, she breaks the spell that has been put on the Nutcracker.

It is such a popular ballet that every year there are multiple Christmas performances. Our own Ballet Petite performance will be the second week of December!

Interested in reading more? Stop by the library and pick up a copy! Or come visit one of our Magical Morning classes.

Happy Dancing!

- Molly