See You Next Tuesday!

All Ballet Petite locations are

CLOSED

for Memorial Day weekend!

See You Next Tuesday!

How To: Make a Ballet Bun

Hello Dancers!

With recitals right around the corner, I thought it would be a great idea to discuss how to get that perfect ballet bun in your hair! I'll give you some of my tips and links to other sites for ideas. Remember, everyone's hair is a little bit different - if you have curly hair you'll probably put your hair up differently then if you had straight hair.

1.) Wet or hairspray hair and comb through.

2.) Put hair in a ponytail (helpful especially if you have longer hair!)

3.) Twist ponytail around elastic and pin bun into place.

4.) Secure by wrapping a hair net around 2 or 3 times.

Then, just hairspray any frizzy pieces flat to your head, and you're ready to go! For more tips, check out Beginner Ballerina blog and pictures from the Arizona Ballet Theater.

National Tap Dance Day!

Its May 25th, also known as National Tap Dance Day! Tappers celebrate this day every year in honor of one of the great tap dancers, Bill Robinson. Bill "Bojangles" Robinson made a lasting contribution to tap dance through his exceptional work on stage and film. He also broke racial barriers, appearing as the first African American man to dance with a Caucausian girl (Shirley Temple) in The Little Colonel (1935). Today, you can see Bill Robinson in the form of a statue in his hometown of Richmond, Virginia.

For some of today's great tappers, check out Masters of American Tap Dance online!

Cinderella(s)!

Congratulations to our Ballet Performance Company and our Musical Theater Performance Company for their wonderful benefit show this past weekend! All proceeds went to the Children's National Medical Center. Here we have the two Cinderellas of each show - amazing job, girls! We can't wait to see what you perform next year!

Ballet Around the World: In DC!

Hello Dancers!

We've been covering ballet companies around the world, but did you know that some of them are coming to DC this summer? Ballet Nacional de Cuba will be performing at the Kennedy Center from May 31st - June 5th, followed by the Royal Danish Ballet from June 7th - June 12th.

Ballet Nacional de Cuba will present two works, including Magic of Dance, a compilation of the company's greatest hits.

Nikolaj Hubbe, artistic director of the Royal Danish Ballet, has long been praised for his tear-jerking performances and poetic interpretations. They will present his re-stagings of Napoli and A Folk Tale.

Meet Miss Margie!

Miss Margie has been with Ballet Petite for a quite a few years now - not only is she experienced in our behind-the-scenes office work, she is an incredible teacher too! I got to ask her some questions the other day:

When did you start dancing?

At the age of 6.

When did you start at Ballet Petite?

In 2003. A friend reccomended BP to me since I had always worked with young children and had directed a children's art program at the National Cathedral. First, I was the manager of the Potomac location as well as in charge of birthday parties. One of my bets memories is going to New York City with the Musical Theater Performance Company! We saw shows, attended a special workshop, and went ice skating at the Rockefeller Center!

What is your favorite BP story?

Rainbow Fish!

What's your favorite snack food?

Hard to pick a favorite snack, because there are so many! I guess I would have to say mixed nuts! Or chunky peanut butter right out of the jar!

Thanks, Miss Margie!

Petite Boutique - Products We Love!

You may be asking: where does Ballet Petite get their goods? Well, we have a few good sources that we count on for adorable, quality products!Our precious charm bracelets are from High Intencity.

We can always find a charm to fit our dancer's personality!

For fun puzzles and stickers, we rely on Melissa and Doug! They have the cutest ideas!

Finally, we also carry Piggy Paint! Its a toxic-free nail polish that is safe for your dancer, complete with a non-toxic remover! Make sure you visit the boutique today :-)

Ballet is Good for You!

Ballet not only teaches us etiquette and prepares our tiny dancers to grow into beautiful ballerinas, it also teaches discipline and gives girls a good workout routine. Many fitness centers, with the success of Black Swan, have started offering ballet-inspired fitness classes. Mary Helen Bowers, Natalie Portman's trainer, taught Ballet Beautiful for two years before the movie brought her into the spotlight. B.fit, a fitness center in DC, offers b.fit barre as a ballet/pilates hybrid workout. Ballet-based workouts promote a lenthened, lean body, as opposed to pure muscle building. Our young dancers are already learning the proper exercises so in the future, whether or not they continue with ballet, they can maintain a healthy lifestyle through exercise!

Maryland Faerie Festival

We use many stories that feature fairies as characters such as Sleeping Beauty (the fairies who raise Aurora), Cinderella (her fairy godmother), and Nutcracker (the sugar plum fairies, of course!) Today, our Ballet Performance Company is performing Cinderella at the Maryland Faerie Festival! The Festival includes small vendors, performances, a parade, and fairy games!

Ballet Class Etiquette

"Please" and "Thank you" are important manners at all times, but did you know there are manners that we use in ballet class too? Ballet etiquette is used in every portion of a ballet class. Everything a ballerina does in class from exercises at the bar to the curtsy at the end of class is done with respect for the teacher the other students in the class.

Cinderella, Cinderella!

We have so many cinderella performances going on right now, I decided to take time to highlight each one.

First, the Musical Theater Performance Company is performing Disney's Cinderella Kids this weekend at the JCC in Rockville, MD. Performances are Saturday at 3pm and 6pm, and Sunday at noon. Featuring some of your favorite songs from the movie, this is sure to be a hit with the family!

The same weekend, the Ballet Performance Company will be peforming at the Children's National Medical Center. The following weekend, on May 21st, they will perform again at a charity event in Bethesda. Tickets to the May 21st show will sell out fast, so call us immediately if you'd like to make a donation to see the show!

If you're looking for more tickets, then you must be talking about recital! Those performances are in June, but we have tickets at our Bethesda location for sale. Make sure you get yours before they run out!

Tappin' Toes: Fred Astaire

It's time to tap your toes to one of the greats, Fred Astaire! On of our summer camps will spotlight Fred Astaire. His stage and film career spanned a total of 76 years and 31 musical films!

"Steppin out with my baby," one of the songs the camp will focus on, was sung by Fred Astaire and features him dancing with three different partners on a set of stairs.

"Puttin on the Ritz," another famous Fred Astaire number from the film with the same title, will be featured in our camp. The phrase means to dress fashionably and it was inspired by the swanky Ritz Hotel in London.

Fred Astaire - Puttin on the Ritz

Maryland State Dance Festival

Hello Dancers! I know Fall seems a long way off, but if you're thinking about next October, start thinking about this years State Dance Festival! Its going to be held at my alma mater, Washington College, on the eastern shore!

Held by the Maryland Council for Dance, the 38th State Dance Festival will host workshops and master classes with accomplished dance teachers from around the area, auditions for the Annual Dance Scholarship Awards, and a showcase of Maryland Choreography!

If you're thinking about a career in dance, its always a good idea to check out these festivals to gain insight from dance professionals into the field. Be sure to check it out October 22 - 24 in Chestertown, MD!

Meet Miss Emma!

Its time to meet another one of Ballet Petite's teachers!

Miss Emma!

Miss Emma Started dancing when she was 3 years old. After seeing her first production of The Nutcracker she knew she wanted to be a REAL ballerina! Miss Emma danced with Washington State Ballet and Northwest Classical Ballet as a principal dancer. She started teaching at her local studio and discovered that what she loved as much as BEING a ballerina was getting to teach other little dancers!

Miss Emma started teaching at Ballet Petite just a few months ago and is having such a magical time dancing and getting to know all of the dancers!

Here are a few fun facts about Miss Emma:

Favorite Color: Sparkly Pink

Favorite Ballet to watch: The Nutcracker

Favorite Ballet to Dance: Cinderella

Fantasia

I was sifting through my old movies the other day, and I came across the original Disney Fantasia. This 1940s film is a classic with beautiful animation, haunting melodies, and touching storylines - all without using words. We do the same thing when we choreograph a dance; we ask: "How can my movement and the visuals I use portray my story?" Our stories can be joyful, tragic, and even silly. Check out the Dance of the Hours done by hippos!