Summer Camp ROAR!

Summer Camp is so much fun! Here are some lovely students from our Stars of Broadway full day camp! Their musical was The Lion King!

Synchronized Swimming

With summer in full swing, one can't help but long for the cool respite offered by swimming pools. I was certainly daydreaming of swimming this morning as I racked my brains for something to blog about, when suddenly it dawned on me: synchronized swimming. What a lovely way to combine physical artistry with the cool blue swimming pool!

Synchro Swimming USA has this to say:

"Spectators have been awed by the grace and power of synchronized swimming since the inception of the sport in the early 1900s. Synchronized swimming requires a unique combination of overall body strength and agility, grace and beauty, split-second timing, musical interpretation, stamina and dramatic flair.

The inaugural synchronized swimming U.S. National Championships were held in 1946, just one year after the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) first recognized the sport. A few years later, the 1955 Pan American Games included synchronized swimming events, and the World Aquatic Championships soon followed. After almost 40 years of concerted effort, synchronized swimming was at last included in the Olympic Games in 1984, with the United States winning the first solo and duet Olympic gold medals.

Three events are currently recognized internationally in synchronized swimming: solo, duet and team (eight swimmers). The competitive rules and manner of judgins are similar to such sports as figure skating and gymnastics. In the 1996 Olympics, the team event replaced solo and duet competition, which had been a part of the Olympic program since 1984. However, the overwhelming demand for tickets and braod television appeal of the 1996 team event prompted the IOC to reinstate the duet event for 2000."

Friday Performances at Ballet Petite

Fridays during the summer are always such exciting days at Ballet Petite! Our full-week camps (except for the itty bitties!) perform the pieces they have worked so hard on all week long for an audience of family and friends! Many camps use costumes, props, and sets, some even handmade! The above set is from our Tappin' Toes camp this week. They are all geared up for their performance of "Hit the Road Jack" this afternoon!

Summer Classes at Ballet Petite

Well, I taught my first summer class at Ballet Petite yesterday afternoon -- a Classical Child class with 11 3- and 4- year olds! Young dancers are always a little nervous on the first day of classes (some moreso than others!), and so I felt EXTREMELY grateful when I saw what our story was that day: The Little Mermaid!

I can't think of a more wonderful way to break the ice with a new group than with a familiar story. Just mentioning the title to the children brought cheers, conversation, and even a physical sigh of relief from parents and students alike! All-in-all, a wonderful way to get the summer classes started!

The Dilemma of the Ballerina Bun

I've heard the struggle many parents have with taming and de-tangling their daughter's locks to make that perfect bun - even teachers have problems getting all those wisps in a hair net. The classic image of the ballerina includes a tight, perfectly placed bun with not a bang in site, but in today's studio there are all sorts of hair cuts!

The New York Times recently put out an article on the whether or not a bun or bob was acceptable in ballet. Ballerinas like Jenifer Ringer love and embrace the bob, and instead choose to wear wigs or hair pieces for performances that require them. There are falls (half-wigs), switches (pony-tail pieces), and full wigs to turn the bob into a bun.

What do you think? As a dancer who just cut her hair, I definitely prefer the short! I can tuck my bangs behind my ears or wear a hairband when I'm teaching class. However, a perfect ballet bun is always beautiful!

Summer Camp!

We would like to welcome all of our Campers who will be dancing with us this summer! We are so excited to share in part of your vacation, and we hope you are excited too!

Here are some tips to make summer camp an enjoyable experience:

- Try to arrive on time! We wouldn't want you to miss any part of camp!

(but, if you will be late, please call the office so your teacher can be notified!)

- Wash your hands! We don't want to spread any germs, so when

the teacher asks you during bathroom break, please wash them!

- If you are in an afternoon camp, please bring a peanut-free lunch!

- Don't forget to fill out your emergency info form at the beginning of the week!

- And most importantly, be ready to have some FUN!

Meet Miss Natalie!

Miss Natalie started dancing at the age of 5 with some beginning tap classes. After a short break, she resumed dancing with ballet classes at age 13. Her work at a day care center inspired her love of teaching children, and so she decided to combine her passion for dance with her passion for children, beginning at Ballet Petite in 2008. Upon completing her training at Ballet Petite and taking on her own classes, she decided to pursue a degree in Dance at Montgomery College.
Miss Natalie has been a beloved Ballet Petite teacher for countless students. She has a number of very devoted students who have followed her between different locations and changing days of the week to accomodate her ever-changing school schedule.

Congratulations Dancers!

We'd like to congratulate all of our

Youth Performing Arts School students

for two weekends of wonderful recitals!

Thumbelina, Alice in Wonderland,

Sleeping Beauty, Spotlight on Broadway, and

Spring Concert

were all amazing!

Thank your for all your hard work!

And thank you parents for your continued support

of our students and teachers!

Tappin' Toes: Shirley Temple

If you thought young kids couldn't tap like pros, then you've never seen Miss Shirley Jane Temple on-screen! This American actress, singer, dancer, writer, and former U.S. ambassador tapped her way into everyone's hearts before she even his adolescence! At just 6 years of age, she made nine movies! Although you may confuse her for starring in Annie, Shirley Temple's actual filmography includes Heidi, The Littlest Rebel, and Stowaway. In 2005, she received a Screen Actors Guild Lifetime Acheivement Award. Come learn more about Shirley Temple this summer at Ballet Petite's TAPulous camp!

Come and join us for Nutcracker 2011!

Audition to be part of the Ballet Performance Company's production of the classic holiday ballet The Nutcracker.

Ballet Performance Company Auditions will be held tomorrow June 10th in Bethesda!

Ages 5&6

Sign in at 4:30pm

Ages 7+

Sign in at 5:30

Ballet Around the World: South Korea

South Korea is putting on its very first ballet festival, beginning June 12th! The country's four ballet companies - Korea National Ballet, Universal Ballet Company, Seoul Ballet Theater, and the Gwanju City Ballet - will each stage their audience's favorite piece during this two-week long event. The festival will include classics like Giselle and Swan Lake, to modern works such as "Life is..."

Story Corner: Thumbelina

It is the first recital weekend here at Ballet Petite, and tomorrow we will be presenting Thumbelina at the Robert E Parilla Performing Arts Center in Rockville! Each class will perform a part of the Thumbelina story.

If you are a little rusty or unfamiliar with this Hans Christian Anderson fairytale, you can read up online or perhaps rent the movie! Thumbelina follows the story of a tiny girl who: gets kidnapped by a toad, works in a field mouses' house, almost marries a mole, and finally, ends up with a flower prince who is just her size!

We are so excited to see our wonderful Thumbelina dancers tomorrow!