Summer Camp Games and Manners Sampler

We're going into our third week of summer camps this morning, and with three weeks on our resumes for Summer 2013, we thought we'd share some of the fun things we've been working on so far this summer! 

Teachers, campers, parents all agree: camp weeks are some of the most fun of the year. Camps include fun games and crafts that regular ballet classes don't have. But the real fun in camps come from the creativity of our teachers and from new experience each week and each camp brings. How do you make each new day, week, month of camp a new adventure?

You have to mix it up!

Joint snack time for a treat last week! Three camps all eating and chatting together!

Ballerinas always want to behave like princesses, especially at the table. Dancers always sit with their legs criss-crossed applesauce, and they are very careful to keep their feet away from the food. We remember our pleases and thank-yous and enjoy sharing our Nilla cookies and Goldfish with our new friends!

Playing "Something's Missing!", led by Miss Katie!

"Something's missing, something's missing,

Can you tell, can you tell?"

The game starts with a handful of items in the center of the circle: i.e. a pumpkin, a teddy bear, a CD, a scarf, etc. Then, one or two people leave the circle; meanwhile the remainder of the circle decides on a couple of items to pull and hide. Miss Katie takes those items and hides them behind her. The two people return to the circle and have to guess which items were taken! 

We're looking forward to even more games and dances this summer! Have pictures from your camper's performance in the previous weeks? We'd love to see them!

Youth Performing Arts School's ALICE IN WONDERLAND

Ballet Petite's production of Alice in Wonderland was a fantastic and whimsical success. It's always a joy to see the dancers perform for the first time on stage alone without their teacher. And this year's production turned out to be one of our best. Characters filled the stage in dance after dance, and the sold-out audience loved every moment of it.

Alice in Wonderland is based on Lewis Carroll's book of the same name. It follows little Alice, with her distinct blue dress and black headband, as she travels throughout Wonderland, wandering around in search of the slippery White Rabbit. She encounters the Caterpillar, the Cheshire Cat, Mad Hatters and DoorMice. She joins the procession of the Cards and narrowly escapes the clutches of the Queen of Hearts. She dances with Lobsters and finally manages to make it Back to the Real World after adventuring through Wonderland and the Rabbit Hole.

Alice in Wonderland, Saturday, June 1

Alice in Wonderland featured choreography by:
Miss Mallory
Miss Natalie
Miss Kristen
Miss Emily
Miss Lauren
Miss Amber
Miss Jennifer
Miss Sarah Elizabeth
Miss Sarah
Miss Meghan

And narration by Amanda Sartori.

"Prologue: The Bank of the River" Miss Mallory
"The Rabbit Chase" Miss Natalie
"Down the Rabbit Hole" Miss Kristen
"Through the Tiny Door" Miss Natalie
"The Pool of Tears" Miss Emily
"The Caterpillar" Miss Natalie
"Alice Meets the Cheshire Cat" Miss Lauren
"The Madhatter's Tea Party" Miss Amber
"Painting the Roses Red" Miss Erin
"The Procession" Miss Natalie
"The Croquet Game" Miss Jennifer
"The Lobster's Quadrille" Miss Sarah Elizabeth
"Who Stole the Tarts?" Miss Sarah
"Back to the Real World" Miss Meghan

End of Spring Session, Happy Summer, and Goodbye Teachers!

On the last days of the Spring Session, the effects of Summer are really showing. The studios are a little less packed than usual, but it's just as loud as the excitement of all present dancers makes up for the absence of our already Summer-vacationing friends.

And though there's always more fun and more dancing possibilities waiting right around the corner,the end of the Spring Session does mean transitions and changes, no matter what adventures are waiting for us in the coming months. Right now, it's time to say "Happy Summer!" to our friends as well as "Goodbye!" to three of our favorite teachers! 

Miss Mallory

Miss Mallory Duff is from Lynchburg, Virginia, and is a graduate of Sweet Briar College '06.  She received a  BA in Dance and has choreographed plays and instructed dance classes for many schools in her community.  She fell in love with dance at the age of 8 and found her joy in Tap, Jazz, and Ballet.  Mallory began teaching at Ballet Petite and Youth Performing Art's School in March 2012 and enjoys teaching children of all ages, in all genres.  

 

She is  leaving Ballet Petite in order to move closer to her family!

Miss Sarah

Miss Sarah Gonzalez began her dance training at the School of Music and Dance in Hanover, Pennsylvania. She studied Ballet, Jazz, Lyrical, Tap, Hip-Hop, and Modern, and she went on to earn her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Dance. She has trained at Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, at Shenandoah Conservatory, and with the River North Chicago Dance Company. She has performed all over Pennsylvania and the Washington, DC area. 

Miss Sarah is moving to Colorado with her husband!

 

Miss Sarah Elizabeth

Miss Sarah Elizabeth Lahoud has studied dance and music from the age of five and has been teaching for four years. She received her BA in English, with minors in Music and Irish Studies, from Fordham University in the Bronx, New York. She performed as part of Fordham Flava Hip-Hop Dance Company for two years. She studied classical piano for nearly 17 years and and also plays the Irish whistle.

Miss Sarah Elizabeth is moving to Cork City, Ireland to pursue her Masters degree in Ethnomusicology.

Youth Performing Arts School's THUMBELINA

Ballet Petite's production of Thumbelina this year was so big, we had to split it into two weekends! There was one performance of Thumbelina on June 1st; there was another on June 8th. Congratulations to all of the beautiful Thumbelinas, Tulips, Fish, Frogs, Fairies, and other Dancers! You were all beautiful and told the story with such poise and perfection, the whole audience caught its breath!

Thumbelina is the story of the tiniest ballerina in the world, little Thumbelina for whom the ballet is named. Born to an old woman from a tulip, Thumbelina wonders why she is so small and wanders the world searching for adventure and for people her own size. After several mishaps, tiny Thumbelina dreads marrying a frog who has fallen in love with her. Fish help her escape and she journeys with the Butterflies through the four seasons, until she finds herself lost and alone in the middle of Winter. The kindly Mrs. Field Mouse takes her in but soon wishes Thumbelina to marry her friend, Mr. Mole. Once again, Thumbelina finds herself in a wedding ceremony with someone she doesn't love. She escapes once more, this time with the help of the Swallow, and still hoping to find friends who match her in size and spirit. Finally, she comes across the Fairy Kingdom, where Thumbelina meets the Fairy King. It's love at first sight. They fall in love; Thumbelina marries the King, becomes Fairy Queen, and lives happily ever after!

Thumbelina, Saturday, June 1st

Backstage with the narrator!

 

Thumbelina, Saturday, June 8

Thumbelina featured choreography by:
Miss Sarah Elizabeth
Miss Jennifer
Miss Amber
Miss Natalie
Miss Margie
Miss Sarah
Miss Stephanie
Miss Emily
Miss April
Miss Lauren
Miss Erin
Miss Katie
Miss Meghan
Miss Amanda
Miss Lori
Miss Mallory

And narration by Maggie Furco (June 1) and Eliana Joftus (June 8).

JUNE 1ST
"The Tulip Garden" Miss Sarah Elizabeth
"Tiny Thumbelina" Miss Jennifer
"Thumbelina Waits to Marry the Frog Prince" Miss Amber
"Thumbelina is Rescued by the Fish" Miss Natalie
"Journey with the Butterflies" Miss Margie
"Spring Violets" Miss Sarah
"Summer Forest" Miss Natalie
"Winter Forest" Miss Stephanie
"The Field Mouse House" Miss Stephanie
"The Surprise Spring Visitors" Miss Emily
"The Marriage of Thumbelina and the Mole" Miss April
"The Fairy King and Thumbelina Meet" Miss Natalie
"The Fairy King and Thumbelina Wed" Miss Lauren
"Thumbelina, the Fairy Queen" Miss Erin 

JUNE 8TH
"The Tulip Garden" Miss Katie
"Tiny Thumbelina" Miss Meghan
"Thumbelina Waits to Marry the Frog Prince" Miss Amber
"Thumbelina is Rescued by the Fish" Miss Emily
"Journey with the Butterflies" Miss Jennifer
"Spring Violets" Miss Sarah
"Summer Forest" Miss Natalie
"Winter Forest" Miss Amanda
"The Field Mouse House" Miss Meghan
"The Surprise Spring Visitors" Miss Emily
"Thumbelina and the Mole are Married" Miss Lori
"The Swallow Saves Thumbelina" Miss Amber
"The Fairy King and Thumbelina Meet" Miss Mallory
"The Fairy King and Thumbelina Wed" Miss Lauren
"Thumbelina, the Fairy Queen" Miss Erin