Meet Miss Andrea!

Miss Andrea is really happy to be on board starting her second year with Ballet Petite. Starting at the age of two with ballet, her military upbringing has allowed her to be exposed to many different styles and techniques. Miss Andrea graduated with her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance Performance with minors in Elementary Education and Psychology from Shenandoah University in Winchester, Virginia.

Along with dance, Miss Andrea plays the clarinet! With this skill she was fortunate enough to be a performer in the Opening Ceremonies of the 2002 Olympics in Sydney, Australia.

Miss Andrea not only loves ballet, but all forms of dance. She has had the opportunity to dance the leading roles in several ballets including The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, and Cinderella, but was also honored at the National ACDFA dance conference in Ohio for a dynamic modern solo dedicated to Hurricane Katrina.

Miss Andrea's favorite part of teaching at Ballet Petite is watching her students grow. She finds it so fulfilling to meet them in a younger class when they might be having a hard time adjusting to classes and coming in without mom and watching their independence grow as they find it easier.

More fun facts about Miss Andrea:

Her favorite color is indigo. She has lived in over 20 states and her favorite place to live was California. She has one brother. She helped start a non-profit dance program for children when she lived in Florida. She loves Reeces Pieces!

Miss Andrea will be teaching this fall at various locations with Ballet Petite!

All the best, Sarah

What's New This Week!

Welcome to the sixth week of camp! We are over halfway through our summer camps, and we still receive registrations everyday for camps coming up and the Fall 2010 session. We make a strong effort to keep our schedule online as up-to-date as possible, so keep checking in for new updates!


Next week in Bethesda, we start our Ballet Intensive Camp with Miss Melissa for the next two weeks. It's from 9-3 each day, and they will be working on a production of Coppelia. If you have a child who's age 8 or above, you won't want to miss this camp! We also have limited availability in Magical Morning Camp for 2.5-3.5 years old (theme is Garden Delights), Tutu Sweet Ballerina Camp for 3 & 4 years old (theme is Tanya & The Magic Wardrobe), Tappin' Toes for 3-5 years old (theme is Jailhouse Rock), Happily Ever After Princess Camp for 4 & 5 years (theme is Rapunzel), and American Girl Camp for 5-7 years old (theme is Kristen).


In McLean, we are offering the new daily camps each day which are rapidly becoming very popular! We also have limited availability in Magical Morning Camp for 2.5-3.5 years old (theme is Cuddly Bears), Broadway Baby Camp for 3-5 years old (theme is Beauty and The Beast), and Happily Ever After Princess Camp for 4 & 5 years old (theme is Angelina at the Palace).

In Potomac, we are offering the daily camps and the theme is A Magical Journey. This includes stories such as The Wizard of Oz, Alice in Wonderland, The Ugly Duckling, The Firebird, and Jack and the Beanstalk.

In the Kentlands, we are also offering the daily camps and the theme is Animal Kingdom. This should be a fun one! This includes stories such as Giraffe's Can't Dance, The Carnival of the Animals, Where the Wild Things Are, Rainbow Fish, and 101 Dalmatians.

All the best,
Sarah

Book Review: The Story of the Tooth Fairy

The tooth fairy is a tradition that is passed through generations of people all over the world. The Story of the Tooth Fairy, by Tom Paxton explores the origins of where the tooth fairy came from and how this custom began.

It begins with a fairy named Glynnis who meets a seven year old girl named Emily. Emily is skeptical of Glynnis initially, however the two then become friends and agree to meet the following day. Glynnis then goes back to her queen to tell her about the mortal she just met, and finds out that fairies and mortals were friends long ago, however a rumor spread that fairies were mischief makers and soon their bond was broken.

After learning of Glynnis’ connection with Emily, the queen asks for her to bring a token of her friendship with her, but only one “a mortal could give.” Glynnis returned to Emily’s house and finds to her excitement that they are friends, and they devise a plan to bring mortals and fairies back together. They agree to give each other friendship gifts, and Glynnis promises to bring Emily a coin in exchange for one of Emily’s baby teeth that was about to fall out. To keep the tooth safe, Emily keeps it under her pillow, and Glynnis leaves a coin under her pillow while she’s asleep and takes the tooth.

When Glynnis returns with the tooth, the queen names her the Tooth Fairy and a friend to all children. They have a building in their village where coins are kept, and the queen says “when every coin is replaced with a tooth, our friendship with the mortals will be renewed, never to be broken again.” This is how the Tooth Fairy came to be.

Full of richly beautiful illustration by Robert Sauber, The Story of the Tooth Fairy is a charming and dreamy story for children of all ages. Instead of focusing on how much they receive under their pillow, the story evokes the anticipation of the Tooth Fairy’s visit instead. This treasured book is brought to life by our young ballerina’s.

All the best,
Sarah

Recital DVDs are Coming!

Recital seems like it was so very long ago! Yet at the same time, it feels like it was just yesterday! Parents and students, I know you have been anxiously awaiting the arrival of your DVDs. I remember what it was like when I was growing up and how I would wait all summer long for my recital video (only my senior year of high school were things advanced enough that we received a DVD instead of a VHS!). I can remember running down the driveway to my mailbox and checking for the video day, after day, after day!

Well- the time has come! DVDs have been put in the mail and should arrive very soon; photos will be mailed directly from the photographer very soon, as well!

Yesterday I had the opportunity to view the DVDs of the two recitals in which I had students: Spotlight on Broadway and Spring Concert. Boy, was I proud! All of the students gave a stellar performance. They sang and danced their hearts out! I was especially proud of my students in Another Openin’, Another Show’ for not looking into the wings for help; they didn’t need me and did it all by themselves!

As for my older students (One More Angel in Heaven), I was proud to see their acting skills come across so well on stage and on camera! For the young triple threat, it’s easy to forget a piece: you dance your heart out and suddenly realize you’re not singing, you’re dancing and singing but forget that you’re supposed to act angry, or sad, or whatever it is the character is feeling! Well, this didn’t happen to my triple threats! They kept all three pieces alive and strong throughout their performance; I couldn’t have been prouder!!!

Happy DVD watching!!
Miss Elizabeth

Question of the Week!

Every week, I will be introducing a question brought to us from a parent. I hope you find these questions and answers to be helpful!

Question: "Why do you require a uniform?"

Answer: As our children age up, we find it advantageous to have uniforms to identify each level. The children really look forward to getting a different color each year to mark their division and grade up. Wearing a uniform gives the students the feeling of a community or a team. Most activities require a uniform and/or special equipment, like sports. The leotard will be worn for the full year.

Most parents find it convenient to be able to purchase the required uniform in our shop which is typically open 7 days a week during the school year. We also offer to ship uniforms for a small shipping fee!

Stay tuned for next week's parent question!

All the best,
Sarah

Hannah Montana- Party in the USA! Camp

I spent this afternoon getting ready for next week's camps--specifically, our Got Hip Hop! Camp. We knew from the get-go this was going to be an exceptionally popular camp, as the Hip Hop genre has just EXPLODED in Betheda since we first started to offer it last fall. This camp in particular was just so heavily requested (obviously every little girl LOVES Hannah Montana!) that we had to up our limit from 12 to 16 and schedule two teachers!

Keep Dancing!
Sophie

Paul Taylor at Wolf Trap

Last night I attended my first performance at the Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts. What a treat! I went with a bunch of my girlfriends, who are not dancers themselves, but enjoy watching as much as I enjoy doing!

Last night’s performance was by the Paul Taylor Dance Company. For those of you who haven’t heard of Paul Taylor before, he is known as the youngest member of the pantheon who created American modern dance (along Martha Graham, Merce Cunningham, and others). Paul Taylor, now in his 80th year on the dance scene, “…continues to offer cogent observations on life’s complexities while tackling some of society’s thorniest issues” (read more on his website: http://www.ptdc.org/about-artists/paul-taylor-bio).

The Wolf Trap performance did not disappoint! The performance included three separate dance pieces: Also Playing, Phantasmagoria, and Beloved Renegade. Check out this interview with Paul Taylor from the Washington Post, and you’ll have a hard time not falling in love with this incredible artist’s work (without even seeing a live performance!): http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/16/AR2010071603883_2.html

Don’t forget that Wolf Trap is a great place to further introduce your little ballerinas, tappers, musicians and triple threats to the world of the performing arts. Lawn seats are often only $10 and your whole family can enjoy a fun picnic before the show!

This summer take your musicians to see: Around the World with Joshua Bell and the NSO
(http://www.wolftrap.org/Home/Find_Performances_and_Events/Performance/10Filene/0722show10.aspx),
Take your triple threats to see A Rodgers and Hammerstein Celebration
(http://www.wolftrap.org/Home/Find_Performances_and_Events/Performance/10Filene/0723show10.aspx),
And bring your dancers to see the Dance Institute of Washington
(http://www.wolftrap.org/Home/Find_Performances_and_Events/Performance/10TITW/Dance_Institute.aspx)!

Happy Watching!!
Elizabeth