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!