Scholarship Available

I am excited for Winter Semester to begin. All classes are very full (I do have a few openings in the creative movement class, ages 3-4). Thank you all for your support. We received enough donations during our performance that I have one tuition scholarship available for this semester. Please message me if interested. The following will determine award: dedication, attentiveness, attitude and need.

Merci Beaucoup

Winter Semester Begins January 10th, 2014

Hello,

I am very pleased with how "Act II of  The Nutcracker" turned out! The dancers did amazing!! Thank you to all who helped!!!

I look forward to seeing my students back in class on January 10th, 2014 and the semester will run through March 21st. This semester will be focused on technique and creative movement in contemporary ballet. Please inform me if your child is NOT going to continue, where I have limited spots available. If you are a new student please contact me and I will email you a registration form or you are welcome to pick it up at my home. I would encourage students to continuously dance year round (all 3 semesters) to increase their technique and performing abilities. Please contact me with any questions.

Merci Beaucoup

CONCERT WEEK

Dress Rehearsal will be Thursday 11/21 from 4-6 pm for everyone and 6-7 pm ages 7 and up. Please have dancers wear costume, have hair neatly pulled up in a clean bun or braids. Leah Planinz Photogaphy will be taking single and group photos from 4-5 as we are blocking on stage. Please be polite and do not take photos behind the photographer with your own camera.  At the dress rehearsal we will have classes sit together (little dancers please have a parent sit with them) to watch the other dancers perform this will be their chance to watch each other as they will not be allowed to come in and out of the auditorium during the performance. 

On performance day 11/22, please arrive at least by 6 pm so there is time to warm up and be ready to start at 7 pm. Dancers may wear light stage make-up if desired and have hair neatly pulled up. If you need help there will be some Moms who can help. We will have refreshments after the performance. Please bring a dessert/candy/chocolate to share in our “Land of the Sweets” reception. I would appreciate help cleaning up as well. Thank you for all you do and for your support!

Costumes!!

The costumes came in!! It is like Christmas morning :) They are beautiful!

I will hand them out Wednesday or Friday (must be paid for to receive).
I am still waiting for Chinese Tea, hopefully will have it this week.

To keep the costumes in good condition please do not allow your children to use these as Halloween Costumes.

Some of the costumes are a little wrinkly from shipping. One trick is to hang them upside down (hung by leotard) in the bathroom and let the wrinkles steam out.

Merci Beaucoup

Wednesday Rehearsal

Happy Fall!
Our fall concert, (Act II of the Nutcracker) will be held on November 22nd,7 pm at Lincoln. Please plan to be there no later than 6 pm.
Mandatory dress rehearsal/pictures will be November 21st at 4 pm. Please make every effort to be to every class/rehearsal. 

WEDNESDAY REHEARSAL SCHEDULE
Starting October 16th
4:00 Waltz of the Flowers (Soloists, flowers) Clara/Nutcracker
4:30 Arabian Toffee
5:00 Russian Trepak
5:30 Chinese Tea
6:00 Marzipan (Soloist, lamb, wolf)
6:30 Chocolate
7:00 Sugar Plum Fairy/Clara and Nutcracker Prince

Bon Bon and Rose Buds will be scheduled as needed.

FALL CONCERT DATE

Our fall concert date will be Friday, November 22nd at 7 pm at Lincoln. If your child will not be there please let me know. We will announce parts for the concert this Friday!

Merci Beaucoup

NYC Ballet Presents NEW BEGINNINGS

Fall Semester starts the 13th!

I lost my cell phone, so if you need to call me, use my home number 573-0802. See you tomorrow!! So excited!!

Parking Note:
Try to not park in the road. If you are going to stay through class you may park in front of the studio (where the double garage doors are) or you can use my cement home driveway (it is on the North side of the property and is quite long). If you are dropping kids off use the semi-circle driveway in front of the house to keep traffic moving. Clear as mud? ;) And if you haven't been to my house before you turn RIGHT (GPS has you make a left) on Hines Court and we are the 2nd house on the left.

I have been thinking about the registration form. If you plan to take year round, do not worry about filling out a registration form for each semester. I will keep the registration I have on file. I would just ask that you fill out a new one yearly or when your information changes. If you plan on continuing and would like me to save you a spot just let me know (please, this ensures I get an accurate count for each class) and I will get it recorded. Tuition can be mailed in prior (preferred) or brought the first day.

Merci Beaucoup!

Love this picture...sweet feet!

Fall Semester Begins Friday,  September 13th.

Registration starts August 1st.

I have limited spots, first come, first serve.

*Remember if you have more than 1 child enrolled, you may take $5 off per child.

Look forward to another great semester!

CLINIC Schedule

Clinic Dates July 23rd, 24th, 25th

For the camp you may register and pay the first day (please arrive early to do this), or mail it in prior to the first day if you prefer. Please have children wear leotard, tights and ballet shoes. Please see side bar for more information on uniform. If you are only doing the camp and will not continue fall semester, the color of leotard does not matter. I will not have a beginner class, those that have not had ballet before will be mentored during class. The clinic will be focusing on many different types of turns and leaps. I am looking forward to a very educational and fun clinic!

9-9:50 Ages 3-6 ($20 for clinic)

10-11:20 Ages 7-10 ($30 for clinic)

11:30-1 Ages 11-teen ($30 for clinic)

If you have any questions please feel free to contact me!

No class June 21st and CLINIC Date set!

Hello!

We will not have class June 21st (I have family coming in from out state).

The ballet clinic is tentatively set for July 23rd, 24th, 25th. Please let me know if you are interested so I can set up classes. I will have a beginner class. Those who have taken class will be focusing on turns and leaps.

Ages 3-6 $20 (50 min each day)
Ages 7 plus $30 (1 hour 20 min each day)

Merci Beaucoup

Miss Rebecca

class

Awesome moment in class today...one of the girls was getting teary eyed because she felt like she wasn't "getting it", so after some reassurance she tried the combination again and did a great job to be met by clapping encouragement of her peers...great children you have!

Merci Beaucoup

We made it! The studio is now open. Our first day went well. I am so impressed with the darling little ones willingness to learn, concentration and excitement. What wonderful children you all have! I am looking forward to a great semester!

Opening day is coming right up :)

I am getting the rolls ready for each class, I still have a few on my tentative list that I have not received registration forms for. If you are still interested for this semester will you please let me know and you are welcome to bring registration and tuition on Friday when you come. I will let each of you know what class you are in for sure and what time before Friday. I am so excited and I hope you are as well.

merci beaucoup 

Adding another Ballet I class

To keep class sizes small I am adding another Ballet I class. The schedule will change as follows:

Ballet I (7 year olds) 10 am
Ballet I (8 year olds) 11 am
Ballet II (9-10) noon
Ballet III (11-12 and teen) 1 pm

Any questions, please call or email.

Thanks.

REGISTRATION FORMS NOW AVAILABLE

Hello!
There are a couple of ways to get the registration form either email me at steensmountainballet@gmail.com and I will send you the registration form attached as a pdf document. Or to download the registration form, click here. Please fill it out then return either by:

mail with tuition to
Rebecca Madsen
PO Box 884
Hines, OR 97738

or email to steensmountainballet@gmail.com

The 2nd page of the registration form is for your information.

If you have not already contacted me please do so before you mail in registration so I can make sure there is enough room in the class you are interested in.

Remember, about the Opening Celebration Special:
Register and mail by March 15th and receive $5 off tuition

I will also have hard copies of the Registration Forms for those who would rather receive one by mail or feel free to come by and pick one up.

Thank you!

Ballet Concerts

I will not be doing a Spring Concert because I want to work on technique this semester; however, we will have a fun "parents day" toward the end of the semester to show what we have been working on.

I have exciting plans for our Fall Concert. We will be doing excerpts from Act II of The Nutcracker.

Announcement: Change for Ballet Class Ages

There are many students interested in the age category from 7-9, to accommodate I am making the following changes:

Ballet I for ages 7-8 (lavender leotard) (10 am)
Ballet II for ages 9-10 (lavender leotard) (11 am)
Ballet III for ages 11-12 and Teen (black leotard) (noon)

Registration doesn't start until March 1st but please send me an email or call if you are interested so I can get an idea for class size, and I will put you on the tentative list. I want the class size to stay fairly small. If you have already ordered your leotard do not worry about changing it.

One step closer...

Just registered with the state of Oregon the business "Steens Mountain Ballet"...Yay!

History of Ballet

Quoted From Wikipedia

Ballet is a formalized form of dance with its origins in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th and 16th centuries. It quickly spread to the French court of Catherine de' Medici where it was developed even further. In the late 17th century Louis XIV founded the Académie Royale de Musique (the Paris Opera) within which emerged the first professional theatrical ballet company, the Paris Opera Ballet. The predominance of French in the vocabulary of ballet reflects this history. Theatrical ballet soon became an independent form of art, although still frequently maintaining a close association with opera, and spread from the heart of Europe to other nations. The Royal Danish Ballet and the Imperial Ballet of the Russian Empire were founded in the 1740s and began to flourish, especially after about 1850. In 1907 the Russian ballet in turn moved back to France, where the Ballets Russes of Sergei Diaghilev and its successors were particularly influential. Soon ballet spread around the world with the formation of new companies, including London's The Royal Ballet (1931), the San Francisco Ballet (1933), American Ballet Theatre (1937), The Australian Ballet (1940), the New York City Ballet (1948), the National Ballet of Canada (1951), and the Delhi Ballet (2002).^[1]
In the 20th century styles of ballet continued to develop and strongly influence broader concert dance, for example, in the United States choreographer George Balanchine developed what is now known as neoclassical ballet, subsequent developments have included contemporary ballet and post-structural ballet, for example seen in the work of William Forsythe in Germany.
The etymology of the word "ballet" reflects its history. The word ballet comes from French and was borrowed into English around the 17th century. The French word in turn has its origins in Italian balletto, a diminutive of ballo (dance). Ballet ultimately traces back to Italian ballare, meaning "to dance".

 We will be learning lots of French :)

Flooring Ordered!

This is an exciting process to convert half of our out building into a dance studio...We want to make sure we create an inviting and safe environment for our dancers. We are putting in a professional vinyl dance floor or "marley" floor as it is sometimes called over a sub-floor. This flooring gives just the right amount of resistance and has some give to it as well, with our sub-floor and the marley it will also be safe on joints. It is very specialized so no street shoes are allowed on the floor so that it can maintain the quality. I am so excited for it to arrive! Pictures to come...