Parents' Association Newsletter – PNB - Pacific Northwest Ballet

Pacific Northwest Ballet School
December 2010
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Parents’ Association Newsletter
I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E :
Letter from Admin Dir., cont. 2
Winter Wonderland Ball 2
Summer Program Auditions 2
Next Onstage 3
School Conferences 3
Letter from the Administrative Director
Dear PNB School Students and
Parents,
What a year! I cannot believe it’s
December already – we have
accomplished so much and have
plenty more to do.
Choreographer’s Showcase 4
Important Notes 4
Parents Association
Mission Statement
Through communication
and volunteerism, the
Pacific Northwest Ballet
Parents’ Association
functions as a support
organization for the School,
students, and parents to
further the goal of quality
dance education.
Nutcracker is in full swing and
the children are performing
beautifully. I recently watched
my 400 th performance and I can
honestly say I never tire watching
the wonderful students of PNB
School. There are many
opportunities for our students to
perform with the Company this
coming spring, including
Cinderella and A Midsummer
Night’s Dream. Students in Level
VI through Professional Division
(PD) will perform in Pinocchio in
March. Our Petite Finale in-studio
performances in May feature our
Creative Movement and Pre-
Ballet students. We end the year
on June 18 th with the School
Performance for all Level I
through VIII students, followed
by the Choreographers’ Showcase
for our PDs.
Along with rehearsals for
Cinderella in January, we begin
our annual Summer Course
audition tour. I, along with
faculty, will travel to 21 cities
auditioning 1400 students for
roughly 230 spots for our
2011 Summer Course. Please
note the Seattle audition date
and time for PNB as well as
the list of schools that will be
holding auditions here over
the next couple of months. We
encourage all of our students
to participate in a summer
program away from home. If
you have questions regarding
this, please discuss with our
faculty or give me a call.
You probably have noticed
many new faces behind the
desks in both Seattle and at
the Francia Russell Center.
New to us this year are
Heatherly Hite, School
Supervisor, and
Administrative Assistants:
Alyssa Harvey, Rosanna
Hughes, and Abby Northcott.
Each new staff member comes
to us with a strong
background in dance and/or
education. (Continued, page 2)
Looking for Class Parents!
PNB School is looking for
Parent Representatives
from each class level from
Seattle and the Eastside.
Parent Representatives
will help us gather
volunteers for School
events and communicate
any necessary information
we need to pass along
during the year. The
School will provide
contact information for
the students and their
families.
The first task for Parent
Representatives will be to
rally each class around
the Winter Wonderland
Ball, coming in January. If
this sounds interesting to
you, please let us know.
You may contact Denise
Bolstad at 206.441.2435
or denise@pnb.org.

Page 2
Pacific Northwest
Ballet School Staff
Peter Boal, Director
Denise Bolstad, Administrative
Director
Abbie Siegel, School Principal
Nicholas Ade, Eastside School
Principal
Marjorie Thompson,
PNBConditioning Program
Director
Wendy Casper, Assistant to the
Administrative Director
Heatherly Hite, School
Supervisor
Kerrie Thornton, Registrar
Jennifer McLain, DanceChance
Manager
Meg Potter, Children’s Division
Coordinator
David Jensen, Summer
Residence Director
Andrea Bauer, PNBConditioning
Coordinator
Andrea Bauer, Carrie Cullom,
Alyssa Harvey, Rosanna
Hughes, Barbara Nakatani,
Abby Northcott, Administrative
Assistants
Rochelle Rapazsky,
DanceChance Coordinator
Irv Huck, Music Staff Supervisor
School Consultants
Toby Diamond, Ph.D.,
Psychologist
Peggy Swistak, M.S., R.D., C.D.,
Nutritionist
Alan Woodle, Podiatrist
Henry Lu, PT, ATC, Physical
Therapist
Karen Clippinger, M.S.P.E.,
Kinesiologist
Doug Fullington, Dance
Historian
Letter from Administrative Director, continued.
I am pleased to be working with each of these wonderfully caring new people; their transition to the
bustling day-to-day business of the School office has seemed nearly seamless.
Enrollment is up at both schools (we have 14 classes of Creative Movement alone!) and we are particularly
grateful given the current economic condition. Approximately $550,000 in financial aid will be awarded to
families in need of tuition assistance this year. I am extremely proud of the entire School staff and faculty
for making increased enrollment a continuing reality at PNB School.
In June, many of our students will receive contracts for professional careers or move on to college. We
realize the investment of time, money, and especially the focused commitment required to succeed here at
PNB School is extensive (what an understatement!). We truly know, from dancers past and present that
the time spent here prepares your children to thrive in whatever capacity they choose to take on as adults.
On behalf of all the School faculty and staff, I wish you a happy holiday season and look forward to a
productive new year.
Denise Bolstad, Administrative Director
Winter Wonderland Ball
Sunday, January 30, 2011 3:00-6:00 pm
The Francia Russell Center
13440 NE 16 th Street, Bellevue
Hosted by PNB principal dancer Carla Körbes and her dog, Bella, the ball has something for everyone!
• Dance classes like hip hop and Latin with PNB Company dancers
• A Cinderella – themed cakewalk sponsored by Trophy Cupcakes
• Silent auction featuring exciting packages from PNB and local retailers
TICKETS:
$40/first child, $30/each additional child
$60/adult (All children must be accompanies by an adult)
$30/sponsor a DanceChance student
Tickets to the Ball make a great holiday gift!
To purchase tickets, donate auction items, or volunteer, please contact PNB Special Events at
206.441.2429 or events@pnb.org.
Summer Program Auditions
Many schools have scheduled
summer program auditions at
the Phelps Center. Those
happening in early January are
listed here. This list is subject
to change. Please confirm
audition times directly with
individual schools by phone, on
the web, or in the January
issues of DANCE or Pointe
magazines.
Parents’ Association Newsletter
Date School
1/5 Boston Conservatory BFA Program
1/7 Next Generation Ballet
1/8 School of American Ballet
1/8 Jillana
1/9 Long Beach Ballet
1/9 Ballet Austin Academy
1/9 Burklyn Ballet
1/14 Kirov Academy
1/15 Oregon Ballet Theatre
1/15 Houston Ballet Academy
1/16 Joffrey Ballet School
1/16 Boston Ballet School
1/17 Walnut Hill
1/17 Univ. of North Carolina School of Arts
1/17 Miami Ballet School
(Continued, back page)

Parents’ Association Newsletter Page 3
Next Onstage: Cinderella February 4 - 13
Following a nine-year hiatus, Kent
Stowell's captivating Cinderella
makes a long-anticipated return for
its McCaw Hall debut. PNB School
students are encouraged to attend
PNB Company productions as an
essential part of their training.
Tickets for all PNB performances
may be purchased in person at
PNB’s Box Office at The Phelps
Center, by phone at 206.441.2424
or online at www.pnb.org. Students
are eligible to purchase a halfpriced
ticket one hour prior to
curtain, subject to availability.
Required PNB School student ID
cards are issued in the School office.
Student rush does not apply to
Nutcracker or a sold-out
performance. PNB School families
are offered discounted PNB
Subscriptions throughout the
academic year. Contact
206.441.2425 for information.
All students in Levels IV-VIII receive
two tickets, twice a year to PNB
Company performances. This year
students will receive tickets to
Contemporary 4 in March and A
Midsummer Night’s Dream in April.
Stay tuned for more information.
Discussing School Conferences
by Abbie Siegel
School Principal
Of all the many accomplishments at
Pacific Northwest Ballet School, I am
particularly proud of our ability to
schedule and conference
approximately five hundred students a
year. As many of you know, we start
formal student/parent/teacher
conferences in Level III and continue
them through Level VIII. This process
starts in the early fall and continues
through the end of spring. As daunting
as that might seem, it is through these
short fifteen-to-twenty minute
conversations that we are able to
communicate each student’s progress
and together set goals to meet each
individual child’s needs. Our
responsibility as faculty and
administrators is to educate and guide
our students to successfully recognize
and reach their potential.
Prior to the conference, the principals
meet with all faculty members who
teach that particular level to discuss
each child’s effort, physical
development, and technical
development. These discussions are
crucial, as every teacher weighs in on
their experience with each student.
When the actual conference takes
place, one faculty member is chosen to
be the spokesperson. As students
advance through the levels,
they learn how to be less nervous and
more interactive in the discussion.
Younger level students are encouraged
to bring their journals to the
conference to jot down notes they can
refer to later. Upper level conferences
may include discussion about summer
courses, time management, and even
college plans. In my experience,
students and families really appreciate
the one-on-one time with their
teachers, and in turn we might find out
that a hard working, serious student is
also an accomplished violinist or a
state champion high jumper.
Watching a child grow up through the
School is an amazingly rewarding
experience. Besides observing
students’ progress in the studio,
conferences are one way to mark their
time spent here. To be part of their
lives and help guide their hopes and
dreams is something we take very
seriously. Certainly, over the years,
there have been tears and joy. When
their journey here has come to an end
and students walk in to their final
conference full of poise and confidence,
ready to take off in whatever direction
they are headed, we take great pride in
knowing we have done our job.
All photos © Angela Sterling.
Page 1, Pacific Northwest Ballet
School students in Stowell &
Sendak Nutcracker.
This page, Carrie Imler in
Cinderella.
PNB School Student.

Page 4
Parents’ Association Newsletter
Pacific Northwest
Ballet School
Phelps Center
301 Mercer Street
Seattle, WA 98109
Phone 206.441.2435
Fax 206.441.2430
The Francia Russell Center
13440 NE 16 th Street
Bellevue, WA 98005
Phone 425.451.1241
Fax 425.468.1742
E-mail pnbschool@pnb.org
Auditions, cont.
1/20 Princeton Ballet School
1/21 Milwaukee Ballet School
1/22 The Rock School of Ballet
1/23 Los Angeles Ballet
1/23 American Ballet Theatre
1/29 PNB School
1/30 Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre
School
1/30 School of Ballet Chicago
2/5 Gelsey Kirkland Academy
2/6 San Francisco Ballet
School
2/19 State Street Ballet
2/19 PNB School (Audition
held at Francia Russell Center)
2/20 Atlanta Ballet School
We’re on the Web!
www.pnb.org
www.facebook.com/pnbfan
www.twitter.com/pnballet
Looking Ahead: Choreographers’ Showcase
By Nicholas Ade, Eastside School Principal
People often ask me, “Do Pacific Northwest Ballet Company members and School students ever
get a chance to work together” Well, the answer is yes! PNB Company dancers and Pacific
Northwest Ballet School’s Professional Division students collaborate for our annual
Choreographers’ Showcase. The Showcase has Company dancers taking the reins in the
rehearsal studios to create new works on PNB School’s PD students. This very unique annual
performance allows our most advanced students to see their favorite Company dancers in a
new light, as choreographers. It also lets the newest talent in the School enjoy the McCaw Hall
spotlight for one evening, set for June 18, 2011 at 7:00 p.m.
I have been involved with the Showcase since 2004 and have seen a wealth of wonderful
choreographic talent emerge and mature over the years. From seeing one of Kiyon Gaines’ first
new works to watching Olivier Wevers’ abilities mature, this has been a treasured part of PNB.
Seeing the talent of our School rise to the occasion, working out of their comfort zone, and
excelling in such a short amount of time is rewarding to them and to the audience as well.
This year’s process has already begun. Company members who wanted to be a part of this
experience signed up and started identifying students to cast in their new works. Showcase
rehearsals take place between Company rehearsals, the students’ classes, and performances;
there is great pressure on the choreographers to finish their pieces in a very limited amount of
time! This year’s choreographers include Margaret Mullin, Ezra Thomson, Price Suddarth,
Barry Kerollis, Andrew Bartee, Kiyon Gaines, Seth Orza, and Sean Rollofson. For many, this is
their first or second year as choreographers. We invite you to follow their creative process
through regular updates and blog postings on PNB’s Facebook fan page. Please join us at the
performance on June 18, 2011.
Important Notes
From the Registrar:
• The last day of Fall Semester is Saturday, January 29, 2011.
• The first day of Spring Semester is Monday, January 31, 2011.
• If you pay tuition biannually, please remit payment by January 15, 2011. Monthly
payments are always due by the first class of each month.
Important Note: Students registered for Pre-Ballet, Level I – Level VIII and the Professional
Division enroll for 39 weeks. Students who decide not to continue for the second half of the
school year must formally withdraw (via written notification) by January 31 st in order to be
eligible for pro-rated tuition. Students who follow this procedure may be relieved of
responsibility for the second half of the year’s tuition (January 26 th – June 13 th ), upon approval of
the Administrative Director.
This information can be found on page 10 of the Student Handbook. You may access it online
at www.pnb.org under the School tab.
Great Holiday Gift
Did you know that when you make a gift to PNB School of $250 or more or become a PNB
member at the Soloist level, you can receive a signed 8” x 10” picture of your favorite PNB
Company dancer This is the perfect gift for your dancer and one he or she will treasure
forever. When you make your gift, just let us know which dancer is your favorite and we’ll be
sure to get the picture back to you, signed and ready to be put under the tree! Make your gift
at pnb.org or by calling Clare Hausmann, Annual Fund Manager at 206.441-3593.