From July 20 through August 7, Creighton University dance director Lisa Carter will hold drop-in Intermediate/Advanced Ballet classes from 9:00 am to 10:15 am on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at the Academy.  Cost is $10 cash per class; exact change only please.  We hope to see you there!

Thanks to everyone who participated in, helped with, or attended our 2009 recital, Alice in Wonderland.

Here’s a photo sampler of the studio dress rehearsal at the Academy (click the arrow to play):

And here’s one from the final dress rehearsal at Joslyn:

Now that our recital is just around the corner, please make every effort to attend all your remaining classes.  As always, please call the studio to let us know if you will be absent. Many costumes are now ready to be picked up at the studio or the Dance Shoppe.  We will be sending home costume letters with your student with detailed information.  The receptionists also can help with any costume questions.  Each family will receive 5 tickets which you may pick up starting May 16 from the receptionists.  Your tuition and recital fee must be paid in order to receive your tickets.  After all the tickets are distributed, the extras will go on sale for $5 apiece.  If you do not need all 5 tickets, please return them or give them to another family.  We will do our best to accommodate everyone.  We only have 2 volunteers to help with many little dancers backstage, so if you have a teenager who would be willing to watch a class, please let us know.  15 helpers would be ideal.  Following are important dates and times:

• Sat., May 16 — Dress Rehearsal at OAB for Grade 4 and above only
  2:00-5:00 P.M.  (may be finished earlier)
  Full costume and hair                                            
• Tues., May 26 — Dress Rehearsal at Joslyn (enter through west stage door)
  Please arrive at least 15 minutes prior to your scheduled time.
  Grade 3 and below arrive in costume and make-up.                                                                          
• Wed., May 27 — Recital Day at Joslyn (enter through west stage door)
  5:00 P.M. — Grade 4 and above arrive at Joslyn
  5:30-6:15 — warm up on stage for Grade 6 and above
  5:30-6:00 — warm up backstage for Grade 4 and 5
  6:30 — Grade 3 and below arrive in costume and make-up (leave belongings with parents).  We will not be set up backstage for the younger dancers until 6:30, so if you arrive earlier, you will be asked to wait downstairs.  The theater will open for seating at 6:30.
  7:00 P.M. — Performance. . . end time around 8:30 P.M.

Joslyn has some rules for all performing groups that we must make sure to abide by.  Absolutely no food or drink is allowed in the theater or  backstage. Water is allowed in the break room downstairs.  Joslyn has asked that only one adult accompany the dancer to dress rehearsal.  They would prefer not to have siblings in the audience on Tuesday, but if that is not possible, please make sure they sit quietly with you during the rehearsal.  Following the performance, please send one parent backstage to pick up your dancer and make sure to check with the class helper before leaving.

Thank you for bringing your student to the Omaha Academy of Ballet this year.  We’re looking forward to a very colorful production of Alice in Wonderland.
 
Patti, Penny, and Sheila

It may not even seem as if spring is around the corner – but deadlines are approaching to register for the Academy’s summer dance classes and for the 22nd annual Nebraska Dance Camp at Halsey!

Click here for complete information about both summer opportunities, and to download registration forms!

Thank you to everyone who participated in “A Winter Celebration of Dance” with Omaha Dance Project.  We teachers and choreographers enjoyed working with an enthusiastic group of 65 dancers!

Now it’s time to start thinking about the recital.  PLEASE NOTE:  The performance is a week earlier than usual!  The dress rehearsal is Tuesday, May 26 and the performance is Wednesday, May 27 at Joslyn Art Museum.  Saturday afternoon, May 16 will be an in studio dress rehearsal for Grade 4 and above.  More information on specific times for the rehearsals will be coming next month.  The 2009 recital fee is $27 per family and can be paid in Term IV.

This year the theme is “Alice in Wonderland” and our five graduating seniors are all going to be Alice!  We have over 30 dances that need costumes.  Please talk to you dancer’s teacher about helping in some way with costumes.  They will really appreciate it!

It’s always difficult to find backstage help during the recital.  We need high school students or older to sit backstage with the younger students during the performance.  Since we are a non-profit organization, students can do this for service hours.  Please let Patti (556-2206) know if you have someone willing to do this job.

As always, feel free to call us with any questions, concerns, or great ideas!

Patti, Sheila, and Penny

Congratulations to everyone who was involved in December’s successful Omaha Dance Project production, A Winter Celebration of Dance, at the Jewish Community Center Theater.

Here are some photos from the performance:

The Omaha Dance Project proudly presents  “A Winter Celebration of Dance” at the Jewish Community Center (333 S. 132nd Street, Omaha) on Saturday, December 13, 7:30 p.m. and on Sunday, December 14 2:00 p.m..  There will be contemporary ballet, jazz and modern dance works plus selections from The Nutcracker.  Tickets are $10 Child/Senior and $12 Adult.  Call Omaha Academy of Ballet (346-0469) for more information.

Community-wide auditions for the Omaha Dance Project’s 2008 production, A Winter Celebration of Dance, drew more than 60 dancers to the Academy on September 13.

The dancers, whose ages ranged from 10 through adult, came both from the Academy and from other studios to audition for the classical ballet, modern, and jazz works that will be on the program when A Winter Celebration of Dance takes to the stage December 13 and 14.

Choreographers planned to make scheduling decisions and notify dancers of the audition results during the week of September 14. Future updates for cast members will appear in the Omaha Dance Project section of this website, so keep watching this space!

Now in its fourth year, the Omaha Dance Project is the Academy’s performance-experience program for dancers from throughout the community. Its goal is to give student and amateur dancers the chance to experience the challenges and opportunities of being in a professional production. This year’s production is presented in cooperation with the Jewish Community Center dance department.

[more audition photos]

OAB dancers perform in the Dundee Days parade

Omaha Academy of Ballet dancers took part in the Dundee Day parade on Saturday, Aug. 23. The costumed dancers moved up Underwood Avenue performing a “parade-friendly” combination set by instructor Lynne Nevin, drawing applause from the crowd.

Academy students performed August 9 and 10 at Lauritzen Gardens‘ Art in Bloom festival.

Nineteen students participated in the program, which featured pieces from our 2008 recital choreographed by faculty members Lynne Nevin and Mary Waugh-Taylor. Co-director Sheila Nelson coordinated the production.

Thanks to all the students and families who participated!

[Pictured: Austrian dancers take their bow at 'Art in Bloom']