Based on feedback thus far, our new facility appears to have many fans. All of us who worked toward making it possible feel very gratified that the work has paid off, and the result is a great new Kingsport Ballet. Many KB parents and friends gave their time and energy, and spent a lot of their free time helping us with the many tasks required to renovate the space. And the work has continued with the most recent upgrading of the kitchen. The Steiners generously donated a refrigerator, which we promptly painted silver, along with the microwave! We repainted cabinets, refinished hardware and scrubbed every surface. The result is a comfortable, appealing space for seeking sustenance.
The studio as a wellness place: We are so proud to announce that Jessica Barrett, physical therapist and dancer, is already hard at work offering a menu of potential selections, anything from a personalized workout routine for dancers, to icing a sore muscle, to actual physical therapy modalities. We have painted the walls of our fitness and wellness lounge and are preparing to finish the wood floors this week! The semi-finished state of the lounge is not stopping us from getting started with our program!
We are seeking a treadmill and an elliptical machine. We are aiming to build a sweedish wall for ballet workouts, and provide a very comfortable space for lounging, working out, or learning more about dance, our bodies and how to stay healthy and fit. Operating on the premise that since dancers train earlier and more frequently, taking class 4-5 times per week as early as age 9, they need the tools for prevention, maintenance, and cross-training and muscle care that is often not sought until an injury demands it.
Our goal is to equip our young dancers with the tools to lead healthy lives, and to learn about the demands placed on their bodies at an earlier age, while there is time to create good, healthy habits. It will take about $5500 to completely finish out this space, and as with our studios, we are seeking sponsorships to help make it possible. If you know a doctor, therapist or healthcare facility that likes our plan - prevention-education-wellness - please encourage them to make a donation to this great space. Go to www.kingsportballet.org and click on "support Kingsport Ballet." I am also working on our season brochure, which will feature many ways to support KB. Donors to our renovations will be acknowledged on glass plaques, sand-etched to permanently denote their names and generosity.
The studio as a gallery: The spacious hallways and waiting areas with more than enough wall space will grow into an art gallery that will have rotating exhibit space. We are seeking sponsors to make the art-hanging equipment possible. We are planning to purchase a very sleek, minimalist hanging system that will be easily adaptable to all sizes and shapes of 2 dimensional artwork. Go to www.kingsportballet.org and click on "support Kingsport Ballet."
The studio as an arts center: Our arts partners are hard at work! We currently have four arts studios subleased, with a fifth one promised and awaiting further renovations. Arts Studio E: Eugene Jones, clarinet teacher (he used to be the principal clarinetist with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet!), Arts Studio D: Geraldine Fish - very accomplished classical piano instructor, Arts Studio C: Wesley Venable - talented visual artist, Arts Studio B: Bill McSpadden - maybe we'll get our ballet videos sooner.?..? and Arts Studio A: - will be renovated for local arts professional seeking office space downtown. This last and largest arts studio requiring renovations will take the most effort, as there was quite a bit of drywall damage, will need window side-lights re-installed, and all new flooring.
We will call the arts wing the Charlie Houston Arts Wing, in memory of the firstborn son of Steve and Anne Houston. Anne was a partner in the Parents Coalition, which bought the KB studios from the founding director and made it non-profit in 1999. Steve was a generous supporter of Kingsport Ballet, purchasing our theatrical lighting system in 2000 and making various set pieces, including the "steps" we use in almost all our ballets. Their son Charlie died at the age of 16 in a single car crash on October 10th of that year. He was an avid musician and artist. If you know of an arts lover who would support our arts center, please encourage them to support this effort with a donation. Go to www.kingsportballet.org and click on "support Kingsport Ballet."
Ballet studios: All four of our ballet studios have been underwritten by the generous support of the following patrons: Dr. Lenita Thibault, Bonnie and Scott Macdonald, Karen and Mike Todd, Don and Rachel Burch, Dr. Judy Fischer, Roger and Agnese Goin, John and Linda Buckles, Jose and Alma Velasco, Al and Vivian Crymble, IBM and Pfizer, Michael and Bertina Dew. Substantial labor was donated by Fixalotta Renovations - owned and operated by Michael Richards. Fixalotta carried out the KB renovations.
Studio B, which has a door facing Cherokee Street, is facing additional renovations. We were initially told we could not do away with the door from the waiting room or change it to accommodate the floor extending all the way to the door, but during the fire marshall's recent visit we were given an ok to make some changes. We will be extending the sprung floor all the way to the wall, giving us some additional needed elbow space.
Waiting rooms: We are seeking sponsors for the two main waiting rooms. We have received generous in-kind donations of furniture and other equipment from Workspace Interiors and Meadoview Resort and Conference Center.
Again, we are so grateful to all of you who spent a great deal of time and effort helping with all sorts of tasks in order to help finish this great space. Your efforts have paid off and we are so proud of our volunteers!! Thank YOU!!
New projects: We need to get in Nutcracker mode!! I am seeking a COSTUME MISTRESS.. This is a person who will oversee/manage the fittings, alterations and care of the costumes prior to Nutcracker and organize costume workdays and necessary alterations. This person does not necessarily need to be a seamstress. I will be happy to train the volunteer, and since I'm not going anywhere, I am always there to help out. Additionally, you will be taking direction from me as to what will be needed. I am also seeking a PROPERTIES manager. This person would be in charge of all props for Nutcracker. Some, like the fireplace made of styrofoam, will be needing repair prior to production. These tasks can be carried out by the props manager or delegated. I will be happy to train this person.
Help in both of the above areas will help to free me somewhat to focus more on marketing and advertising - an area that needs my attention so that we can meet our goal of increasing our audiences by 30%!!
If interested in either of the above volunteer jobs, or would like to know more about the commitment level, please call me at 423/863-1280.
Thank you all!!
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Ballet Traditions
A classical art form is bound to have some set expectations that have stayed true through the years, some, all the way from the 18th and 19th centuries - and even earlier! Some may say, "ughh! old, boring.." others appreciate the order, balance and clarity they provide, like the masonry foundation of a house. You know that you can build upward and outward when the groundwork is unshakable. That solid classicism also provides a manual and guide.
It is so with ballet - starting with the most obvious, non-negotiable French terminology for all positions and movements. There are many other traditions that are part of the teaching and learning of classical ballet that have not wavered. For instance, thanking the instructor at the end of class with the reverance, the use of a ballet barre, the use of classical music for class, the use of mirrors to provide instant self-assessment, to name a few.
Some elements have evolved through the years, such as the preferred materials for ballet shoes, the look and style of practice-wear and dance garments, and the way the hair is pulled back from the face. But overall, their purposes are still practical and unquestioned for their utilitarian design.
There are newer traditions that have evolved and actually become re-set in a particular school or studio. For instance, where a dancer stands at the barre during floor-work, who goes first, and protocol for a visiting dancer, among other things. A dancer's spot at the barre is sacrosanct in her home studio. Her place at center is also an unchanging, unspoken mark in space, much like a student's desk in a classroom becomes claimed by a particular student after the first day of class. And a dancer's space in the dressing room is also never to be tampered with - the word 'space' in this case is absolute. There are very firm, unspoken boundaries surrounding where a dancer sets her belongings and follows her preparation routine, such as dressing, mending, medicating, or stretching. For a dancer in the dressing room, her space becomes fixed, solid matter, not to be violated.
Many dancers retain these territorial marks through many years, and feel strongly about them. Visiting dancers do well to stay back until the "home team" takes their spots and choose a place at the barre only after the regulars have done so. It's just common courtesy - and tradition.
There are other unspoken traditions within a ballet class, particularly in the more advanced levels, like seniority, for instance. The most advanced dancers typically take their place in the first row during center work, even if the lines continuously change throughout class, usually the starting point is seniority goes first. Visiting dancers typically take their place at the back, or out of the way, unless invited forward by the instructor.
The show of good sportsmanship is also a strong tradition in ballet class. A dancer always congratulates and cheers on her co-dancers, and does not praise herself or her accomplishments to the others. Humility and quiet pride are paramount in studio protocol, as the opposite - self aggrandizement (or the diva syndrome) spells social suicide. This is particularly true if the dancer is talented. The rule here is that your successes speak for themselves!
In ballet, as in life, it is wonderful to have a history and tradition to buttress your endeavors. Similarly, abiding by some common-sense rules, being aware of others around you and being respectful of their own traditions go a long way toward promoting a healthy and happy environment. Soon, every dancer develops his or her own traditions, and will want others to respect them. Traditions provide stability and boundaries, which add to the sense of trust and belonging dancers feel at their home studio, and owning their art form in general.
It is so with ballet - starting with the most obvious, non-negotiable French terminology for all positions and movements. There are many other traditions that are part of the teaching and learning of classical ballet that have not wavered. For instance, thanking the instructor at the end of class with the reverance, the use of a ballet barre, the use of classical music for class, the use of mirrors to provide instant self-assessment, to name a few.
Some elements have evolved through the years, such as the preferred materials for ballet shoes, the look and style of practice-wear and dance garments, and the way the hair is pulled back from the face. But overall, their purposes are still practical and unquestioned for their utilitarian design.
There are newer traditions that have evolved and actually become re-set in a particular school or studio. For instance, where a dancer stands at the barre during floor-work, who goes first, and protocol for a visiting dancer, among other things. A dancer's spot at the barre is sacrosanct in her home studio. Her place at center is also an unchanging, unspoken mark in space, much like a student's desk in a classroom becomes claimed by a particular student after the first day of class. And a dancer's space in the dressing room is also never to be tampered with - the word 'space' in this case is absolute. There are very firm, unspoken boundaries surrounding where a dancer sets her belongings and follows her preparation routine, such as dressing, mending, medicating, or stretching. For a dancer in the dressing room, her space becomes fixed, solid matter, not to be violated.
Many dancers retain these territorial marks through many years, and feel strongly about them. Visiting dancers do well to stay back until the "home team" takes their spots and choose a place at the barre only after the regulars have done so. It's just common courtesy - and tradition.
There are other unspoken traditions within a ballet class, particularly in the more advanced levels, like seniority, for instance. The most advanced dancers typically take their place in the first row during center work, even if the lines continuously change throughout class, usually the starting point is seniority goes first. Visiting dancers typically take their place at the back, or out of the way, unless invited forward by the instructor.
The show of good sportsmanship is also a strong tradition in ballet class. A dancer always congratulates and cheers on her co-dancers, and does not praise herself or her accomplishments to the others. Humility and quiet pride are paramount in studio protocol, as the opposite - self aggrandizement (or the diva syndrome) spells social suicide. This is particularly true if the dancer is talented. The rule here is that your successes speak for themselves!
In ballet, as in life, it is wonderful to have a history and tradition to buttress your endeavors. Similarly, abiding by some common-sense rules, being aware of others around you and being respectful of their own traditions go a long way toward promoting a healthy and happy environment. Soon, every dancer develops his or her own traditions, and will want others to respect them. Traditions provide stability and boundaries, which add to the sense of trust and belonging dancers feel at their home studio, and owning their art form in general.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Did You Know?
Did you know that Kingsport Ballet does A LOT more than classical ballet? Jazz dance, Character dance, modern dance.. boys class - - - - - thai chi. Thai Chi? Absolutely! Boys love it. They learn to gain physical control, musicality, technique - and at the same time they can CHARGE with a sword and have fun. Where else can you be a 7 year old boy, do all that - and not end up getting in trouble?
Spring Concert Showcase 2010 - May 27th at 7pm at the DB Little Theatre. $7 per person - general admission. Come see ALL the great stuff we do. Call 423/378-3967 for tix.
Read the next entry on What is Character Dance? Meanwhile visit us on Facebook and join our fansite, or follow us on Twitter. www.kingsportballet.org
Spring Concert Showcase 2010 - May 27th at 7pm at the DB Little Theatre. $7 per person - general admission. Come see ALL the great stuff we do. Call 423/378-3967 for tix.
Read the next entry on What is Character Dance? Meanwhile visit us on Facebook and join our fansite, or follow us on Twitter. www.kingsportballet.org
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