SPRINGFIELD BALLET COMPANY
Issue No. 46
April 2016
Springfield Ballet Company
THIS FRIDAY ONLY! - Paint Nite to support SBC
Join us for a Paint Nite* to support the Springfield Ballet Company!

Friday, April 15, 2016
7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Arlington's
210 Broadway
Springfield, IL 62701
Tickets: $45
Register  HERE

Limited seats are available! Be sure to reserve yours today!

*Please note: This event is for guests 21 and older. Thanks for your understanding!

Let's get creative for a great cause! We are hosting a Paint Nite event to raise money for the Springfield Ballet Company's educational and outreach programming - and you're invited!
At Paint Nite, Ashley Blake (master artist) will give you step-by-step instructions to create a work of art - all while you socialize and sip cocktails!

You'll all go home with a masterpiece. No art experience needed!

For additional details, please contact the Springfield Ballet Company at 217-544-1967 or visit our website HERE.

Thank you for supporting the performing arts in our community!

Support the SBC's Annual Pointe Shoe Fund

Help the Springfield Ballet Company provide some very special shoes to some very special . . .

Company Dancers ~
Our Company dancers dedicate an average of 20 hours per week training to perform for audiences and provide dance education and performances to community groups. The delicate pointe shoes our dancers wear provide a rigid support that prevents injury. Each pair is made by hand; and after several rehearsals, the shoes become unstable and must be replaced. Through the course of a season of three or more productions, each dancer can expect to wear through a minimum of six pairs of pointe shoes at a cost of $75 a pair. SBC would like to provide the pointe shoes necessary for our productions. Please help us continue this tradition.

Boys & Girls Clubs Dancers ~
In the fall of 2016, the SBC will again offer its Ballet Outreach Program. This program was established in 2003 as a way to provide dance education to young people from areas that are often underexposed to the fine arts. The Ballet Outreach Program is offered in collaboration with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Illinois, and teaches basic ballet to students ages six to 14. In addition to six months of weekly classes conducted by SBC volunteer ballet instructors, the Company provides ballet shoes, tights, leotards, dance skirts, bags, a t-shirt and tickets to SBC productions -- all at no cost to each student dancer. At the end of each season, parents and friends are invited to attend a free ballet recital performed by the Boys & Girls Clubs Outreach Program dancers at The Legacy Theatre.

To donate to the Springfield Ballet Company's annual Pointe Shoe Fund, visit our website HERE.

Educating Our Dancers
SBC dancers and Trainees had their last class of our 2015-2016 season on Saturday, March 26, 2016, with a master class in ballet taught by Adam Sage, Artistic Director of Missouri Ballet Theatre.

Adam Sage founded Missouri Ballet Theatre after enjoying a nearly three-decade performing, teaching, coaching and choreographic career that spanned four continents. He is the Artistic Director of Missouri Ballet Theatre and has served as artistic director of Virginia School of the Arts, school director and ballet master for Nashville Ballet and interim artistic director of the National Dance Company of Bophuthatswana in Southern Africa.

What a great way to end a wonderful season!

Men in Tights - a great night of tights!
On Friday, April 1, 2016, local "men" in our community (in "tights") and the dancers of the Springfield Ballet Company entertained audiences with classical and contemporary ballet, a few wiggles, some strong posing, and "almost" in unison marching -- all while gaining a great appreciation for the hard work and talent that goes into making the Springfield Ballet Company the premiere performing arts organization that it is!

Thank you to our 2016 Men in Tights  dancers: Jimmy Buckley, Albert Capati, Tom Conway, Jay Cook, Andrew Cornett, Lance Flury, Ken Heuman, Kevin Kulavic, Michael Little, Zaxxson Nation, Blake Stadel and Mark Vance.

Funds raised from this event directly support the Springfield Ballet Company's education and outreach programming.  If you would like to show support for your favorite "man in tights," you can donate via PayPal on our website HERE !

Open auditions for SBC's 2016-2017 season
Sunday, May 22, 2016
12:00 p.m.
Hoogland Center for the Arts, Theatre II

For an audition registration form, click HERE.

The Springfield Ballet Company will be holding open auditions to select Company members and Trainees for its upcoming 2016-2017 season.

A uditions will be held on Sunday, May 22, 2016, 12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m., at the Hoogland Center for the Arts, Theatre II, 420 S. Sixth St., Springfield, IL 62701. The audition fee is $20. For information, call 217-544-1967.

The auditon will consist of a 90-minute classical ballet class.
Dancers should arrive 30 minutes early to register. Ladies should have their hair secured in a tight bun and must wear a black leotard, pink tights and pink ballet shoes and/or pointe shoes. No skirts will be allowed. Men should wear black pants, a white T-shirt and black ballet or jazz shoes.

The SBC Training Academy is the only dance school in the Springfield area formally affiliated with a civic ballet company. The Academy offers a unique educational experience to young dancers. With small classes and expert instruction from SBC staff and guest artists, trainees receive rare insight into the life of professional and aspiring dancers. The Academy offers three trimesters of classes throughout the season, as well as two weeks of intensive training workshops in June and August. Classes and rehearsals are held at the Hoogland Center for the Arts in downtown Springfield.

The Company and Training Academy accept dancers only after an audition. Company positions are open to advanced dancers 13 years and older. Trainee positions are open to intermediate dancers age 10 and up. Placement into the Training Academy does not guarantee participation in SBC performances or future Company membership. Each opportunity is subject to separate open auditions.

SBC's Summer Intensive Workshop - Session I

Session I - Ballet with Erik Hoffman and Vanessa Woods

J une 26-30, 2016 (Sun - Thurs)
10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

$150.00 or ($15 per class)

Hoogland Center for the Arts -- Theatre II

For an application form, click HERE.

The Springfield Ballet Company's 2016 Summer Intensive Workshop - Session I - is a great way for dancers to supplement their training and improve their skills, while working with outstanding master teachers in a positive, nurturing environment.

Only 20 dancers will be accepted to this five-day session; and admission is on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Dancers must be at least 10 years of age and dancing at an intermediate level. Please dress professionally for each class and bring proper dance shoes.

Contact SBC Artistic Director Julie Ratz at 217.544.1967 with any questions. The deadline to apply for Session I is Monday, June 13, 2016 (or when all spots have been filled).


To the POINTE... 

To the POINTE, the Springfield Ballet Company's e-newsletter, highlights what's happening throughout our season -- whether it be performances, dancer spotlights, community events, workshops, giving opportunities, special discounts or general announcements! We hope you enjoy receiving these updates.

And, if you love the information you are receiving, please forward our e-newsletter to a friend! 

 

All the best,

 

Julie Ratz, SBC Artistic Director
Sally Hamilton, SBC Administrative Director
Gina DeCroix Russell, SBC Ballet Mistress
Our Mission

The Springfield Ballet Company provides dance education and performances to enrich our community through the beauty, energy and diversity of dance.

 

Springfield Ballet Company
Hoogland Center for the Arts
420 S. Sixth Street
Springfield, IL  62701
217-544-1967
217-544-1968 (fax)
info@springfieldballetco.org
www.springfieldballetco.org

 

In This Issue
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Upcoming Events:
     
Paint Nite to support SBC:
April 15, 2016

Open Auditions for SBC's 2016-2017 Season:
May 22, 2016

SBC Summer Outreach Tour:
June 13-17, 2016

SBC Summer Intensive - 
Session I: 
June 26-30, 2016

SBC Summer Intensive - Session II:
August 6-10, 2016 

Illinois State Fair Performance:
August 2016

Boys & Girls Clubs Ballet Outreach Program:
Fridays, ongoing through fall and spring

Join Our Mailing List
Photos:

Donna Lounsberry
John Muchow
Gina DeCroix Russell
Patrick Russell