Hello everyone and hope you enjoyed the lovely March break a few weeks back. It seems as soon as this is over, time speeds up and we all start to realize how much we have to do in what is now a very short time! No question, along with September, the Spring is definitely the busiest time of year for parents, students and all of us here at MHSB.

This newsletter should tell you everything you need to know about the rest of the dance season, the exciting upcoming recitals, as well as information regarding summer camp and registration for next year.

The middle school will be presenting “An Ocean Adventure” on April 30th and May 1st at St. George’s Anglican Church on Duplex Avenue. This recital is a lovely way for our young dancers to perform in a larger setting than the studio, yet still feel connected to their family and friends.

The junior school will be performing “Snow White” in our studio from May 5th -8th. These are our youngest dancers, and I’m sure many of you may remember your child being in this production. It is very sweet to see some of our older students who were once in these shows - now assisting at them!

On June 4th, we will begin our run of 7 shows featuring your children who are categorized as the senior school. These shows are exciting and diverse, showcasing students in ballet, jazz, tap, hip hop, modern, musical theatre and our talented MHSB Company. This year we are recreating a theme that we presented 10 years ago called the 20th Century. We have re-named it “Decades” in honour of our new decade, and will be performing pieces inspired by each decade since 1900. We are very excited about this show and know that it will entertain all age groups.

Each year we depend on and appreciate the help of dozens of parent volunteers. Many of you have helped us out before and find it exciting to get a behind the scenes look at the shows. We hope that many of you will offer to lend a hand again this year, as we truly could not pull this off without you! We have included a volunteer form with this package, which you can fill out and return or simply call the studio and we will gratefully put your name on our list!

We understand that it is a commitment on your part to get your children to their classes, rehearsals and performances. It is very important that your child’s dance teacher(s) be informed of any special circumstances that would prevent him or her from participating in rehearsals or shows. If children are missing, it affects the entire group and can compromise the performances that they are all working so hard towards. Thank you for your ongoing support in this regard.

Thank you for being part of our 2009-2010 dance season. We have thoroughly enjoyed teaching your children this year and are excited about their upcoming dance performances – and look forward to seeing you there!

April 30th & May 1st
Middle School:
Ocean Adventure rehearsals and performances at Eglinton St. Georges United Church.
No classes for junior school (i.e Snow White).
No classes for senior school on April 30 but there ARE classes on May 1st for the senior school only.

May 3rd
Snow White rehearsals at the 2384 Yonge Street west side location.
Senior school regular classes.

May 4th
Snow White rehearsals at the 2384 Yonge Street west side location
Senior school: NO classes

May 5th - 8th
Pre-Ballet and Pre-Primary Snow White performances at the 2384 Yonge Street west side location.
All other classes please refer to your personalized schedules for these four days.
No regular senior rehearsals, however please refer to your personalized schedule for these four days for any exceptions.

May 22nd - 24th
Victoria Day long weekend: No classes. The entire school is closed.

May 25th - 29th
Check personalized schedules for rehearsals.

May 30th - June 1st
Senior School onstage rehearsal schedules. No regular senior rehearsals.

June 2nd & 3rd
Check personalized schedules for extra rehearsals. No regular rehearsals.

June 4th - 6th
Senior students perform in Decades shows.

Attached to this newsletter you will find:

A personalized schedule for regularly scheduled classes and rehearsals until the end of this dance season. Please note the dates and locations of rehearsals very carefully. Some of the rehearsal classes are on different days of the week, at a different location, or may even be a different length of time than what you are used to. If you have any questions please contact the school for clarification.

A new show group notification - ONLY if your child’s class has been changed and a new performance group has been created.

A personalized show schedule which includes show(s) your child will be performing in, what they will be performing, what they will need to bring with them, and how they will need to have their hair.

A personalized ticket order form - which must be returned to the school by Monday, April 29th, 2010.

A map to the theatre - including parking details.

A volunteer form & donation form for teacher’s gifts.

If your child is not able to be in a show that they are scheduled for it is very important that their teacher and the office staff are informed immediately.

For those of you who have already been part of our “big show”, we know that you are aware of and appreciate how complicated putting it together really is. Each year we try to make the process more efficient and straightforward for all involved. We try our very best to make everything work as smoothly as possible; however, things can and will go wrong and we certainly could not get through this busy time of year without your cooperation and understanding.

Please arrive at the Isabel Bader Theatre (93 Charles St. West), 45 minutes before your show time.

Use the theatre’s main entrance, located on Charles St. West. Go into the main foyer, from here you will be greeted by staff and volunteers who will direct you.

Parents of little ones please remember that it is your responsibility to make sure that you have taken them to the bathroom before all the excitement begins. We ask that only one parent help their child into their costume as quickly as possible and make sure that their hair is done.

Show time is approximately 2 and a half hours with a 15 minute intermission. In the past we have tried to schedule younger dancers near the beginning of the show. However, this year we are running the show in chronological order. That means if your child is in a piece that represents the 1920’s, they will be near the beginning. If they are in a piece in the late 90’s they will be near the end. We appreciate your understanding of this situation and please let us know if you have any special circumstances.

Once the show is over and you have taken your child’s costume off please put it back where you found it so that it is ready for the next performance.

Older students are responsible for the care of their costumes. Costumes are NOT to be worn outside of the theatre. These students are also responsible for keeping their change rooms neat and tidy - this is not the responsibility of our volunteers!

Unfortunately, again this year we will not be allowing students to watch the performance from backstage. Dancers, please remain close to your changing area and performing group so that if someone needs to find you it will be as easy as possible. Also, if your dance requires a prop, it will be given to you right before the performance and should be returned to your teacher directly when your dance is over.

Decades Ticket Deadline: The deadline to order tickets to all performances of Decades is Thursday April 29th, 2010. If we do not have your ticket order by this date, we cannot guarantee any tickets. NO EXCEPTIONS WILL BE MADE!

Individual shows will have different ticket maximum limits - these limits will depend on the number of students who must order for a particular show.

On your ticket order form we have indicated which show you will be ordering tickets for. Even if your child is performing in numerous shows, we need you to order for the show that we have indicated. Great care and trouble has gone into calculating which shows will have adequate space for each student’s guests; therefore, space assignment is very important. If you have a special situation and cannot order tickets for the show which we have assigned you, please contact the studio at 416.484.4731 to leave a message on our voicemail at extension 500 and one of our staff will promptly contact you. Under some circumstances, if there is room, you will be able to order for a different show.

Your ticket order form will indicate how many tickets each student may order; families with siblings performing in the same show are always entitled to more tickets. If you would like additional tickets for the show we have indicated, or for another show, please request them on your ticket order form - but please do NOT pay for them in advance.

Tickets are allotted on a first come, first serve basis and the seating is pre-arranged. Please return order forms as soon as possible, the deadline is THURSDAY APRIL 29th, 2010! If you return your ticket order form after the deadline we cannot guarantee any tickets and your order will only be processed after we have taken care of all of the orders which were returned on time.

Tickets will be handed out during in-class rehearsal beginning on Saturday May 15th, for two weeks. Afterwards, tickets will be available for collection at the on-stage rehearsals at the Isabel Bader Theatre May 30th, May 31st, and June 1st. And lastly - your tickets can be picked up at the box office at the theatre before your show.

Up-to-date ticket information about which shows are sold out and which still have availability will be specified on our voicemail (ticket extension - 500) and our website - www.mhsb.ca

Tickets will not be handed out to anyone with an outstanding balance. In order to receive your tickets all accounts must be paid in full.

If, after the ticket order deadline, you decide you might like more tickets they will be available for purchase starting May 11th at 2345 Yonge St. East Side. Some shows may be sold out.

You will find out whether we are able to fulfill your extra ticket requests when we start distributing tickets on Saturday, May 15th. If, once we start processing the ticket orders, we realize no extra tickets can be allotted for a particular show, you will be contacted.

If you have not been contacted by May 15th, please assume that you are receiving some, if not all, of your extra tickets.

Being a volunteer at your child’s performance provides an opportunity to share the wonderful “backstage” experience of which they are a part. There will be 7 senior shows this year and in order for everything to run smoothly we will need the help of 12 volunteers per show

If you would like to be a volunteer kindly return the enclosed volunteer form.

We will contact our volunteers closer to the show dates as a reminder. If you volunteer and something important does come up and you are unable to keep your commitment, please contact Miriam Rottapel at robert.rottapel@sympatico.ca ASAP. We need as much time as possible to find a replacement so that we can ensure adequate supervision of our students. Students are supervised at all times during the performance - it is very important that children are never left unattended.

We are sorry, but volunteers will not be allowed to watch the show from backstage. Volunteers also need to be willing to work wherever they may be needed; therefore, ushers may be asked to assist in other areas for part of their shift.

We would like to have games, cards, etc. for the students to play with backstage, and are looking for suitable donations. Please drop off any new or gently used games to our 2345 Yonge St. East Side location.

Thank you so much for considering volunteering,we really do need and appreciate your help!

For any Decades show you can purchase a bouquet of beautiful flowers right in the main lobby of the theatre before the performance. There is no need to pre-order and our flower supplier will have lovely bouquets of mostly roses, costing between $10 and $20.

You will be receiving information about registration for the fall season on April 23rd. With this information, your child will receive a recommendation from their teacher(s) as to which level will be appropriate for them for next year. Most times this is simply the next level up. Sometimes however, it is necessary to keep a child in the same level for one more year, or alternatively, perhaps bump them up two levels. We are aware that the friendships your child has made here at MHSB are important to her/him and we appreciate how this is a factor in their enjoyment of the class.

For older students, we often recommend additional dance forms that complement their existing one; for example, we strongly believe that jazz students benefit from taking ballet and therefore we may recommend an appropriate ballet level in addition to their jazz class. Please remember that if a student is recommended to an “A” stream in jazz, they must be taking a ballet class as well.

We are happy to discuss with you any concerns you may have about your child’s recommendations and we always strive to make their experience as rewarding and enjoyable as possible.

Mini camp – 3 1/2 – 4 1/2
Junior camp 5-7
Senior Camp 8-10

For more than 12 wonderful years, MHSB has been delighting children with a unique and rewarding camp experience right here in the city. Our summer programs are a perfect way for children of all abilities to try new dance forms. Children can continue to dance in the forms that they enjoy the most in our 2010-2011 dance season beginning this fall. If you would like additional information or to register, please go to our website at www.mhsb.ca

The registration procedures for MHSB will be changing next year. We are working on offering our registration completely online. This will mean you will not have to fill out any more forms or pick up/drop off your package! We are very excited about this development and expect the fall schedule and recommendations will be ready for you on May 10th. Online registration will open up on May 17th. This will give you a week to determine which classes will work for your child and if you need assistance you can either call or email one of us in the office.

Since we are striving to do as much as possible online, it is very important that we have your current email on file. Please contact our office if you need to update this.

In May we will start our rehearsal schedule. From then on, it is especially beneficial to your child to rehearse with the actual group that they will be performing with. If you need to make up a rehearsal please consult with your teacher about which class would be best to attend.

As stated in the studio policy under attendance (page 1), after February 1st, 2010, students who miss three or more classes/ rehearsals without written consent from Martha Hicks, may forfeit their opportunity to dance in the recitals.

Part of your required uniform at the beginning of the year was a pair of “suntan” coloured tights - you will definitely need these for the recital! These tights can be purchased at the MHSB shop at our 2345 Yonge St. east side location.

Walk-in Address: 2345 Yonge St. East Side, Toronto, ON
Mailing Address: 2384 Yonge St. 2nd Floor, Toronto ON M4P 2E0
Telephone: 416.484.4731
Email: office@mhsb.ca

Copyright (C) 2010 The Martha Hicks School of Ballet Inc. | All rights reserved.