Hello everyone and hope you enjoyed the lovely March break a couple of 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, 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. In previous years your child may have performed in our in house recitals of Snow White or The Wizard of Oz. Often people will ask us why we charge for tickets when the children move into the Middle School. Since we now have to rent the facility for this production, and have more overhead costs because of that, we have to charge our students for the tickets they order. We try to keep the ticket prices low and have now implemented a reduced price for children between 3 and 8 as well as not charging for children under 3. We hope you understand our situation and trust that you will appreciate the lovely venue for these shows. We anticipate you will want to videotape your child, and you are most welcome to do so, but we also have a professional who will film the shows and you will receive a copy of that as well.

The junior school will be performing in “Snow White” from May 5th - 8th. The children have been working diligently on this for several weeks and perhaps have shared some of their songs and dances with you at home. We have learned however, that the unexpected can often happen and tiny dancers may need to run to parents for a brief hello or freeze in one of their dances, taking in the many faces smiling at them. One thing is for sure, it is a very special event for the children as well as their families and we know that it will be a sweet memory for you of your child’s first dancing experience. We do not videotape this performance and encourage you to bring your cameras.

On June 4th, we will begin our run of 7 shows featuring our 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. We have found that many students in the junior and middle school have been curious about what they may experience down the road here at MHSB. By attending the senior show these young dancers will see first hand what is in store for them and may inspire them to try a different dance form in the future. There are matinee performances – which may prove the most suitable for younger audiences.

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
Primary 1, Primary 2, Pre-Jazz, Jazz 1, Pre Hip Hop and Pre-Tap: Ocean Adventure rehearsals and performances at Eglinton St. Georges United Church.
All other classes please refer to your personalized schedules over these 2 days!

May 3rd & 4th
Pre-Ballet and Pre-Primary Snow White rehearsals at the 2384 Yonge Street west side location.
All other classes please refer to your personal schedules regarding these two days!

May 5th - 8th
Pre-Ballet and Pre-Primary Snow White performances at the 2384 Yonge Street west side location.
There will be NO classes during these dates.

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

Tickets may be purchased by filling out the ticket order form in your show package beginning March 31st. The tickets deadline for this show is April 16th, after which we cannot guarantee any tickets until we have processed the orders which were returned to us on time. Tickets for Ocean Adventure will be handed out during your child’s class beginning April 23rd.

Tickets will not be handed out to anyone with an outstanding balance. This year we are offering a discount for children under the age of 8.

General Admission: $10
Children 3- 8: $5
Children under 3: FREE

For any Ocean Adventure show you can purchase a bouquet of beautiful flowers right in the main lobby of the church 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.

Once again our senior students will be showcasing their talents in our closing recitals June 4th – 6th. We hold these performances at the beautiful Isabel Bader Theatre, which is part of Victoria College, U of T. The theatre is centrally located on Charles Street just south of Bloor near the ROM. This year’s production is entitled “Decades” and is a recreation of a show we presented ten years ago when we entered the new Century. Since we have just begun a new decade, we thought it was timely to repeat this show – which has remained a favourite among staff and parents. Some of our students were 6 years old when we first did this show and are now lovely 16 year old young women!

We have found that many of our junior school students have thoroughly enjoyed attending one of these entertaining shows. Not only do they get to see the wonderful talent of the senior school, but they get a peek at the kind of production they will be part of in the near future! Please visit our website at www.mhsb.ca to download a ticket order for this show or call our office to reserve tickets over the phone. We hope that you and your child will be able to attend a matinee performance on June 5th or 6th. We are certain that your child will be inspired by these dancers!

You will be receiving information about registration for the fall season on April 26th. 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. 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.

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.