Swan Ballet Dance Schools

November 2008 Newsletter

We take this opportunity to wish you all a joyous and peaceful holiday season. We would also like to take this time to remind our studio parents of the following: 1) to drop off and pick up your children in a timely fashion. We have a very intimate lobby space that does not accommodate large numbers or noise; 2) to remain mindful of the Swan Ballet School s dress code and hair policies. Students who do not adhere to these regulations will not be permitted to take class; 3) to make all tuition payments and Nutcracker payments by the designated due dates; 4) to take advantage of our studio  registration discounts . * Bring a friend to class that registers and you receive $10.00 off your next month s tuition.* *Bring a group of 3 or more students that registers as a class and receive 1 month s free tuition.*

Our schools are very busy with technique classes and preparation for the 18th Annual Production of the Nutcracker! To those students not participating in the 2008 Nutcracker and those not invited to perform due to age limitations, we encourage you and your families to see the performance. We will be giving a 10% discount on tickets to organized groups of 10 people or more. We will also be giving this discount to Girl Scout and Boy Scout troops as well as church groups. If you are interested or know of any interested parties, please have them contact us here at Swan Ballet.

The Swan Ballet 2008 Nutcracker will be held at Northern Virginia Community College. There will be 3 shows... December 20th at 1:00 p.m., December 20th at 6:00 p.m., and December 21st at 4:00 p.m. Dress rehearsals will be held between December 15th  20th at the Northern Virginia Community College, Ernst Theatre, located on the Annandale Campus. Directions to the Theatre can be found on our website at www.SwanBalletDance.com. The details about these rehearsals and other in studio rehearsals will be given to you at a later date. We would like to inform you that starting November 12th, 2008, tickets will be sold on a first come first serve basis. You will be able to buy as many tickets as you would like however, tickets do sell out very quickly, so please purchase them as soon as possible. We will NOT reserve tickets this year, so make sure you purchase your tickets early. All Nutcracker 2008 participants are required to purchase 5 tickets by the 8th of November. Students who do not comply will not be permitted to participate in the performances.

We will begin advertising and fundraising activities for the show. The funds raised will go towards the show, costumes, props and to our elaborate back drops that help create the perfect atmosphere for our productions. We thank you in advance for your support and contributions. As usual, we will have a section of our program/advertising booklet, for advertisements for businesses or personal cheers to your children or performing friends and family members. The deadline for these ads is December 1st, 2008.

  • BUSINESS ADS:
    Business Card Size: $30
    1/2 Page Ad: $50
    Full Page Ad: $80
  • PERSONAL ADS:
    1 Sentence: $10
    Business Card Size: $30
    ***Any larger, please consult the Swan staff

Studio Closings Due to Holidays:

  • Closed: November 27th & 28th
  • Closed: December 24th, 25th, 31st and January 1st, 2009
  • Condensed Classes for the week of Dec. 22nd - December 30th, 2008 will be announced at a later date.
  • Classes will resume under their regular schedule on Jan. 2nd, 2009
  • Please see signs posted in your studio for exact times.

We will definitely be contacting you soon regarding other details about the Nutcracker. Parents please support our studios and please be timely with your payments. Thank you for all of your hard work, commitment and dedication. We would not be what we are today with out you and for that, we thank you and appreciate you very much!

2008 Nutcracker Participants & Parents

The teachers, faculty and staff are very excited about our upcoming performance. We would like for this event to run as smoothly as possible. In the near future you will receive a handout outlining the expectations and guidelines for this show.

As stated in the Nutcracker contract that you signed, you must purchase 5 tickets. The deadline for purchasing these 5 tickets is November 8th, 2008. Last year, we experienced some difficulties because of people attempting to purchase these tickets late. To ensure that you get tickets to see the show, please be prompt in purchasing your tickets.

Ms. Lilie would like for everyone to know and to please understand that rehearsals for Nutcracker started October 1st, 2008 and will continue until the day of the show. With the holidays in between, our rehearsal time is limited. We need an incredible effort and strength from the staff, students and the parents in putting this together. We know that it can be difficult to get your children to every rehearsal but we need your cooperation and calmness for the few weeks ahead of us. By now, you know the days and times of your performances. If you have questions or if there is still something that you do not understand, please see one of the staff or Ms. Lilie.

We will be video taping the production. Please see the posted signs in your studio if you are interested in purchasing a Video and/or a DVD. All in studio orders must be made by Dec. 13th, 2008. However, for your convenience, you will be able to sign up and purchase a Video or DVD at the actual production. We will also be selling Nutcracker shirts with the cast list on the back. You may sign up and purchase your t-shirts at your studio. We need your order by December 6th, 2008. Thank you!

Parents, as always, we need those who are willing and able to volunteer to help out with the show. We will be posting a sign up sheet for volunteer parents who will be helping with; advertising, making props, lobby assistance and backstage organization. Your assistance is greatly appreciated and we thank you in advance.

Finally, we d like to remind you that it is mandatory that students participating in the Nutcracker take classes in the month of January and pay their tuition on time.

Thanks Again!

Sincerely,
The Swan Ballet Staff