Nutcracker Delight

Hey it's Chelsea' Wyllie. I wanted to congratulate everyone on the success of the Nutcracker this year. Everyone worked really hard and it defiantly showed because everyone danced beautifully. The show wouldn't have been as good without anyone of you. This was only my fourth Nutcracker, but it is my last since I will finally go away for college next fall. I almost didn't start ballet since I was 15 at the time, but I am so glad I did because I got to be apart of my favorite show ever, the Nutcracker! Congratulations to everyone for doing such an amazing job! Good luck in future Delaware Ballet Nutcrackers!

CHOCOLATE FESTIVAL

Chocolate Festival @ Dover Downs

Friday November 26^th 5:00pm-Arrive at 4:15

Chinese: Emalie w/ Brittany & Hunter

Marzipan:   Hayley w/Brooke & Julie Konrad

Flowers: Natalie w/ Mary, Brooke, Emalie, Konrad, Charlene, Katcher

Sugar Plum: Taylor

Saturday November 27^th 11:00am- arrive at 10:15

Snow: Kayla w/ Chelsea, Mary, Amanda Robinson, Katcher

Hoops: Mary w/ Amanda, Hunter, Brittany, Heather, Ana, Haley

Sugar Plum: Taylor

Saturday November 27^th 4:00pm- arrive at 3:15

Spanish: Rachel & Andrew w/ Ana, Haley, Heather

Arabian: Charlene

Flowers: Natalie w/ Mary Brooke, Emalie, Konrad, Charlene Katcher

Sugar Plum: Taylor

*we will set the dances based on number of dancers*

If you will be home that weekend and are not performing, we would LOVE volunteers to help out with working the table.

A Dancer's View

Hello Delaware Ballet followers! I’m Rachel McCubbin, and for those of you that don’t know me, I’m the Ballet-Mistress-in-training. Nutcracker is VERY near, and we are all excited. We have been working really hard and we are almost ready. Rehearsals seem to always be going on (especially Marzipan, ehem, Kimmy) but we want this Nutcracker to be our best ever!

            Last weekend we had our annual Big Sister Little Sister party. It was a blast and the costumes were great! Thanks to everyone who worked to put it on and everyone who brought food (especially the pudding stuff with the nuts in layers, it was DELICIOUS!). Anyway, all the older girls are grateful for the chance to get to know our younger dancers. We had a lot of fun making t-shirts, designing quilt squares, and eating Pizza.

            We are almost there! The performance is right around the corner and we can’t wait to put on a great show for all the parents who devoted so much time. Thanks for driving us around and frantically ordering pointe shoes! I’m positive it will all be worth it when you see the show =]

~Rachel McCubbin

** Please feel free to send me anything you would like to be posted on the blog.  We love to hear from our dancers!**

Dover Post Article

Below is the Dover Post article written by Jennifer Rios.  Thank you Jennifer for taking the time to submit the article!

Before your very eyes, a young girl’s holiday dreams come alive as you witness a fierce battle between toy soldiers and rats, get lost in a flurry of snowflakes, and revel in the enchanting dance of the Sugarplum Fairy as she guides Clara through the Kingdom of Sweets.

Nine Caesar Rodney High School students are set to perform in Delaware Ballet’s  presentation of THE NUTCRACKER. Delaware Ballet has 18 Company dancers and 12 Apprentice and trainees. Delaware Ballet and Caesar Rodney High School students that are perfoming include:

SOLOISTS

Ransom Crowder

Rachel McCubbin

Hayley Schuster

CORPS DE BALLET

Abby Chow

Charlene Gustafson

Julie Konrad

Andrew McGowan

Amanda Robinson

APPRENTICE

Heather Reid

THE NUTCRACKER will open on Friday, December 3, 2010 at 7pm and continue through Saturday, December 4, 2010 at 2pm and 7pm.  All Performances are held at Delaware State University Education and Humanities Theater

Tickets are available at The Central Delaware Dance Academy ( 302.674.3030) or at the box office the day of the show.

Students and Seniors $12 and Adults $15

Delaware Ballet is the area’s only nonprofit 501 (c) (3) ballet company under the direction of Artistic Director-Daniel Kaiser, Ballet Mistress - Kimberly Diaz, and Ballet Mistress - Brittany Kaiser

Visit their website at http://delawareballet.org/

Snapshots

  Please enjoy the group of pictures from last weeks snow and flowers rehearsal.  Thank you to everyone for being so patient with the company photos this week.  As soon as I receive them I will post them for you to see.  Everyone is doing such a great job and now the only place we have to go is UP!

                                  2010 Company Dancers - Warm Up

                                  2010 Company Dancers - Warm Up

                                            Hayley Schuster in Snow

                 Alexis Baione, Rachel McCubbin, Ransom Crowder in Snow

                                Company Dancers in Snow

                                      Flowers Rehearsal

Dance for yourself. If someone understands, good. If not, then no matter. Go right on doing what you love.
-Lois Hurst-

Please Autograph

Thank you for everyone coming to our first guild meeting and to our company agreement signing.  This year is off to a great start.  Please check back for more casting as well as for rehearsal pictures coming this weekend.

We were thrilled to have so many children come out and audition for our Nutcracker!  Congratulations to all our dancers, and welcome to all the new faces. 

 

If you dance with your heart your body will follow.
-Mia Michaels-

A Fresh Start

"Higher legs!  Bigger grande jetes!  Pointed feet!"  All things our dancers heard us yell during our first rehearsal weekend.  What they didn't hear was "Wow things look really good."  "We have a great start this year."  All things the artistic staff talked about after the rehearsal.  Sometimes we don't give enough positive feedback to our dancers but we do want to acknowledge the fact that all our dancers worked extremely hard this weekend.  
We definitely want to keep our spirits high and if everyone works as hard as they have been, then this years' Nutcracker is going to be one for the books!

Please do not forget to check the Company Board for any new postings.

The more you understand the music, the easier you can dance.

-Orlando Gutinez-

*Mandatory Agreement signing meeting Saturday September 18th at 11:30*


 

Nutcracker Casting!

Congratulations to all the dancers! 

Nutcracker Cast 2010

SUGARPLUM FAIRY

Taylor Paskey

Understudy: Kayla Zwicharowski

SNOW QUEEN

Kayla Zwicharowski

Understudy: Ransom Crowder

DEWDROP

Natalie Mayan

Understudy: Emalie Lawson

ARABIAN

Charlene Gustafson

Understudy: Julie Katcher

LEAD SPANISH

Rachel McCubbin with Andrew McGowan
Understudy: Julie Konrad

LEAD MARZIPAN

Ransom Crowder, Hayley Schuster

CHINESE

Emalie Lawson

LEAD HOOP

Mary Fiorile, Alexis Baione

HARLEQUIN AND COLUMBINE

Julie Konrad and Abby Chow

SOLDIER DOLL

Andrew McGowan

MOUSE KING

Arlene Maheu

NUTCRACKER

Charlene Gustafson

SNOW CORPS

Demi Snow: Brooke Mobley and Abby Chow

Alexis Baione

Ransom Crowder

Mary Fiorile

Julie Katcher

Rachel McCubbin

Amanda Robinson

Hayley Schuster

Chelsea Wyllie

MARZIPAN CORPS

    Hayley Schuster           Ransom Crowder

Rachel McCubbin          Julie Konrad

     Abby Chow                   Brooke Mobley

FLOWERS CORPS

Alexis Baione

Mary Fiorile

Charlene Gustafson

Julie Katcher

Emalie Lawson

Arlene Maheu

Brooke Mobley

Amanda Robinson

Delaware Ballet Company 2010

PRINCIPALS

Natalie Mayan

Taylor Paskey

Kayla Zwicharowski

SOLOISTS

Ransom Crowder

Rachel McCubbin

Hayley Schuster

CORPS DE BALLET

Alexis Baione

Abby Chow

Mary Fiorile

Charlene Gustafson

Julie Katcher

Julie Konrad

Emalie Lawson

Arlene Maheu

Andrew McGowan

Brooke Mobley

Amanda Robinson

Chelsea Wyllie

APPRENTICES

Julie Carpenter

Amanda Eichler

Devon F.

Heather Reid

Ana Tegtmeier

TRAINEES

Maddie Carlson

Abby McGowan

Haley Lloyd

Hunter Lord

Brittany Poore

Alex Spadavecchia

Madison Wahlsten

**Chinese and Spanish corps will be posted shortly!**

To dance is to be out of yourself. Larger, more beautiful, more powerful. This is power, it is glory on earth and it is yours for the taking.

-Agnes De Mille-

A Season's Beginning

Our very first blog and where to begin....AUDITIONS!


Wow, Nutcracker season is finally here!  Saturday was a beginning to a new and exciting year.  First, we would like to welcome the new girls to the Delaware Ballet!  We are so proud of everyone who worked very hard this audition and hope to continue to see the growth in each dancer!


Collectively, as an artistic group, we have great things planned for this year as well as new ideas.  We hope everyone is excited about making this year one of the best ones to date!  We are concentrating on striving for our own personal perfection, building a strong supportive family, and most importantly creating memories that will last a lifetime.

*Update* Nutcracker casting will be posted on the studio door Wednesday September 1st.  Company and Apprentices/Trainees will be posted as well.  Congratulations to everyone who participated!

Please check back often for more updates, events, and thoughts "From The Barre..."

Fifth positions, heads, musicality, energy. Not technical things so much-getting your leg higher or doing more turns but things that would set you apart from other dancers. The only way you can be different is to be yourself If you don't find your spirit and reveal it, you just look like every other dancer.



-Suzanne Farrell-

Each week I will post a new dance quote.  Take the time and Google the author to see what role they played in the dance world.  You may learn something new!