***Experience The Education***
Welcome to your free, now MONTHLY, online connection to Ballet Class! Yes, starting with this issue we are going to a monthly presentation of ballet class news sent to you by the end of the first week (round the 7th /8th) of each month! This gives our production staff (Kat & Taylor) time for some kinda real life. Please be sure and have your info in by the end of the previous month to be included. Did that confuse you? Okay...If you wanna be included in next month's newsletter then git your stuff in by the end of this month!
*THIS JUST IN*…ARG Due to studio scheduling conflicts Kat has just been notified: Pointe classes are cancelled this week ONLY! Sorry NO Pointe class March 31 Monday, April 2 & 4 this week! Sorry for the inconvenience...arrrg!!! YES! Saturday May 6th pointe as usual at 6:15
KAT'S Class Updates for the month of April: @ Ailey School, the largest dance facility in the country! "Majestic" studios in the "Glass Palace" specifically designed for dancers, sprung floors, state-of-the-art acoustics and climate controlled. All under one roof at the beautiful Ailey studios with views of the NYC skyline!
The Ailey Studios Location:
at the Joan Weil Center for Dance
405 W. 55th Street (at 9th Avenue)
New York, NY 10019
212-405-9500
A Word (or more) from Kat
Okay here it is…April, bloomin' springtime oh yeah allergies! Be sure to check out dance performances all around the city…lots tutu see! We had fun last month with the Asian Themed Adagio '04, remembering the NY Times Adagio '07, and the always fun March "Jig/Gigue". This Month we will celebrate the joy of dancing with the "Josh" adagio '05 next week and the "Palm Tree" adagio for Earth Day and Arbor Day the week towards the end of the month. Many of you knew Josh W and performed this sentimental adagio for his friends and family at his memorial service. And as I promised on that day, we all dance this one week every year to celebrate his life and his love of dance! Love you Josh always!
Remember we have the long pirouette combo on Mondays, work on those wretched fouettes every Wednesday briefly! And of course our favorite Friday night adagio at the barre! Come join us for all the exciting ballet training exercises to work your body into springtime shape!!! -Kat
In March our new Adult Student Workshop, three months of rehearsals each Monday night for an hour, under the watchful eye of Kat, culminating in the Showcase Performance June 1st SUNDAY. Sign-up Now!!! INFO HEREor contact our Extension Program Director Yvette Campbell 212 405-9017. It's not too late…come and join us! Royce is now teaching Pas d'esclave from Le Corsaire...pas de deux, the waltz, and several male & female variations from the ballet Le Corsaire. Also Guest David Choreographers (David R & David B.) will be casting two new dance pieces. Ginger's LiNK! dance co. will also be appearing with us on the program in June here at Ailey! ***Planning for our next workshop June thru August 31*** we need your input…would you like a daytime, maybe weekend and/or eve rehearsal time? Let Taylor know… she is calculating votes.
Also: Thanks to the fabulous Gregory O we can now see the video from our February Student Showcase in Ailey's double wide studio. Click here to watch. If the video doesn't work, try the links at the bottom of the page. Thanks again Gregory!
Beginning April 25th - May 4th, 2008 National Dance week across America, and on the 29th of April, every year since 1982, Dance Day will be celebrated all over the world by the international community of dancers and dance enthusiasts. This year's celebrity spokesperson is Cynthia Gregory, former ABT principal ballerina.
Several exciting guest teachers/dancers will be teaching your classes here at the Ailey Extension that week as Kat dances off to Hawaii (no she's never been before!) for a three week holiday rest. Some of your celebrity guest teachers will include:
Lisa Lockwood ABT alumni
Jeanette Hoffman Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo Alumni
Eric Hoisington San Francisco Ballet Alumni
Paul Sutherland ABT, Principal Alumni
Julio Bragado ABT, currently
Flavio Salazar ABT alumni
Francis Patrelle Artistic Director of DancesPatrelle
Make plans to stay in shape and attend these very special classes while Kat's away! As always Vladimir will be playing for all classes.
Click here & scroll to the month of May on the calendar for teacher substitution schedule...it's still being updated so check back soon:
More info on your sub teachers, & their schedules in our next power packed newsletter in May 2008! Please let me know how you liked these amazing substitute teachers, so I can bribe them to come back!
Memorial Day Monday May 26 Kat is back teaching and Ailey is open! Three classes: 10:30, Noon Pointe, and as always 3pm Holiday Class. Make your plans to be here in New York City for The Memorial Day Weekend! We will be dancing at The Ailey Extension!
Starting In June:
*June 2 thru 20th will begin the MAKE YOUR OWN INTENSIVE. You'll be able to dance all day in a schedule you personally design.
*Summer 2008 Weekend Workshops June 7-July 27 Saturday and Sunday ballet AND POINTE classes for you! Saturday 4:30-6 as usual & 6:15 pointe, Sunday 1-2:30 class and 2:45 pointe! Reminder to make your summer plans now. Kat will lead you through an intensive 8-week program of weekend workshops high atop the Ailey Studios. Last year we had all Pirouettes weekends, Carnival of the Animal ballet steps weekend, to name a few, and this year we will have International Syllabus weekend, which includes learning the official ABT 5 arabesques and All American port de bras! Plus so much more! Vladamir and Kat will again bring back the Sunday classes for 8 weekends only. Don't miss a single class. Be there to learn it all this summer at Ailey Extension. Watch here for more details coming soon on all these and more exciting summer class events. $250 for all 8 weekend workshop classes, $450 for all 8 weekend workshop classes w/ pointe, $18.50 for single workshop class. Also remember in August is Vlad's vacation so look for guest accompanists during that month…and Kat may slip away to a teaching gig in Alaska!
Our regular schedule: Check here.
Monday, Wednesday, Friday
* 10:30 Beginners Class
* 12 noon pointe
* 6pm Intermediate level
* 7:30 Beginners class
Saturday
* 4:30- 6:00 pm open all levels
* 6:15 pointe
Monday, Wednesday, Friday & Saturday
Kat offers several quality levels of instruction in classical ballet & pointe for men and women at the times most convenient to you. All classes are held on a drop-in basis. Class includes the ballet barre, center work, stretching, and across the floor ballet combinations, intermixed with performance tips and personal adjustments, corrections, and coaching. Whether you are seeking a career or dancing for fun and fitness, ballet class is a great way to tone up, increase circulation, and stay in shape.
Thursday & Sunday
* Private lessons only
*Note: all Kat's private lessons are also currently scheduled for Sundays all day and Thursdays after 3pm, at the Circular Power Studios conveniently located at 850 7th Ave Suite 305. A few slots in Kat's schedule have opened up…so don't wait. Book now! And if you represent a large group from out of town, please let me know here: kat@katwildish.com
Tuesday
Kat's day off, please don't ask, you know I'm a workaholic and need one day completely off. Thanks.
ONGOING CLASS UPDATES
Kat's regular teaching schedule is here. Bookmark it so you don't forget. Go here to download a printable Ailey Extension Schedule!
Classroom Confidential: TMI and Honorable Mentions
Jennifer F. has just been hired as a fit and runway model for "Maidenform" bras. No wonder we haven't seen her in morning class! You know classes happen in the evening and weekends also!... Nate is performing this Wednesday April 2nd check the performance corner this issue. Sorry I'm teaching till 9pm!...Richard C.got cast at very short notice in "New York, I Love You," a collection of 12 short films with very big name directors and actors, and also performed excerpts from "GoyVey!" at the Pan Asia repertory theatre recently…Ginger C. wants to invite all of us to her full evening concert entitled 'Passages', on Sunday, April 13 at the Hudson Guild Theatre (more under performance section this issue). Gin is the choreographer of LINK, which you all raved about at the Tyler Dunne benefit performance last October '07. Classmates Hyosun C. and Kimberley M will be appearing!... "B"s baby due to arrive around April 8th...more details to follow very, very...soon…Adasina S. booked Kat and Arthur's Hawaiian vacation. He can book your travel also. Ask him, cuz he also has a new baby to support…Watch Erik N "whip it good" here.…Melba P. spotted taking class again, welcome back! Madeline L. came in all the way from Belgium to take class, her first at Ailey, whatta grand surprise!...See Emma S dance with Lydia Johnson Dance April 4-6 downstairs here at Ailey (see the performance Corner this issue for more info)…Aunt Bonnie C. is finally back in class. Wow, rough havin a new nephew huh?...Sara B's play "Evolutionarily Screwed Princess" was accepted into a festival called "New York's Amazing Play Festival" for new works. She is directing and going to choreograph a little dance for the "Emperor" with 3 dancers, including Khiara B and Taylor. Watch for performance dates end of May…Rika E and Kevin A were caught chatting on IM with Kat while at work!...Bretigne/Brittany and family are planning to visit from the west coast April 7th. Look for her in classes. Also check out lil Griffon's new Easter picture in CLASS PICTURES…Have you checked out Ben B's Zumba classes at Ailey?...Jose D is still in Paris and teaching at Studio Harmonic and LAGENCY (it's the only hiphop school in Paris) and has been teaching workshops in Amsterdam, London, Germany, Spain, France. We look forward to his return to NYC this summer…What is going on with Phineas N's knee? Please keep us posted!...Look what Franco did…Marianne S is the proud, proud owner of a new computer, finally we can email her again!...Octavio has headed back to Italy and we may not see him for a long while, however he promises to send and share pictures from his home country…Elizabeth D had a five hour spinal surgery known as Transforamenal Lumbar Interbody Fusion and Decompression and was hospitalized for five days. Her surgeon was Dr. Daveed Frazier at St. Lukes-Roosevelt Hospital. He is the surgeon to the NYC Ballet, American Ballet Theater, and among many other famous people, Michael Jackson and Dick Cheney. She is well on her way to a year of recovering and healing. Congratz- Elizabeth you did it!...David H is headed to Fl for a week. Enjoy and hurry back. We love your food and Danny's cookies!...Lil Madison C(the Three Witches apprentice!) is performing in Sleeping Beauty in NJ at the end of the month, working with big-time choreographer Peter Anastos. Mom Sherrie says, "They have her in Carrabosse's Court where she gets to play an evil creature and wear all black and a beak. She's thrilled about that. She's got a lot of punk/goth in her. It's funny, she loves pink and ballet, but is also very taken with black and skulls, go figure!" Break o' leg Mad and have fun!...Robyn M (Kat calls her 'Spooky' cuz she looks to ecarte' with her eyes only - instead of her whole head) says that arm blubber in Texas is called "underarm Dingle Dangle." These are terms we all should be aware of while traveling and taking classes in different places, just as degage' is sometimes called jete at the barre, and chaines are often called deboules....read more about dance terminology in the Ballet Terms section of this and every newsletter…Kellie P is still working as a counselor and is preparing for her studio's May performance. She'll be dancing in 2 pieces & yes, she and her hubby (in the ARMY) are moving AGAIN to Ft. Lewis, Washington towards the end of Aug…Check out Alena's Birthday Adventure pictures here, here, and here. Thanks for sharing. We wish you well in your new job in London. Please visit often and stay in touch, we'll miss you in classes!...Rachel H is back in town and has her flexistretchers available…Josh S is producing and acting in "Through Fred" (more under performance section this issue)…Connor's Army, Gene C is a one-man army in the war against cancer. After three siblings and his mother were all diagnosed with different cancers within two years, Gene took to his bicycle. See how you can support him as he cycles to raise funds for the American Cancer Society. Go Gene go, also I uploaded your beautiful family portrait to class pictures.…Yasmine's ten minute play, "I Never Thought I'd End Up As Good News" will be performed at the Flea Theater later this month...Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater announced 18 months of events to mark its 50th Anniversary! Hear a special 50th Anniversary message from Artistic Director Judith Jamison. Visit www.alvinailey.org/50 for all the events and special activities commemorating Ailey's 50th Anniversary!
Got something you want to contribute? Tell Taylor in class, or drop us a line at the the Web site before the last week of the month & we'll do our best to fit you in!
Tony @ Circular Power: "If every New Yorker regularly did Gyrotonics — a type of exercise that builds on yoga, ballet, tai chi, and swimming — ours would be a far more beautiful, happy, and relaxed city" BY JULIA VITULLO-MARTIN, March 24, 2008 New York Sun. Looking for cross training? Get it done at Circular Power for professional gyrotonics training. Find your teacher and many of your classmates there several times per week working out! Also the most peaceful, clean, and convenient studio to book your private ballet sessions with Kat.
Andros: Over 80 and still teaching: Mr A is a dear friend, teacher and mentor to Kat. He has the answers to all those ballet questions we need tutu know.
Quote of the month:
"No matter how good you get you can always get better and that's the exciting part." -Tiger Woods
Taylor's Tales
A new column by our webmaster, Taylor. This week:
The Art of the Apprentice: Rebecca Kelly Ballet
Rebecca Kelly Ballet, a small 20+ year-old company based in SoHo, will present its New York Season at the end of this month (see performance corner this issue) just blocks away from our classes at Ailey, at the Gerald Lynch Theater on 58th & 10th avenue. A choreographer with strong themes and a troupe of diverse, exceptional dancers, Rebecca has a remarkable program planned – one that I have had the honor of understudying for the past month or so.
From the day I auditioned I knew that working with this company would be different from my past experiences. Rather than focusing on the nitty-gritty technical details of dancing, her work is more concerned with expressing emotion and ideas through movement. Since January I've had the opportunity to get a taste of several of her ballets, with themes reflecting everything from environmental issues to the Iraq War. But the work I'm most involved with now is a world premiere titled, "Writing in Water."
A metaphor for the ephemeral nature of dance, the piece features 5 dancers intertwining in various combinations and phrases to music from Beethoven's "Grosse Fugue." The concept motivating the ballet is that a performance is a moment in time you can never get back. Like trying to write in water, it is fleeting, transient, and gone almost quicker than it came.
That feeling when you surface into the spotlight, out of the shadows of the darkness drowning you and into a state where no thought occurs but being alive – it can never be felt the same again. And if someone missed seeing you dance, that moment can never be returned. You are back in the endless stream of dancers in New York City wading desperately through to reach your dreams, resisting the tide of failure and rarely coming up for air.
Such a theme makes me appreciate the chances I have (had) to do what I love. Ironically, I was called in to be an understudy after one of the original cast members discovered a stress fracture in her foot. Sometimes I think we take for granted what a gift dancing is – to be free with movement, to express unconditionally, to challenge and improve daily, to possess the physical ability to embody passion.
I stand at the back of these rehearsals as the mere apprentice marveling at the beauty behind the steps. Every movement has a reason, and every reason goes back to the one theme that gets me out of bed every morning: the love of dance.
I hope you will make time to see their performances April 24-26 and consider your own appreciation for movement and for life.
The Gerald Lynch Theater of John Jay College is located at 899 10th Avenue at 58th St, NYC. April 24-26 Thursday at 7:30pm, & Friday and Saturday, at 8pm. For tickets call Ticket Central: 212-279-4200. (416 W 42nd St., 12-8pm) or click here. Student & Senior discounts are available.
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Casting Call: Hot Auditions and Gigs Here
*Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
Don't miss this rare opportunity to audition for Alvin Ailey. Open call auditions will be Monday, May 5, at 10 am for women and 1:30pm for men, at 405 West 55th St. in NYC. Call 212-405-9000 for more info.
*CALL FOR CHOREOGRAPHERS: WEST COAST SWING/HUSTLE/SALSA FEST 2008
SwingShoes Entertainment is seeking performance ready pieces for Saturday evening showcase at the West Coast Swing/Hustle/Salsa Fest 2008. We are looking for original choreography especially in the style of modern, contemporary, lyrical, ballroom, jazz, hip-hop or musical theatre. Submissions Must Include:
∗A completed submission form, available online or by email request (see below).
∗A copy of the piece being submitted (completed works will be given preference over works in progress)
Pieces will be performed on competition quality, polished-wood ballroom floor and should not exceed 6 minutes. Submissions must be received by April 15, 2008 and selected applicants will be notified by May 1, 2008 for a May 31, 2008 Saturday evening performance at Hilton Hotel in Stamford, CT (40 minutes from Grand Central Station). Contact SwingShoes@aol.com or go to www.SwingShoes.Net and click on the West Coast Swing/Hustle/Salsa Fest link for more information and to obtain submission forms.
*Playbill On-Line's Casting and Job Listings
World News: Dance Across the Globe
Old Ballet Ass retires…Check out Erik's collection of dance related articles…Topix Ballet news For Men Only
*Frog Lake?
*Bart discovers the joy of ballet
Ballerina of the Month
Do you miss her? Well you haven't been clickin in this area, so I was wondering if I should continue with this....Who is this ballerina? Guess? Come on take a guess!!
Read all about each month's ballerina here for all archives.
Performance Corner: Catch Your Fellow Students and More
*The film, "Black Woman," written and directed by Joyia D. Bradley, has been selected for 2 New York film festivals. In this satire, Amber P. plays a young, neurotic mother - and the rest of the film is even more hilarious than that particular situation..."Black Woman" will screen: Saturday, March 15th, 2PM, Harlem Stage on Screen, AND Friday, April 26th, 2PM, Brooklyn Academy of Music.
*See Emma dance with Lydia Johnson Dance April 4th and 5th at 8:00, April 6th at 3:00 Alvin Ailey Citigroup Theater 405 West 55th Street Tickets see here. $25 general, $15 dancers, students, and by request (if there is a problem with buying online call 212-989-0989 for reservations)
*Rebecca Kelly Ballet celebrates Earth Week by performing in April. See Erin G and Royce (and Taylor's understudying). April 24, 7:30pm, and Fri Apr 25, Sat April 26 8pm at Gerald W. Lynch Theater at John Jay College (58th & 10th Ave) TICKETS through TicketCentral: 212-279-4200
*Joshua S is producing and acting in "Through Fred" by Stephen Belber (Author of TAPE and an Associate Writer to the Laramie project) APRIL 3,4,5,10, 11, 12 The play will be held at the RED ROOM, 85 East 4th street,
Between 2nd and 3rd avenue, 3rd Floor. Show starts at 10:37pm and is one hour. See hereto buy tickets. (this is a website with his flyer and a place to buy tickets which are $13)
*LiNK! dance- the movement: Passage Sunday, April 13, @ 2pm and 5pm, An evening of thought provoking, high energy, dance, LiNK presents a repertoire without borders. This athletic, dynamic company is sure to inspire.
Hudson Guild Theatre 441 West 26th Street, Tickets: 212-352-3101 & 866-811-4111(toll free)
*The world-renowned Kirov Ballet and Orchestra may be nearly 300 years old, but it is ready to shake things up. The Russian company returns to New York for a three-week engagement Apr 01 – Apr 20, 2008, after a six-year absence, and, for the first time since the company made its American debut in 1961, the company is opening at New York City Center. Kat & Arthur are attending after class on the 12th, Purchase Tickets Online
*Youth America Grand Prix Apr 21, 2008 Gala: International ballet superstars Polina Semionova and Roberto Bolle will lead an international all-star cast in Stars of Today Meet the Stars of Tomorrow, Youth America Grand Prix's annually sold-out Gala. The evening will be hosted by Broadway and film star, Alan Cumming. Buy tickets at http://www.nycitycenter.org/ticketing/tickets/production.aspx?performanceNumber=3431">City Center
*THE 22ND ANNUAL EASTER BONNET COMPETITION: Monday, April 28, 2008, 4:30PM, Tuesday, April 29, 2008, 2:00PM The Minskoff Theatre 200 West 45th Street. Order tickets online Or call 212.840.0770 Ext. 268. Reputed to be the hottest ticket on Broadway, The Easter Bonnet Competition features a parade of bonnets hand-crafted by the casts and crews of dozens of participating productions. This annual spring event is the culmination of an intensive six-week fundraising effort by the companies of Broadway, Off-Broadway and national touring productions. The impact of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS is the result of millions of simple gestures of generosity and concern from dancers like yourself. Please show your support from one dancer to another, any way you can,
We are Dancers Responding with Action. Thanks!
*Catch Ailey II in New York City at The Joyce Theater April 30 - May 8 Tickets are on sale here or call (212) 242-0800
If you have performance info you wanna share with your fellow classmates, please send it to kat_wildish@yahoo.com.
Fun Stuff: Take a Break and Enjoy
*CLASS PICTURES : FUN PICTURES MANY HAVE BEEN ASKING ABOUT be sure to scroll down.
*A root beer float with an organic kick. Scoop some organic ice cream into a frosty mug, pour over some organic root beer, and cool off with an old-school, saddle-shoe-'n'-Elvis-lovin' treat.
*Factoid: Each year, Americans drink more carbonated soft drinks than juice, sports drinks, coffee, and tea combined. If 10,000 dancers make their own soda at home, we'll keep 6,000,000 aluminum cans outta the waste stream each year.
*Earth Day April 22, 2008 do something!
*ARBOR DAY FRIDAY APRIL 25TH: MillionTreesNYC, email or call 311 for more information. Over the next 10 years, Mayor B wants to add 1 mil new trees around the five boroughs. Planting season starts now, so either hop online and nominate the perfect location for a free tree, plant a tree yourself and have it count as one in a million, volunteer to help care for the ones that are already planted, or donate a little green from your wallet.
*Limited Time Offer! Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey present OVER THE TOP @ IZOD CENTER (formerly Continental Arena) - East Rutherford,NJ All tickets $10!
Wed. APR. 9 and Thu. APR. 10 Evening Performances. Hurry...Tickets must be purchased by Fri. APR. 4! BUY NOW!
CLICK HERE to purchase online or
call Ticketmaster at 201-507-8900 or 212-307-7171 Use Customer Code: CLOWN
*read Vegetarian Times on line...save a tree
THIS MONTH IN DANCE HISTORY
Read all about each month's ballet history here for all archives.
*Hear an extended one-on-one interview Kat gives Artscape Radio last year around this time, here.
*1880 April 25 - Mikhail Mikhailovich Fokine, father of modern ballet, is born in St. Petersburg
*1911(?) April 27 - JACK COLEBORN
*1930 April 11 - Debut of Stravinsky's Rite of Spring (Le Sacre du Printemps) in the United States. Choreography is by Léonide Fedorovich Massine.
*1932 April 20 - The Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo (La societe des Ballets Russes et Ballets de Monte-Carlo) was formally registered in Monaco. The founders were René Blum and Colonel Wassily de Basil. George Balanchine was "maitre de ballet" and Leonide Massine became a major choreographer.
*1971 April 6 - Igor Stravinsky passes away
*1973 April 8 - Death of Pablo Picasso
*1983 April 30 - Death of George Balanchine (Georgi Melitonovich Balanchivadze)
*2003 April 9 - Death of Ballets Russes de Monte Carlo dancer (and 1928 wife of George Balanchine), Vera Zorina (b. Eva Brigitta Hartwig )
BALLET TERMS
Gargouillade: a gargoyle is a carved stone grotesque statue with a spout designed to convey water from a roof and away from the side of a building. The term in ballet is said to be taken from that design of a Water spout; it's an advanced jump from one foot to the other. "out in- In out" (gargouillement or gargouillis: Noise which makes a liquid in the throat, the stomach, a drain, etc.) Listen to French pronunciation here. Gargouillade can be done either en dehors, or en dedans, with single rotation or double rotation in the rond de jambe, with or without the final extension of the leg in a la seconde and with or without the rond de jambe occuring in one leg or both. There is also a gargouillade volé (final extension effacé devant). And of course, it can be forté or sur la place. (Fr. embellished step; outward-An embellished pas de chat). "a jump in which both feet write rings in the air"-ALASTAIR MACAULAY, NY Times.
Shopping Deals:
*'Spring Awakening' on BroadwayEugene O'Neill Theatre box office, 230 West 49th St. Called "the best musical of a generation" (NY Observer), "Spring Awakening" is offering discounts on some of the best seats in the house, now through June 1. For only $54-$74 a ticket, you can see the show that is setting a new standard for Broadway, but you need to book by April 4, as these seats will go fast. Click here to book online or visit Broadwayoffers.com and enter code SAZQQ75. To book by phone, call 212-947-8844 and mention code SAZQQ75.
*Dancers Responding to Aids: When AIDS is stopped we will dance for joy. Until then we will dance for Life! Become a dancer responding with action. Make a difference, a donation of as little as one dollar can make a difference in a dancers life. For more info and to make a secure online donation visit www.dradance.org
Weekly Tips: Stretching, Pointe, Health, & More
*Stretch-o-da-Month: April 2008:
Fish Pose:It is said that if you perform this pose in water, you will be able to float like a fish. We will work with the knees bent, feet on the floor, for the first part of the month. Then towards the middle of April we'll straighten your legs out onto the floor, keep your thighs active, and press out through the heels. Maybe by the end of the month we can try a third variation: with an exhalation, lifting the legs off the floor to an angle of 45 degrees relative to the floor. Always check for this stretch in the newsletter of the month. To check archives click here.
*Pointe Shoe Tip 'o the Week:
Remember everyone, your 10-class Aliey pointe class card saves you money. And the class times, noon Monday-Wednesday-Friday, make for a great lunch hour break...and Saturdays at 6 make a nice warmup for a fun night on the town. Oh and yes this card will be a great savings for the Summer Weekend Workshops beginning in June!
OH YES! AND GAYNOR MINDEN has a NEW and improved supple shank and allows you to roll thru....a must in Kat's or any proper pointe classes. So yes if you roll thru those demi-points you can wear these lovely shoes in pointe class, even if you are not performing tonight! (and if you cannot properly roll-thru don't even think about it-LOL!) Also Carina S. gets suede tips added $10 extra, but she says 'totally worth it'. Yeah I bet, keeps you from slipping. Thanks for the info Carina S! As an intelligent adult, you need to be fitted by a professional fitter and you need to wear pointe shoes that will support you properly while you train, not performance ready shoes because it may be a long while before you are ready to perform on pointe, especially if you have improper pointe shoes to train in.
*Health:
*Deal of the Month: GET STONED. Kat received a gift certificate for a relaxing stone massage at the Green Phoenix Spa on W 46 St. Sherry was more than wonderful. She seemed to know where those stones needed to go and stay. Make an Appt with Sherry by phone all thru the month of APRIL for only $50 per hour and whoa...just chill it's awesome! 212 221-1330
Things you might not know:
*The human face is made up of 14 bones
*Tooth Enamel is the hardest substance in the body
*Knee cartilage is twice as strong as nylon rope
*The thigh bone (femur), the body's strongest bone, is hollow (Imani) and yet it's stronger than concrete! FYI: Imani T. is the inspiration for Kat purchasing two life size femur bones. The thought of checking their strength is almost irresistible!
*Allergies? Pollen.com Providing information on pollen, and a personalized daily pollen forecast for those of us who need to know
*Ankle Sprain?
Kat's Weekly Mailbag
*Dear Kat, How's you vacation? Thank you very much for your lesson on March 5th. I missed that I had your lesson only one day. But I had a good time, also my mother, too. When I will come to N.Y. again, I would like to have your lesson again! See you until then and take care of your health. Lots of Love, J.O.
*Kat - The Foundation Center reports a Request for Proposals for funding dance projects - "Awards are available to reconstruct or restage works by master American choreographers of the twentieth century." Maybe you or one of your students would be interested:
Dance/USA Announces Continued Funding for American Masterpieces: Dance - College Component Deadline: May 19, 2008
Dance/USA has announced renewed funding for American Masterpieces: Dance - College Component
through the support of the National Endowment for the Arts ( http://www.nea.gov/ ). The AMDCC brings classic American dances of the past century to college students and audiences in communities across the United States. The NEA and Dance/USA welcome projects that embrace choreography from all forms and styles representing the cultural richness of the U.S. and its many dance traditions. Awards are available to reconstruct or restage works by master American choreographers of the twentieth century. For all projects, public involvement within and/or beyond the academic community is critical. At each site, performances, panel discussions, lectures, school showings, open rehearsals, film or video showings, symposia or other activities should allow general audiences access to the history of the dance work and the process of creating choreography. Other organizations may collaborate, including musical ensembles, dance companies, community-based dance organizations, presenting institutions, or elementary and high schools. It is permissible for several colleges to collaborate on one project. Awards will be made in the amount of $10,000 each. For more information and to download the program guidelines, visit the Dance/USA Web site. -JH.
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