It's still summer in the studio!

 

September 2024 schedule Wednesdays 6:45-8:15PM - Beginner ballet 8:15-9:15PM - Beginner jazz (just like a super fun Dance Party!) Thursdays 6:30-8PM - Basic ballet 8-9:30PM - Open level ballet Saturdays 9:30-11AM - Beginner ballet 11AM-12PM - Pointe/pre-pointe Sundays 10-11:30AM - Intermediate ballet 11:30AM-1PM - Basic ballet SIGN UP FOR ALL CLASSES HERE Please consider posting a review! If you have posted one already on Yelp, Google or FB, thank you SO MUCH! And if you haven't, I would truly appreciate it. Positive words from current students really encourage new dancers to try a class. Thank you in advance! Review on Yelp Review on Google Review on Facebook     LPBC News Early bird savings until 9/7 for the return of "Sweet Sorrow"! October 19 & 20, 2024 at the Lanterman Auditorium in La Canada, CA! Have you missed our zombies and our tragic star-crossed lovers? Well, mark your calendars for their rise from the crypt this October. And if you can't see it in person, we'll be streaming on Halloween weekend. Even if you've seen this show before, we have NEW characters, NEW music, NEW storytelling. We are never satisfied - we constantly evolve to respond to our audience and give them more reasons to come back to the theater. READY TO BUY YOUR TICKETS NOW? Tickets are on sale now with an EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT!! Get them at Eventbrite! See you at the show! Check out some of our dancers in rehearsals for the stage. Werewolves and Ravens, oh my!

Let's dance! More videos for your home use !

Hello again, beautiful dancers!

Today I am holding an adult ballet intensive with some of our remote company members who live on the East Coast. We're calling it Ballet All Day! If you can't make it, why not do some dancing at home? As I did before, I'm posting a couple of YouTube videos which were recorded live during the pandemic: one with pointe work and one without.

Have fun!

From June 18, 2020:

Beginner Ballet

From May 23, 2020:

Beginner/Intermediate Ballet with Pointe

See you on June 15!

Thanksgiving class and more!

November 2023 schedule - In-studio and online!

Wednesdays

6:45-8:15PM - Beginner ballet
8:15-9:15PM - Beginner Jazz (aka Leigh's Dance Party!)
Thursdays
6:30-8PM - Basic ballet
8-9:30PM - Open level ballet - TRY IT! YOU'LL LIKE IT!
Saturdays
9:30-11AM - Beginner ballet
11AM-12PM - Pointe/pre-pointe
Sundays

10AM-11:30AM - Intermediate ballet
11:30AM-1PM - Basic Ballet

SIGN UP FOR ALL CLASSES HERE

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DID YOU MISS HALLOWEEN CLASS?
We had a blast dancing to spooky tunes in fabulous costumes and enjoying some homemade treats. Take a look at this amazing group in their awesome costumes! Thank you, everyone, for coming and spreading the Halloween joy.
 

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MARK YOUR CALENDAR: THANKSGIVING MORNING CLASS!
On Thursday 11/23 at 10AM I will be teaching my traditional Thanksgiving Day morning class. It's one of my very favorite classes. I hope you'll join me in celebrating a community I am truly grateful for: YOU. You can sign up here.
Inspire Dance Studio, Thursday, November 23, 10-11:30AM

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LPBC News

Tickets for "Cracked" are on sale now! November 11 & 12, Lanterman Auditorium (on-demand video info to come)

Less than two weeks from today, we will be on stage at the Lanterman in La Canada (right up the street from Inspire on Cornishon off Foothill). There's lots to see in this production and we are excited to share our original take on the classic Nutcracker with you.

Shows on Saturday, November 11 at 7PM and Sunday, November 12 at 4PM. We'll also have some great items you can purchase to kick off your holiday season! Get your tickets here.

Wondering what's new? Take a peek here (thanks to Alexes Togiai Ciardi for the interview and for putting this video together!).
 

Behind the Mind of CRACKED
 

 

Are you a guest at my Hotel?

Hello beautiful dancers!

Today is my birthday and I know exactly what I want for a gift: buy a ticket (or 2 or 3) to my nonprofit ballet company's upcoming performance of "Hotel at the End of the Universe"!

On June 18 at 7PM and June 19 at 4PM, Leigh Purtill Ballet Company will be on stage at the Madrid Theatre in Canoga Park, CA. The show will be filmed and edited for streaming on the weekend of July 9 & 10 so whether you're in the area or not, you can catch our science fiction-themed time-traveling adventure.

Travel along with our 3 spunky bellhops as they take the hotel for a joyride through time and space. They'll visit Renaissance Italy, 40s Paris, and more - they'll even face down an alien attack!

So get your tickets now! You'll be glad you checked in!

Happy dancing!

Want to join a ballet company? Join LPBC!

Hello beautiful dancers! 

Whether you're local to Los Angeles or live outside the area, we'd like to invite you to apply to be a member of the nonprofit amateur adult ballet company, Leigh Purtill Ballet Company. 

In 2021, we believe we will be doing rehearsals and performances over Zoom, perhaps some outdoors and in person, maybe a hybrid show where dancers perform both in-person and outdoors as well as over Zoom. We require that dancers who want to perform attend regular classes and keep up their technique and to attend quarterly company meetings virtually. They will also be asked to assist in promotion and outreach. For remote members, this might mean helping with social media, involving their local dance community, encouraging local fans and dancers to attend a virtual event/donate; outreach might look like contacting certain communities in their local areas to invite them to participate in a virtual workshop of some kind.

We are excited about the wonderful opportunities we have in reaching out to audiences and dancers in other parts of our country and globally! Our company thrives on the innovations and ideas members bring to us.

 

We believe we can create a community of dancers 

that extends beyond physical location.

If this is something you'd like to be part of, please click through, fill out the form and provide a video by January 31, 2021.

Happy dancing, everyone~

Dancing toward the light at the end of the tunnel

Beautiful dancers,

As I write this, the FDA is authorizing emergency use of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. The initial plan is for frontline workers and people in assisted living facilities to receive inoculations this month with the rest of us getting vaccinated over the course of the next few months. If all goes well, most of the population will have access to it by spring 2021.

This is amazing news and should give us all hope for the not-too-distant future. In scientific terms, this is nearly-instantaneous; for the rest of us we've got a major case of HURRY UP, ALREADY!

How does this affect me as a dancer?

Okay, so we know there will be an end, even if we don't know the date. So let's look at it this way. Pretend I'm the artistic director of the company you're all in and I've called you into a meeting (on Zoom of course because there's a pandemic).

Congratulations! You all have been cast in a show that will be performed in the Fall. We don't have a theater booked yet but we know it's going to happen so we need to be getting in shape and rehearsing now. We can't wait until we put a down payment on the booking because that might happen at the last minute.

Ooh, exciting! Which show are we doing? Which role will I have?

The question is: which role do you want? Do you want a lead role, one that dances a lot on stage? Do you want a corps de ballet role, which is just as challenging but more community-involvement? Do you want to be partnered or to be a partner? Do you want to be en pointe or in flat slippers? 

 But I look terrible! I haven't been dancing full-out in months! I'm not ready to be on stage!

Focus not on what your body looks like but on what it can do. We are ALL in the same predicament. We have been doing our best - whatever form that takes - and it's been difficult for everyone. Now is not the time for body-shaming yourself. And no, of course you're not ready for the stage. Professionals are not even ready and many of them are back in the studio. It takes time and a slow return to our previous mode of movement. 

Here is my advice:

1. Keep looking toward the future. Stop looking at the past, at what was, at what was supposed to be. A new day is dawning but it will just take a while to fully arrive. Don't stop thinking about tomorrow (okay, okay, I just used a whole bunch of song lyrics but you know what I mean).

2. Invest in yourself and your body. If you don't have a space at home, carve one out, even if it needs to be carved out every day. Get a stable barre or barre substitute. Find flooring that won't hurt your knees and back or wear shoes with support.

3. Move every day. Every. Single. Day. Maybe it's a YouTube ballet class one day. Maybe it's yoga. Maybe it's a Zoom group class. Or a long walk or jog. But move your body on a daily basis and breathe deeply.

4. Speaking of breathing...practice exercising in a mask because YOU WILL WEAR ONE for a while, possibly until the end of 2021. Get used to it now. It's not that hard. I've done it - and taught class in it!

5. Commit. Say to yourself, "I want to be in the show in the Fall, whatever show it is, whatever role I'm given. So I will stay healthy, stay distant, stay masked. I will wash my hands and avoid large groups indoors. I will do what I have to."

I want you all to be in the show, whether that's a literal show or merely a figurative one. If you've been inwardly focused or have had a hard time getting or staying motivated since March, there is a future to dance toward now. If you've been keeping your dance routine, don't stop now! 

And you know what? You will be in the show. Happy dancing~

You Are Cordially Invited...

Leigh Purtill Ballet Company

You Are Cordially Invited to the 2020 Leigh Purtill Ballet Company Gala   The Leigh Purtill Ballet Company presents the second annual LPBC Gala, an elegant night of performances, music and great food.

We are kicking off our fourth season with our annual Gala, commemorating the work of the past three years and sowing seeds for growth in the year ahead. We are inviting you, our incredible community, to join us for a sophisticated night of live dance performances, music and delicious food!   Our community of dancers and supporters has grown immensely and with more company members than ever before, we are looking forward to this year's production of LA's only Zombie ballet, Sweet Sorrow.  A silent auction of incredible items ranging from private lessons with our Artistic Director Leigh Purtill to custom pet portraits, will be taking place through the event, with all proceeds going towards making our 2020 season the best one yet.   We couldn't have made it this far without your support and we hope you will join us for this elegant celebration of all we have accomplished together!

RSVP HERE

If you are unable to attend but would still like to make a tax-deductible donation to the Leigh Purtill Ballet Company you can do so here!

DONATE

2020 LPBC Gala - Buy Tickets Now! Saturday, April 18 6-10pm War Memorial Building 435 Fair Oaks Avenue, South Pasadena, CA 91030

Questions? Shoot us an email at leighpurtillballetcompany@gmail.com

JOIN OUR MAILING LIST

Come join our dance community!

Season 4!

We’re a diverse and inclusive community of adult ballet dancers.

Leigh Purtill Ballet Company is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit with a focus on bringing ballet to audiences who never thought ballet would be for them. 

We perform in various venues and for a wide range of audiences. 

We do community outreach and workshops for kids and teens too. 

We’d love to see YOU at our company intention on January 12, 2020.

 🩰❤️😊

When: Sunday, January 12, 2020
Time: 12-2PM
Where: Inspire Dance Studio, 457 Foothill Blvd, La Canada CA 91011

PLEASE take a moment to read our company membership requirements!

Holiday ballet! Special "Eve" classes to get you in a celebratory mood!

Are you ready for the holidays? No? Then come to class with me this week and on Christmas Eve morning and New Year's Eve morning to boost your spirit!

All of my classes will happen as usual this week and next weekend. I will be out of town 12/25-12/30. Check out my calendar below for information on each specific class and as always, contact me if you have any questions.


Now for the fun stuff: holiday classes with super fun music and loads of great energy!

pc: State Library of Queensland "Seven Swans"

Monday, Christmas Eve, 12/24 Morning! 

Makes a great gift to yourself!

10-11:30AM

Open level

Inspire Dance Studio, 457 Foothill Blvd, La Canada CA 91011

 

pc: State Library of Queensland "Clowns"

Monday, New Year's Eve, 12/31 Morning! 

A perfect way to end 2018 and start 2019!

10-11:30AM

Open level

Inspire Dance Studio, 457 Foothill Blvd, La Canada CA 91011

 

 

AND DON'T FORGET!

Sunday, January 6, Pirouette Workshop, 1-3PM, Inspire Dance Studio

"Turn" your year around with this workshop to improve your pirouettes (see what I did there?)

Sign up at the link at the top of this blog on the left hand side. Limited to 15.

Saturday, January 12, Company Intent to Join, 9AM and 10AM, Inspire Dance Studio

Make your intentions known if you want to be in the Leigh Purtill Ballet Company this year.

We have lots of wonderful things planned but be sure to know what we do before you commit. Check out the website!

Want to Join a Ballet Company?

Come dance with us!

The Leigh Purtill Ballet Company wants YOU!

That's right, we do. LPBC, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, is an amateur ballet company for adults in the Los Angeles area. We are excited to announced our 2019 season will begin with a Company Intent to Join on Saturday, January 12, 2019.


What the heck is that? you may ask.

Well, let me explain...most dance companies require an audition in order to join their ranks. Often this consists of a ballet class, at which you nervously show up with a head shot and resume and get a spot at the barre. At various points in the class, you may be asked to leave (some companies eliminate people during a barre, sometimes between sides!). Some companies will wait until the class is over and then email you or not.

It's so frightening! Isn't it? I sure think so. And so much competition! Everyone around you is trying to earn a spot - and you know there are very few of them per season. Not exactly the way you want to begin a relationship with other dancers and an artistic director.

At LPBC, we don't believe in competition like that. You should always strive to do your best because, well, don't you want to do your best?

We also don't believe in eliminating people like that. We want to build a community, not divide it. We want dancers who support each other and you can't encourage others if you're only thinking about yourself.

Instead of an audition, we are holding an Intent to Join on January 12, 2019. You choose which class is suitable for your level, either the 9AM Beginner or 10AM Intermediate (be on time please! or early so you can sign in!) and then you...take the class. That's it.

Well, not exactly it. We want to see you be part of the community, friendly with others, supportive and encouraging. We want to see you love ballet and that you are ready to do the kind of outreach the company does. We want to see that you believe, like we do, that Ballet is for Everyone. It's not about body type, size, shape, color, etc. It's not about perfect technique (although we work toward the best technique we each have). It's about what YOU bring to US.

So come to class on January 12, 2019 at Inspire Dance Studio and show us your Intention! 

It's a good idea to familiarize yourself with what the company's mission is, what our plans are for the season, and what our schedule for performances is. Know before you commit. And then do it. You know you've always wanted to join a ballet company and LPBC is a great community of ballet souls to join. We love ballet.