April brings new classes, class times and days!

 

April 2022 schedule - New class & times!
Join on Zoom or in person!

Sunday (Inspire Dance Studio in La Canada)
10AM-11:30AM - Intermediate level
Tuesday (Live Arts LA in Eagle Rock)

7-8:30PM - Beg/Intermediate level
Wednesday (Inspire)
6:30-8PM - Beginner level
8-9PM - Basic Lyrical Jazz - NEW CLASS!!!
Thursday (Inspire)
7-8:30PM - Basic level
Saturday (Inspire)
9:30-11AM - Beginner level - NEW TIME!!!
11AM-12:30PM - Intermediate level - NEW TIME!!!
12:30-1:30PM - Pointe - NEW DAY & TIME!!!

SIGN UP FOR ALL CLASSES HERE
 

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UPDATE! Please note before you come to the studio:

1. Masks are optional for all dancers inside both studios where I rent.
2. Students must show proof of vaccination to attend class at Live Arts LA.

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"New jazz class? Tell me more!"

Wondering what my new Basic Lyrical Jazz class on Wednesday nights at 8PM is all about and why I'm teaching it now? Here's a secret: I taught jazz long before I taught ballet - and I loved it! Why now? Simple: I teach the classes I want to take. This is why my classes are structured the way they are and why they include technique, music and choreography the way I personally enjoy. And now, I want a bit of jazz in my life! Here's more in a blog post I wrote about it, including what to expect.  

Starts Wednesday, April 6!
 

BONUS! SAVE $5 when you sign up for the Wednesday Beginner Ballet class at 6:30-8PM AND Jazz that same night. First sign up for the ballet class, then receive the discount code in your confirmation email, then apply that code to the purchase of the Jazz class.

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Basic ballet barre video!

NEW! Basic ballet barre now available to rent! Want to work on your technique at home or can't make it to class? Rent a 50-minute video of barre work for only $10. I post a new barre on YouTube on Friday mornings and it will be available to access until it is replaced with a new one. Purchase here (scroll past the schedule) and I will email you the link!

 

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LPBC News

SAVE THE DATE! HOTEL AT THE END OF THE UNIVERSE ON JUNE 18 & 19

The time-traveling hotel has been taken for a joyride by three feisty bellhops determined to have fun. Join them (and your favorite nonprofit ballet company for adults!) at the Madrid Theatre on Saturday June 18 at 7PM and Sunday June 19 at 4PM for a 2-act ballet that will lift your spirits and send your imagination soaring. More info and tickets to come but make sure you put this on your calendar! I'm so excited to bring a brand new approach to one of my favorite shows. Here's a teaser of it from the 2019 show:

Zoom classes begin July 1!

Hello beautiful dancers!

On Wed July 1, I will start teaching on Zoom so we can begin to transition back to classes. The Zoom schedule will be as follows:

Sunday 11AM-12:15PM Open level technique

Sunday 12:15-1:30PM Pointe

Monday 6:45-8PM Open level technique

Tuesday 6:45-8PM Open level technique

Wednesday 6:45-8PM Open level technique

Thursday 6:45-8PM Open level technique

Saturday 9:30-10:45AM Open level technique

Payment for classes: I will be converting ALL paper cards to e-cards. Each of you will receive credit for any remaining classes you have on your cards (e.g. 2 classes left on a 10-class card is worth $31). Please send me a photo of your card so I can give you proper credit. If I have your card, I will do it for you. The credit will be associated with your preferred email address so be sure to tell me which one you want to use; you can use your credit to purchase a class whenever you sign up for it. Your balance will adjust each time you purchase a class.

Each Zoom class is $15 and will be limited to 10 students. To attend a class, simply go to my class page on my website, select the class you want to attend and reserve your spot. You only need to fill in your name and email and pay for the class. A reminder and Zoom link will be emailed to you. When we return to in-studio classes, we will continue to do everything online and with reserved spots.

I will also continue teaching a free livestream class on Fridays at 11AM on YouTube. If you have any questions, just let me know!As with everything during this pandemic, we need to be flexible!

Thank you all so much for your support and willingness to try new things in new ways!

What is "ballet time"? And hey, some ballet times are changing!

My friend and fellow teacher, Carol Guidry, and I were talking about how very difficult it seems to be to end a class on time. It's universal and Carol and I can only ascribe it to "ballet time."

Ballet time means a class is posted to begin at 10 and actually starts at 10:10. A class purporting to end at 11:30 might not finish until 11:45. Why is this and why can't we start and end classes properly?

Wrestling every second out of a ballet class! Photo by Ronald Rugenbrink

 

***Reasons for not starting on time - STUDENT issues:
 - attire must be changed from outdoors to studio clothes
 - if you drive, there might be limited parking since studios typically are tucked into available spaces
 - students usually sign in and/or pay for a class prior to it starting which can take time, particularly if multiple classes are happening at the same time or the teacher must take roll or payments
 - class is a community and people want to greet each other when they come in

***Reasons for not ending on time - INSTRUCTOR issues:
 - combinations take more time to explain than intended or students have more difficulty grasping them
 - if it's a mixed level class, there might be more beginners (or simply new students who don't know the usual routines) who need greater explanation than the teacher planned
 - combinations that worked for a teacher at home might need to be adjusted in the studio due to space considerations
 - an especially large class takes more time to cycle through floor work
 - an especially small class needs more time between passes in the center

But the number one reason classes don't end on time: A ballet class builds from one combination to the next. You can rush from exercise to exercise but you really can't skip anything so if a teacher's class has begun late for any of the reasons above, it's unlikely they can eliminate exercises completely. If they are good with time management, they can simplify things that had intended to be complex or they can put larger groups together for center floor work but it's dangerous to skip petit allegro and go right to grand allegro. Depending on the class itself, a teacher could end a class earlier, perhaps at adagio or pirouettes but it's not a good habit to get into if the students want to progress or if they take with other teachers who do a full class.

Speaking of ballet time...a few changes to my classes at Inspire Dance Studio!

Due to the children's program at Inspire, my weekday classes must be pushed by 15 minutes which means, as of August 26:

Monday & Wednesday Intermediate Ballet
WAS 6:30-8PM
WILL BE 6:45-8:10PM

Monday & Wednesday Beginner Ballet
WAS 8-9:30PM
WILL BE 8:10-9:30PM

Thursday Advanced Beginner Ballet
WAS 7-8:30PM
WILL BE 7:15-8:45PM

Apologies for any inconvenience this may cause but hopefully it allows you a little bit of extra time to get to class, park, etc. so we can start on time - and any problems ending on time will be mine!

Happy dancing, everyone~

Time change? Change the time!

Hello local students!

This weekend we Fall Back but this Thursday, we will Spring Forward!

Thursday Advanced Beginner Ballet will now begin at 7PM

Just like my Tuesday Advanced Beginner class runs from 7-8:30PM at Dance Arts Academy, so too will its Thursday counterpart, starting November 9th. We will even be moving into the same studio (studio D) as the Tuesday class so it will be like we never left...(cue spooky Halloween music).

Tbh, it's always bothered me that the 2 classes started a half hour apart - how confusing is that for a new student? How confusing is that for the old teacher? Seriously, though, I wanted to make it easier for people to attend if they were coming from work. It's a bit rushed to get to class by 6:30PM, especially if you are in crosstown traffic or are looking for a parking space. This gives you just a bit more time to get to class - so NO EXCUSES! Get to class!

To recap for the TL:DR crowd:

Advanced Beginner Ballet
Tuesdays & Thursdays, 7-8:30PM
Dance Arts Academy
731 South La Brea Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90036

See you in class! And don't forget to change your clocks! Happy dancing~

Nutcracker + Holiday classes + New class time!

Welcome to the holidays, beautiful dancers! 

It's that time of year when days and hours and weeks slip by and you wonder if you got anything accomplished at all. Currently my living room is in such a state of disarray that I can barely walk through it (and neither can the dog!) but I know it will eventually pull together and look like a Christmas tree.

So I know how it is when you have the best of intentions of getting to ballet class but then there's a work event or a friend is having cocktails or you need to get to the store to get those gifts for the in-laws. A week or two go by and you suddenly say, "Hey, I didn't get to ballet class!"

Don't feel bad! It happens to all of us. Remember that ballet class is something you do for yourself. It makes you feel better. It reminds you of what is beautiful. It gives you an hour and a half of peace, if nothing else. So if you can squeeze in a class, it might make the hustle and bustle of the season a little more tolerable.

And what better way to feel good than to take a special holiday-themed class? That's right! This year, you'll have 2 chances to take a fun ballet class with me:

Saturday, December 24, Christmas Eve morning:
9AM - Beginner Ballet
10AM- Intermediate Ballet
11:30AM - Pointe

Saturday, December 31, New Year's Eve morning:
9AM - Beginner Ballet
10AM- Intermediate Ballet
11:30AM - Pointe

All classes with special holiday music! All are at the Inspire Dance Studio in La Canada. If you don't know where that is, see the sidebar for address and directions. I hope you can make it!

New Class Time - starting in January!!

Next month, my Tuesday Advanced Beginner ballet class at Dance Arts Academy will begin at a new time:

7-8:30PM

Mark your calendars! I have heard from lots of students that the 6:30 start time was a real challenge to get to. LA traffic can be a nightmare and unpredictable. I hope this extra 30 minute buffer means you don't need to stress out about getting to class on time and you won't have to leave work early to get there.

Nutcracker Pics!!

This year my dancers performed with Classical Ballet Theater at the Norris Theater in Palos Verdes. It is a beautiful theater with a huge stage and great seating. We loved performing there and CBT's owner, Kotomi, was so kind and generous to invite us as their guest artists. We hope to be dancing with them again in the spring (mark your calendars for May 21!).

Here are a few photos from the show. Maybe you'll dance with us next time!