December 2024 schedule: No classes Dec 11th-31st!

 

Holiday break info! All classes as usual from Dec 1st-8th (we'll even be doing our winter tradition of Tarantella!). I'll be out of town Dec 11th through 31st but I'll be teaching 2 classes via Zoom on Dec 16th and 19th (info and sign-up below). Happy Thanksgiving Day class! Two Zoom classes + 2 workshops during the break! I'm so excited to be teaching at Cheshire Performing Arts Academy in the town where my parents live in Connecticut. The owner, Brittany Barbaro, is partnering with me for a pop-up class and two workshops for her adult and teen students, which means I can Zoom to my students from a real studio instead of a living room! On Monday, Dec 16th, I'll be teaching Ballet from 3-4:30PM PST/6PM EST, PLUS a 30 min Pirouette workshop at 4:30PM/7:30PM, PLUS a 30 minute Pointe/Pre-pointe workshop at 5PM/8PM. Sign-up for 1, 2 or all classes! Dancers who are local to me in Connecticut can take them all IN PERSON!! Sign-up here for Zoom. Sign-up here for in-person. On Thursday, Dec 19th, I'll be teaching Ballet from 3-4:30PM PST/6PM EST. Sign-up here for Zoom. Sign-up at the studio in-person. Important Zoom info! Dancers have found that FaceTime and Messenger calls are far more stable than Zoom when it comes to online classes taught at the studio. If you are new to Zoom class with me, PLEASE provide me with a phone number where I can send you a FaceTime link or friend me on Messenger so I can do a video call to you. When I am in Connecticut, I will test Zoom but if it's not stable, I will use FaceTime or Messenger. If you have a question or concern, just email me. Start 2025 with Dance! Mark your calendars now for January 1st to dance with me at Inspire, both in person and on Zoom. I'll be teaching Ballet in studio 1 from 10-11:30AM and a Jazz class in studio 2 from 11:45AM-12:45PM. LPBC News On Giving Tuesday, please consider LPBC! On December 3, you can help us spread the word about ballet. Your donation supports our mission of Ballet for Everyone and gives us more resources to reach beyond our friends and fans to increase our presence in the dance world and build our dance community. Thank you for considering a tax-deductible donation! ("Sweet Sorrow, A Zombie Ballet" Photo by Jazley Faith)   Copyright © 2024 Leigh Purtill Ballet, All rights reserved. Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.

Zooming in the holidays?

Hello beautiful dancers!

As I mentioned in my last newsletter, I will be out of town from Dec 10-31. However, in Connecticut I will have access to a studio where I could teach via Zoom. Students could be in their home studios or they could (as a group?) rent studio time wherever they are.

Here are a few options.

A. Thursday Dec 12 after 6pm (3PM PST)

B. Monday Dec 16th anytime from 4:30-8:45pm (1:30-5:45PM PST)

C. Tuesday Dec 17 starting at 815pm (5:15PM PST)

D. Thursday Dec 19th after 6pm (3PM PST)

I will need at least 5 students to do a class. The level would depend on the makeup of the class. For dancers on the west coast, this is definitely earlier in the day for you but dancers elsewhere might find the times more accommodating.

Please let me know by 11/25 if you would like to do A, B, C, or D.  

 

Even if we did just one class, this would be fun!

Additional Zoom classes this week: 1/10-1/16/22

 Hello beautiful dancers, both local and remote!

All of my classes this week will be hybrid (both in-person and on Zoom) to give you added flexibility during this current virus surge. In addition to the usual classes that are hybrid, I have added the Zoom option to 3 more classes this week:

--Wednesday 6:30PM Beginner

--Thursday 7PM Basic

--Saturday 12PM Intermediate

You can sign up for all classes here.

I'm very appreciative of all of you who stay home when you are feeling ill. Let's all stay healthy in this new year!

(reminder: I will not be teaching 1/18-1/28)

Zoomed out? 8 pointers to having a better class!

My current barre

Beautiful dancers, we have gotten so Zoomed out, haven't we? After 7 months of being in our home studios, it's beginning to feel more like a prison and less like a holiday. We probably thought it wouldn't last long and we could keep our family and roommates and pets out of our way for a little while - or maybe we didn't invest in materials or we thought we could just give up dance for a month or two. And now...eesh! Seven months and counting!

I know that it's been challenging to stay focused and be on top of our technique. For those of you who have had a hard time, I get it. I feel the same way sometimes. When I think about being in front of the camera, I feel so sad and a bit dispirited but then I start class, get into the groove, and pretty soon, I forget that it's Zoom (kind of!). 

Even though I've been in front of thousands of classes and I know just about every one of my students, I feel more pressure to "perform" when it's the Zoom camera. If you feel that way too, you're not alone!

So how can you make your Zoom class feel less like a work or school meeting and more like "your time"? Here are a few things I've learned or come to appreciate:

1. Put the camera where you want it. Oh sure, if you're a young pre-professional dancer, you want your teacher to see all the alignment issues for corrections but my adult dancers? Please do what you want. If you want me to see your face or your ear or your feet, that's fine with me.

2. A caveat to #1 - sometimes being a non-video participant or having multiple cameras attached will affect the reception for other students in class. You may need to turn off audio as well. Check with your teacher.

3. Always mute yourself unless you have a question. 

4. Download speed is important for a smooth class. Use whichever device has the fastest speed for downloading.

5. Hardwired internet is always stronger than wi-fi.

6. Consider marking your floor or marley with colored tape to remind you where your downstage, upstage and corners are.

7. Give yourself permission to have an off day or a bad pirouette.

8. Celebrate the wins! Maybe that's just showing up.

I too thought Zoom would be temporary which is why I only started teaching in July. I assumed it would be a transitional period and we would be hybrid classes in mid-July. Now it appears as if Zoom will not be going away. I understand if classes online are not for you and you're waiting for the studio to open. I do hope that will be very soon but even if I can do that for a couple of classes, most likely we will continue to be virtual for many reasons, but mostly safety. Your health is paramount!

There is always another day, another class. But if you have been waiting it out, hoping for things to turn around quickly (I'm with you!), I don't see that happening in the Los Angeles area. Ballet is here for you and I am here for you. Hope to Zoom with you soon!

Happy dancing~

Halloween in August with LPBC!

 In the summer doldrums and looking for something to do this month?

 Celebrate Halloween with us! 

Saturday, August 29th, at 4PM 

• Watch my short film, The Dead Shoes, a spooky hybrid of ballet and scares!
  
• Show off your Halloween costume in our contest! 
• Enjoy a super fun, very easy, Halloween-themed ballet class with me!

 

Best of all...it's all online so you can do it in the safety of your home (or office or backyard or porch...)

Just make a small donation to the company which is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) so your support is tax-deductible.

Click HERE to be taken to the Eventbrite listing where you can sign up and get your Zoom link.

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!

Meet Dr. Danelle Dickson, Dance PT and ballet dancer!

Hello beautiful dancers!

Did you miss our live Zoom chat with Dr. Danelle Dickson last Friday? Then you missed an amazing opportunity to get your PT/dance injury questions answered by the extraordinary Dr. Dee from Washington DC. She's a ballet dancer who treats professional dancers, young pre-professionals, and amateurs alike. Working from her home on the east coast, she graciously and generously took time from her day to talk to us.

Lucky for you, I recorded it and uploaded it to YouTube! Check out the video below and hear what Dr. Dee has to say about treatment of dance injuries, the necessity of cross-training, and why she thinks dancers need to be considered athletes. She also answered the specific questions from our chat group, each of whom had a different dance background and experience. It was a fascinating - and fast! - 90 minutes.

Dr. Dee also talked about her new cross-training program, Dansebridge, which is available in the link below. Dr. Dee believes dancers don't necessarily need more classes when they want to improve their technique. She thinks working different muscle groups and in different ways can be more beneficial. Personally I love that the sessions are only 30 minutes long because these days, concentrating for long times is not easy.

Dr. Danelle Dickson's Dansebridge

Thank you SO MUCH, Dr. Dee! We loved meeting you and enjoyed hearing everything you had to say about ballet, training, and treatment.