FOOTNOTES
Reif Dance Newsletter, Holiday 2016
By Katie E. Smith
inter is here!
Happy Holidays!
The snow is flying and so is the
dance year. Our first production is
already upon us. In this edition
of our newsletter you will find all
the information you will need to
survive the informal demo, tech
week and The Nutcracker. Please
read it carefully and keep it
handy.
Which means. . .
SNOW!
The dance studios, hallway and student lounge have a
tendency to become wet, slushy messes once the snow
starts. In an attempt to minimize this problem as well as
the clutter problem created by piles of coats and bags, we
have hooks and boot trays in the hallway by the student
lounge. Please take a moment to kick the snow and sand
off of your boots before you enter the dance hallway,
place them neatly on one of the trays and hang your bag
and coat neatly on a hook. Help us keep our studios
looking beautiful!
P.S. The student lounge is a place for students to relax, have
a snack or work on homework. (We even got a booster for
the wifi and it is working!) It is not a place to leave your
stuff! Unattended items will be placed in the Lost & Found.
peaking of winter, it is
time to take care!
Nutcracker
Tickets are on sale!
Adults $16, Seniors $14, Students $9
Please take extra care during this cold and flu season.
Wash your hands and stay hydrated! If you are sick,
please stay home and get better as fast as possible!
Sharing is great except when it comes to germs!
Nutcracker Boutique
Make sure to stop by the boutique during
intermission or after the show when you come to
the Nutcracker performance. We will be
selling our sixth season collectible ornament,
Reif Dancewear, Roses and several different
homemade Nutcracker Sweets! All proceeds
from the Boutique go to support Reif Dance!
Spring Show Costume Deposits are Due!
On this month’s statement you will see a fee for
your child’s costume deposit. This deposit is
required before we can order your costumes for
the Spring show. Costumes must be ordered in
January in order to arrive in time for our show!
HELP NEEDED!
With the nutcracker just around the corner,
we are seeking backstage moms to keep the
show running smoothly. Sign-up sheets will
be hung on the bulletin boards. Please sign
up to help out! We can’t do it with out you!
DANCE JOURNAL
Just like when learning any musical instrument, a dancer needs
to spend time outside of his/her lessons to practice and ponder
the things they are learning. It is easy to forget what was taught
in class if you don’t think about it until the following week when
you have class again. A dance journal is the perfect tool to keep
track of what you have been talking about in class. I would love
to see all of our students, ages 12 and up, keeping track of their
progress in a dance journal. Please pick up a notebook and start
jotting down the things you are good at, the things that you think
you need to work on and what your goals are as a dancer.
Nutcracker Tech Week Schedule
Spacing Rehearsal Saturday, December 3rd
Party Scene 11:00-2:00pm
(Includes Clara, Fritz, Party children, Young Ladies,
Party Parents, Drosselmeyer, Dolls)
Battle Scene 1:30-3:30
(Includes Clara, Mice, Soldiers, Rat King, Rats, Nutcracker)
Angels 3:15-4:15
Advanced Ballet-Class 4:15
Rehearsal 5:00-9:00
In the following order: Snow, Finale, Flowers, Jesters,
Spanish, Arabian, Russian, Marzipan, Chinese, Sugar Plum
(Dancers may leave after their last dance is done!)
Sunday, December 4th
(No Battle Scene or Angels.
Dancers please stay until you are excused)
Party Scene 1:00-3:00
Advanced Ballet-Class 3:00-3:45
Snow, Flowers and Divertissements 3:45-8:00
Nutcracker Tech Week Schedule Continued
1st Dress
Rehearsal (No Make-up) Wednesday, December 7th
Intermediate/Advanced & Advanced Ballet-Class 4:00
Scene Change Rehearsal (Set movers, Mice and Soldiers) 5:00
ACT I Dress Rehearsal 5:30-7:00
(Includes Party Scene, Battle Scene & Snow)
(Dancers must stay for notes and wait until they are excused)
ACT II Dress Rehearsal 6:45-8:30
(Includes Angels, Divertissements, Clara)
(Dancers must stay for notes and wait until they are excused)
2nd Dress
Rehearsal (With Make-up) Thursday, December 8th
Intermediate/Advanced & Advanced Ballet-Class 4:00
ALL Dancers in Theatre for Notes at 5:00
(Party Scene Dancers must be IN COSTUME by 5:00!)
Opening Night! Friday, December 9th
Intermediate/Advanced & Advanced Ballet-Class 5:00
ALL Dancers Call (In theatre for Notes!) 6:00
Curtain Up! 7:00
Monday, December 5th
Saturday, December 10th
(Dancers please stay until you are excused)
Battle Scene & Angels 4:00-5:00
Party Scene 5:00-7:00
Advanced Ballet-Class 6:15
Rehearse Snow & Divertissements until 9:00
Intermediate/Advanced & Advanced Ballet-Class 5:00
ALL Dancers Call (In theatre for Notes!) 6:00
Curtain Up! 7:00
Tuesday, December 6th
Intermediate/Advanced & Advanced Ballet-Class 12:00
ALL Dancers Call (In theatre for Notes!) 1:00
Curtain Up! 2:00
Sunday, December 11th
Battle Scene & Angels 4:00-5:00
Party Scene 5:00-7:00
Advanced Ballet-Class 6:15
Rehearse Snow & Divertissements until 9:00
ALL DANCERS MUST STAY FOR STRIKE UNTIL THEY
ARE EXCUSED!!!!!
All students enrolled in Ballet Levels Beginning through Advanced will participate in the Nutcracker.
No Jazz, Tap, modern or Fundamentals students will be in the show. If you are performing in the Nutcracker, please check
the chart below for shoe, tight and hair requirements!
Makeup for the show should include natural colored eye shadow, brown or black eye liner, brown or black mascara and
mauve or rose lipstick & blush. Advanced students should wear false eyelashes. Makeup is necessary for students to not look
washed out under the stage lights. However, please use a natural palette. No blue eye shadow or hot pink lips.
Class/Character
Shoes
Tights
Hair
Beginning Ballet/Mice
Pink Ballet Shoes
Ballet Pink
LOW Ballet Bun
Begin/Intermediate Ballet/Angels
Pink Ballet Shoes
Ballet Pink
LOW Ballet Bun
Intermediate Ballet/Soldiers
Pink Ballet Shoes
Ballet Pink
LOW Ballet Bun
Inter./Advanced Ballet/Party Girls
Black Ballet Shoes
Ballet Pink
1/2 up with Ringlet curls
Inter./Advanced Ballet/Party Boys
Black Jazz Shoes
White or Ballet Pink
LOW Ballet Bun
Party Scene Young Ladies
Pointe Shoes
Ballet Pink
1/2 up with Ringlet curls
Snow, Flowers, Marzipan, Arabian,
Spanish, Chinese
Pointe Shoes
Ballet Pink
LOW Ballet Bun
Pink Ballet Shoes
Ballet Pink
LOW Ballet Bun
Jesters, Russian
Informal Dance Demo
On December 3rd at 10:00am all of our
Fundamentals classes will take the stage
in our Informal Dance Demo.
Fundamentals include all Pre-School,
Kindergarten & First Grade classes.
Dancers should show up by 9:50 and
meet in the auditorium.
Students will sit in their class groups
until after they dance. Students may sit
with their families once they have had
their time on stage.
Students may wear whatever they
want. If you have a costume or tutu at
home, this is your chance to show it off.
Many students choose to just wear their
class leotard and that is great too!
You may film or take pictures. The
lights will stay up in the auditorium so
there is no risk involved if you use a
flash!
Following the presentation, we will
have a reception in the lobby with
cookies and punch.
This is a FREE event! Bring your
friends and family to cheer on our littlest
dancers!
Don’t forget . . .
There are no regular dance classes the week
of December 5th-9th.
There are regularly scheduled classes the
week of December 12th-16th.
The 16th is the last day of classes until we
resume on January 3rd!
Welcome Home!
It feels so nice to be back home in our beautiful Reif Center this
year. We get to do the Nutcracker on our own stage! It is going
to be bigger and better than ever, with new backdrops and set
pieces that we couldn’t have with our previous limitations. It
really is exciting and we really do want our dancers and their
families to feel at home here and to take pride in being a part of
the Reif. That being said, we would also like to ask that you
respect this beautiful new facility and follow the rules.
Please only use the bathrooms and dressing rooms in the dance
area. The bathrooms in the lobby are for patron use during
events. It is not appropriate to use these bathrooms for
changing.
Please clean up after yourself. Do not leave your things on the
floor in the hallway or in the student lounge. Use the lockers in
the locker room or the hooks on the wall.
Please do not wander around or go into areas that are not
designated for Reif Dance. When you are here we need to
know where you are. Parents, if you are leaving your child
unattended in the Reif center, please make sure they are mature
enough to handle the responsibility and that they understand
the boundaries. We cannot monitor students when they are not
in the studio or go looking for them if they are late for class.
Introducing our new program, Reif Dance Pre-Pro
This year we have started a new track of study for our most dedicated students. Members of the Pre-Pro
program are selected from the Reif Dance Company on an invitation only basis. These students were
selected based not only on their talent as dancers but also on their work ethic, positive attitude and obvious
desire to get the most out of their dance education.
These students attend three additional classes a week on top of already dancing six days a week. They
have already been out in the community performing for a couple of special events this year. During the
Women’s Expo, Pre-Pro dancer, Amber Wegner, choreographed a dance to Zach Sobeich’s song “Clouds”
and the dancers performed it with the presentation by keynote speaker, Laura Sobiech. I was also able to
set a retro, beatnik piece on them for this year’s Peasants with Torches event at the Timberlake.
In addition, we have introduced a teaching program
which offers members of the Pre-Pro class to receive
pedagogy training and real-world work experience.
These students have the training and the skills to be
passing their knowledge on to younger dancers and
we are so happy to be able to provide them with the
opportunity. Our younger dancers also benefit from
a wonderful mentorship which will stick with both
the students and their teachers for years to come.
(Pictured: Pre-Pro dancers-Nate Mariano, Alaina Margo, Arimee Gambill,
Jacqui Gerlach, Amber Wegner, Mary Jo Winjum and Logan Kuschel)
This dance year started with a BANG and we have not slowed down! With the Nutcracker and Informal demo just
around the corner our thoughts and energy are quite occupied. However, there have been many exciting things
happening here at Reif Dance since the start of the season. Here is a brief look back . . .
The summer intensive gave our dancers
the chance to train with professionals
from the James Sewell ballet and the
opportunity for students to
choreograph original works on their
peers.
(Left: Senior Division dancers stop to pose with guest
teacher & James Sewell Ballet Dancer, Nicky Coelho)
(Jr. Division dancers rehearse a piece for
the Summer Showcase)
Tall Timber Days brought about 30 of our Aladdin
cast members together to participate in the parade.
(Pictured at Right)
In September, Reif Dancers performed at the Women’s
expo. (Below: Pre-Pro dancers ready to perform Amber’s original choreography to live
music performed by Nate Mariano-not pictured)
Right: Miss Kelly,
one of our wonderful
teaching assistants,
poses with some of
our preschool dancers
during dress-up week.
October gave us dress-up week and Peasants with Torches.
Left: Pre-Pro dancers perform the Beatnik
piece at Peasants with Torches.
November brought the Players production of The Music Man. I can honestly
say it was one of the highlights of my teaching career to have the
opportunity to share the stage with so many of my wonderful students.
Left: Members of
the Advanced
Tap class in the
library scene of
The Music Man.
Right: Some of
the dancers and I
in a group-hug.
I think we are off to a pretty great start and I can’t wait to
see what else this year holds for us here at Reif Dance!