Ballet Center of Houston is announcing plans for our summer intensive for intermediate – advanced students.  Classes will be offer in Ballet Technique, Pointe, Men’s Class, Variations, Pas de deux for those students ready, and Contemporary Dance.  Our exciting faculty for 2012 will include:  Andrew Murphy - form the Houston Ballet, Kristy Nilsson – free lance choreographer  from Atlanta, GA, Barbara Le Gault - faculty member of BCH and former dancer with Louisville Ballet and Pittsburg Ballet Theatre, Genie Lanfear – faculty member of BCH and former dancer with Houston Ballet, Keith Cross – free lance choreographer and former director of Texas Dance Theatre and dancer with Delia Stewart Dance Company and Artistic Director Victoria Vittum.

The summer intensive will be held from June 4-15.  This two week intensive is very reasonably priced and students form other school are also welcome to attend.  Please visit our website: balletcenterofhosuton.com for more information, pricing and times.

BCH will host “Nutcracker” Dance/Arts Camp June 18-22.  This one week workshop is designed for children age 7-11 and is a week packed with lots of fun activities for children interested and dance and arts and crafts.  Student will have a ballet technique class, art class and rehearsal daily.  This years theme is the beloved Nutcracker.  Dancers will learn all about the ballet, make projects related to it and learn a section of the ballet to perform on the last day of the camp for their parents and friends.  Please visit our website:  balletcenterofhouston.com for more information

♦♦ CALENDAR LISTING ♦♦ CALENDAR LISTING ♦♦

For More Information:

Eileen Ansel Conery

Eileenac@comcast.net

713-856-8780/832-816-8780

Houston Repertoire Ballet Presents the ClassicCinderella

Reserve Your Date to the Ball Now on April 28 &29

   WHO:​Houston Repertoire Ballet (HRB), featuring guestartist David Armendariz as the prince, while Claire White and Amaris Sharratt will alternate the role of Cinderella.

 WHAT:​The pre-professional ballet company in Northwest Houston proudly presents the Tomball premiere of its new full-length production of Cinderella in three acts.Award-winning choreographer Victoria Vittum brings the classic fairy tale to life with her interpretation of this “happily ever after” ballet set to the timeless score of Sergei Prokofiev.

WHEN/WHERE:​Saturday, April 28 at 4 pm

Sunday, April 29 at 2 pm

Tomball High School Auditorium

30330 Quinn Road

Tomball, Texas 77375

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   TICKETS:​For ticket information, call 281-940-HRB1 (4721) orvisit www.hrbdance.org.

OUTREACH:​The dancers of HRB perform excerpts from each production and make costumed appearances at various nursing homes, group events and at Arts & Education performances. Also, HRB will perform for the TomballISD fourth grade students, fulfilling the arts component of their curriculum. To schedule an outreach event for your organization, call 281-940-HRB1 (4721).

WHAT ELSE: ​The Cinderella sets were designed by Kathy and Frank Newsom, board members and volunteers, and were completely constructed by HRB volunteers. While Victoria Vittum choreographed the production, Barbara Le Gault will be doing much of the coaching and rehearsing. Cinderella costumes were designed and built by volunteers with just a few borrowed from Twin City Ballet in Monroe, LA. 

ABOUT HRB: ​The Houston Repertoire Ballet (HRB) is a non-profit 501(c)(3), founded by Victoria Vittum and Gilbert Rome, both nationally acclaimed teachers and choreographers who served as its co-artistic directors.Today, Ms. Vittum oversees training and programming with an equal eye to serving the needs of the community. Although Mr. Rome is now retired, he maintains his interest and affiliation with HRB, performing as Drosselmeyer in The Nutcracker and as a guest teacher.

Since 1994, HRB has contributed to the cultural fabric of Harris and Montgomery Counties by providing excellent dance training to the area’s young ballet stars and dance educators of tomorrow, while also presenting two high-quality productions annually at affordable prices. The Nutcracker and its Spring Program, this year Cinderella,introduce area children and their families to the world of classical and contemporary ballet. Today, HRB is considered to be the premiere pre-professional ballet company in the Houston region, and is recognized for sharing its gifts with the community and beyond.  

The program attracts and develops some of the finest young dancers in the greater Houston area, with many of the dancers advancing to professional ballet companies throughout the country. HRB graduates can be seen with New York City Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Miami City Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Atlanta Ballet,Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre and other prestigious companies.HRB has three graduating seniors this year and each will continue with dance at the university level. For more information, please visit: www.hrbdance.org.

MISSION:​HRB’s mission is dedicated to providing the finest classical ballet instruction, education and performance experience to local gifted students, and to preparing them for a professional career in the world of dance. HRB also is committed to serving the suburban Houston region with high-quality theatre productions that educate, engage and entertain residents of all ages and perpetuate their appreciation of dance as an art form.  

Major funding for Houston Repertoire Ballet provided by Houston Endowment, Inc and ConocoPhillips. Cinderella is funded in part by a grant from the Texas Commission on the Arts through the Houston Arts Alliance.

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2011 was a very good year at the Ballet Center of Houston.  January and February brought many of our students to the audition circuit vying for spots in summer programs throughout the country. Our students were accepted to such prestigious schools as:  American Ballet Theatre, Houston Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Washington Ballet, Ballet Austin, Burklyn Ballet Theatre, Ballet West and Miami City Ballet to name a few.

February through March saw our students very busy with rehearsals for Houston Repertoire Ballet’s Spring Concert.  This year we presented “La Bayadere”, Kingdom of the Shades (staged by Barbara Le Gault), a new choreography by Kristy Nilsson to Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue as well as Artistic Director, Victoria Vittum’s “Bolero”.  Our junoir company presented “Il Duomo” also choreographed by Ms. Vittum.  Guest Artist were Jared Matthews and Yuriko Kajiya, both soloist with American Ballet Theatre in New York.  They performed “La Bayadere” with us as well as “Romeo and Juliet” pas de deux.  Mr. Matthews began his training with Ballet Center of Houston and was a member of Houston Repertoire Ballet until he joined ABT Studio Company at the age of 17.  It was very exciting for our dancers to work with such inspiring artists.  They presented a very beautiful concert.

In May BCH presented it’s annual recital at the Berry Center.  We were very proud of all our students.

June brought the graduation of 4 of our senior students.  Leah Slavens has gone on to Pacific Northwest Ballet in Seattle, WA, Meredith Neel is at Houston Ballet, Kristen Newsom is majoring in dance at Sam Houston State University and Julia Simpson is at The Ohio State University. We are so proud of their accomplishments.

In June we also had a summer intensive workshop for our more advanced students.  Our Guest Faculty included:  Sabrina Lenzi (ballet mistress of Houston Ballet II), Andrew Murphy (faculty of Houston Ballet), Isaac Sharratt (Milwaukee Ballet), Elizabeth Keller (Miami City Ballet and former BCH/HRB alumni), Jane Weiner (Hope Stone), Keith Cross (Jazz), Barbara Le Gault and Genie Lanfear (both BCH faculty).  Dancers attended classes from 9:00AM to 4:00PM daily for two weeks.  They gaind so much strength and knowledge.

We also had a “Swan Lake” Dance/Arts Camp for younger students.  The students (age 6-10) spent the day having ballet technique classes, learning about the ballet “Swan Lake”, art classes where they made art projects related to the ballet as well as working on a presentation for the final day.

In July we had summer classes.  Many of our older students were away at summer intensive programs throughout the country.

In mid August fall classes began and September brought auditions and rehearsals for “The Nutcracker”  This year we had so many dads volunteer as party parents that we almost had two complete casts.  They were amazing and so much fun to work with.  It was truly a party to be remembered.  We also had many parents volunteer to help with costumes, production and transportation.  They are all so greatly appreciated.  We were very fortunate to have Jared Matthews back with us but this time partnering Karina Gonzalez form the Houston Ballet.  They were very exciting for us to work with.

Ballet Center of Houston wishes you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Many of Ballet Center of Houston’s students are away at summer intensives around the country.  We had one student attend Houston Ballet’s summer program (she loved the program, teachers and of course the lovely new facility) and one student offered a partial scholarship for the professional division in the fall.   Two of our students are in Seattle, Washington attending Pacific Northwest Ballet’s summer program (one is on full scholarship). Two more of our dancers are in Salt Lake City attending Ballet West’s summer program, three in Vermont at Burklyn Ballet Theatre where one is a junior councilor.  Other students are away at Ballet Austin, Joffrey Ballet……to name just a few.  We know our students are having a wonderful time and learning a lot and will return to us full of enthusiasm and ready to start a new season of great dance.

Summer at the Ballet Center of Houston has been off to a great start.  June 6-17 we hosted a summer intensive for students from our Levels 4-7 as well as a few guest students and many returning alumni.  This summer we had the great pleasure of having Andrew Murphy and Sabrina Lenzi of the Houston Ballet conduct master classes, Keith Cross taught Jazz, Jane Weiner gave us great modern classes and our own Genie Lanfear and Barbara Le Gault also taught classes.  Lizzie Keller, who was a former student of BCH, returned once again from Miami City Ballet to teach pointe classes.  Isaac Sharrat came to us from Milwaukee Ballet to teach our boys as well as teach partnering classes to our advanced group.  It was a wonderful two week intensive and the students learned and progressed so much.

BCH also offer a “Swan Lake” Camp for children 6-11 years old the following week.  This was a ballet and arts workshop.  The children had a wonder time with ballet teachers, Katie Koy and Lacey Flowers. Barbara Koy taught the art classes.  Dancers made many art projects and even decorated pointe shoes.

Currently we are offering summer classes for students of all ages as well as adults.  Our summer classes fur thru the end of July.  Fall classes will begin on August 15, 2011.  All interested students are welcome to register now before we fill up.

Happy Dancing!

Here is a sample of a barre from Level 5 pointe class.