We love Mozart!

Many parents have been asking about the beautiful music we have been playing for our ballet classes lately, so we are giving you more details here on our Inland Northwest Ballet blog. We love Mozart, and we love the flute, so are offering info on where you can purchase this music online to play for your child at home. You may also print out this info and take it in to a Spokane book/music store, and they may have the cd available locally. Although you will find many cds with Mozart Concertos on them, the cover of the specific orchestration we are using is shown below to make your shopping easier...:)

The children have been loving Mozart's lively melodies, as have we! Also, to best instill musicality in a child is to play classical music in the home while a young is still young.

We are avid Mozart fans, and have selected his pieces from several flute concertos. "Concerto for flute and harp", along with "Flute Concerto #1 and #2", both full of very rich melodies, will be used in class and performance this year. You can search online for "Mozart" along with "Concerto for flute and harp" and if you would like our orchestration, add the name "Patrick Gallois" (the Director of the Swedish Chamber Orchestra, which

offers this wonderful orchestration). You may also use either of the links below...

http://www.keenzo.com/showproduct.asp?M=NAXOS-OF-AMERICA&ID=1722656&ref=GB

http://music.barnesandnoble.com/search/product.asp?r=1&ourl=Mozart%2DFlute%2DConcertos%2DNos%2D1%2D2%2DConcerto%2Dfor%2DFlute%2Dand%2DHarp%2FPatrick%2DGallois&EAN=747313105564

In January, Miss Janine will make the final musical selection for all ballet classes, and either Miss Janine or Miss Kaiti Bri can answer questions regarding who is dancing which piece of which concerto (each class will dance one part of a concerto, say just the "allegro aperto" from Flute Concerto #2, and another class will

dance just the "Rondo: Tempo di Menuetto" from Flute Concerto #1).

If you have furthur questions, please ask...Enjoy!

Who won the ballet slippers?

Below: Darling Zoey poses in her pretty performance costume!

Congratulations…
…to both Teyona H. and to Kayleigh B., who are both the winner of a new pair of ballet slippers! We had such a great response, that we decided to give away two pairs, one to a current dancer, and one to a future dancer that will have to “grow into her big girl shoes” … :)

Both of you may pick up your gift certificate for slippers, or the slippers themselves at our

Inland Northwest Ballet Spokane Studio!

First pair of pointe shoes!

First pointe shoes…

A dancer being fitted for her first pair of pointe shoes is a huge thrill…Yesterday we made a trip down to Empire Dance Shop (http://www.empiredanceshop.com/) in downtown Spokane..., THE place to be fitted in the northwest, to have some of our dancers fitted for their very first pair of pointe shoes. The girls looked beautiful on pointe, and can’t wait to actually dance on their toes! We celebrated afterwards by having lunch at the Olive Garden.. We know the girls were so excited they didn’t sleep much the night before the big day, but Miss Janine hopes they sleep before their first pointe class on Monday…

Malinda tests the fit of a pretty pair of Blochs...

Shannon's first response was "This feels amazing!"

Malinda getting support for her first releve, while Madi and Sarah watch...

Shannon rolls over nicely onto pointe, with help from an Empire Dance fantastic staff member!

For all the girls, it was fun to either relive the memories of being fitted for their first pointe shoes, or to have a taste of what is in store for them if they continue to work hard...:)

Web site changes and Nutcracker tickets!

Nutcracker tickets orders are being sent in tomorrow...so you only have one more day to get your order in. If you wish to sit with our group to watch our students dance, as well as get discounted ticket prices, please turn in your order by Friday, Nov. 21st. After Fri., you can order your own ticket at the regular ticket rate through the Spokane Symphony ticket office. Moving. on...

Have you checked out our web site lately? We have added new pages, with more photos, links to some terrific ballet companies, dancers, and informative web sites, a fun ballet quiz for students, and much more! We also added a "Latest News" page, to let you know what is going on in the studio right now...Check us out at... http://www.inlandnwballet.com/

Performance Packets being sent home the week of November 17th...

This week, every student will be given a folder with all the information you need to prepare for our spring performance in Spokane. Yes, it seems early, but we want you to have plenty of time to make arrangements for vacations and other events that you wish to attend in June. This packet is a place for you to store all future communications regarding performance, so it is organized and all in one place! Make certain YOU KEEP THIS FOLDER UNTIL PERFORMANCE IS OVER. This will save you undue stress, because you will know when to be where, and in what attire to have your child dressed in! More organization = more fun!

To our Spokane veterans…

Happy

Veteran's

Day!

To Greg, and to all of our other Inland Northwest Ballet

dance parents and grandparents who have

served our country…

Thank you, we appreciate your sacrifice!

Inspiring thoughts…

Don't ask what the world needs. Ask what

makes you come alive and then go do it. What the world needs is

people who have come alive!

Howard Thurman

Note from Miss Janine...I love this quote, because it sums up why we set the goals that we do, and why we work so hard to achieve them...

Beyond the Barre...

Our series of “Beyond the Barre” sessions, led by Studio Director Janine Fraser will begin on Saturday, Nov. 8th at 9 am sharp.

The purpose of these sessions is to give our Spokane dancers a ballet education beyond what they receive in class, since class time is so limited. Our first session will include some short study and quiz time on world reknown choreographers, dancers, and composers, as well as a few minutes of flash cards for our French terms, and a little study on different methods of ballet training. Upper levels please review what we have learned in the past, and we will pair you with a younger student to help them learn what we have already studied. This is a very casual stretch time, no dancing, so dress warm and dress comfortably. If you are enrolled in our 9:30 am class, be dressed and ready to go directly from our session right to the barre.

This session is open free of charge to all dancers who are enrolled in two or more classes a week.

To reward those of you who keep up with our blog...Here is a sneak peek at some of the material we will study...You may wish to get a head start by reviewing or researching some of these questions, making you a whiz come Saturday morning!

Who is famous for dancing the role of the Firebird?

Who is the lead male character in “Coppelia”?

Name two well known modern dance choreographers. (hint: one wild haired dancer is from Seattle, one created a musical around Billy Joel music, one had very elaborately braided hair during performances)

Who wrote the Nutcracker story?

What are the name(s) of the prince in Sleeping Beauty?

What are the names of the ghosts in Giselle?

Who is their Queen?

Who was the composer of “Swan Lake”?

What are the traveling turns called when a man & woman dance a “pas de duex”?

What large instrument plays the music for the Dying Swan?

Name a ballet that has three dolls as the main characters. (hint: two are male dolls)

What was Pavlova’s first name? What did she do that few people have done?

Who was the original choreographer of “Les Sylphides”?

When someone is said to have “plastique”, what does this mean? Who uses this term?

What world renowned dancer was rejected by Balanchine, and what did Balanchine say to this dancer?

The Sadler Wells company is now called what?

Whose real name is Roberta Sue Ficker?

What dancer caught fire on the stage lights (gas lights) and died (eight months later?)

The first tutu was made for what ballet?

Have fun researching this information...We'll see you bright and early on Saturday!