Hooray! Nutcracker Auditions with a new company!

For many years we have had Alberta Ballet visit Spokane to present the Nutcracker Ballet. However, this year, we have a new company, Memphis Ballet, bringing us this holiday classic, and we are thrilled! Memphis Ballet is a nationally aclaimed company known for their kindness and professionalism in working with the local instructors and dancers, and for their unique choreography.

Cut and paste this link for a video of the company dancing...http://www.balletmemphis.org/box_office/box_office_detail.php?content=Video&navone=Video

Memphis Ballet will be holding Nutcracker Auditions on Friday, September 25th this year. Memphis Ballet has different requirements than the Alberta Ballet, and will be offering roles to slightly younger and smaller children this year, as well as pointe roles for upper level students in Spokane.

We are excited about this opportunity for our Inland Northwest Ballet students to work with a new company, and see what they have to offer! For more info on the auditions, either speak with School Director Janine Fraser, or e-mail her at inlandnwballet@aol.com. She will be happy to give you details on audition times, as well as height and age requirements. Happy Dancing!

Spokane performance season 2009!

Above: Miss Janine with Beck and Allisen ...


Above: Make-up artist May Hafkamp applying make-up base, a wonderful swiss skin care product supplied by Gerda Spillmann...http://gerdaspillmann.stores.yahoo.net

Above: Emily preparing applying the finishing touch...

Above: Emily and Nora backstage..


Above: Ballet I onstage and ready to perform...



Above: Creative Dance smiles!


Above: Ballet I dancers relax and color pretty pictures while they wait to be taken onstage..


Above: Leaving the Black Box Theatre, to the "real backstage"...

Above: Smiles from the Hip Hop dancers...:)

More photos to come soon!

Above: Miss Kaiti's girls smiling for the camera, everyone is excited to finally perform for an audience...

Performance season is upon us! We had our first two Inland Northwest Ballet Performances last weekend, with our Spokane students dancing to very full audiences in both the matinee and the evening shows. What wonderful support we enjoyed! We presented "A Celebration of Mozart", and other dances, and were fortunate to have make up artist May Hafkamp and her assistant Randi Hafkamp on hand to do make up for all our upper level girls. More photos and info on our make up session after next weekend!


Above: Miss Janine's little ones sit and color while they wait to be taken backstage...

Above: Abby helps keep the tiny dancers occupied while they wait...

Above: Sweet smiles from excited dancers!

We have another full weekend ahead of us, and we promise photos of the upper level girls!

New classes for little ones!

So many of you have asked, so we are offering two classes beginning in March of 2009, assuming we have a sufficient number of students for each class.

The first one is our Tues. 11:00 a.m. class. This class is a Creative Dance tap and ballet class for beginning 3-5 year olds. This class will be taught by Miss Kaiti Bri.

The second is our Friday 3:00 class. This class is also a Creative Dance tap and ballet class for beginning 3-5 year olds. This class will most likely be taught by Miss Janine.

Because our last two Friday 3:00 sessions have filled with students on the waiting list, there is also a possibility of a Friday 2:15 class, most likely with the same structure and age group.


The Tues. class would begin on March 2nd, the Friday session would begin on March 13th. We have not yet determined whether they would be 6 week sessions, or 8 week sessions. The tuition for a six week session would be $60, and the cost for an eight week session would be $80. All tuition must be paid at the time of registration, and please note that short session tuition is non-refundable, since we are holding your place in class.

If you are interested in either of these sessions, please let us know by Feb. 15th. We can hold your place in class for two days by phone or e-mail, before paperwork and tuition must be paid.

You may e-mail Studio Director Janine Fraser at inlandnwballet@aol.com, or call the studio at 467-0765...thank you!