Virtual S ummer Intensive 2020 Information Packet
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Welcome Letter (pg. 2) 2. Contact Information (pg. 3) 3. Kansas City Ballet (pg. 4) a. History 4. Preparing for Summer Intensive (pg. 4) a. Items to Bring b. Dress Code c. Dancing at Home 5. Health and Wellness (pg. 7) a. Before Arrival b. Injury/Illness 6. Dancing Online with KCB (pg. 8) a. Attendance b. Curriculum c. Faculty d. First Day of Classes – Monday, June 8 e. Final Observation Days – Wednesday-Friday June 24-26
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1. WELCOME LETTER
Dear 2020 Summer Intensive Families,
th Welcome to the 39 year of the Kansas City Ballet School’s Summer Intensive and our very first virtual SI! Our program is dedicated to providing excellent training in ballet and various dance disciplines. Our curriculum will primarily focus on strengthening technique and refining artistry through the emphasis of placement, stamina, vocabulary, and performance quality. Please read through this packet in its entirety – there are important details that will be helpful in preparing for a summer dancing virtually with KCBS. As a reminder, all payments are due in full by June 5th. If there is anything we can do to assist you in the weeks leading up to the intensive, please let us know. We look forward to seeing you virtually on June 8!
Sincerely,
Grace M Holmes, School Director
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2. CONTACT INFORMATION
Kansas City Ballet School
KCBS Mailing Address Kansas City Ballet School 500 W Pershing Rd Kansas City, MO 64108
KCBS Office Number 816-931-2299 x2
*If a staff member is not available to take your call, please leave a message and it will be returned as soon as possible.
KCBS Office Email
Summer Intensive Student Webpage https://kcballet.org/kansas-city-ballet-summer-intensive-program/summer-intensive-stud ent-page/
KANSAS CITY BALLET SCHOOL STAFF Devon Carney, Artistic Director Grace M Holmes, School Director Kimberly Cowen, Principal, KCYB Director Dmitry Trubchanov, Men’s Program Coordinator, KCYB Associate Director Irina Brouhard, Music Coordinator Lynley Von Engeln, Children’s Program and School Coordinator Edina von Hofman, School Administrative Manager Jessica Bacus, Bolender Center Administrator Erin Steeley, Johnson County Administrator
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3. KANSAS CITY BALLET 500 W Pershing Rd, Kansas City, MO 64108 a. HISTORY Founded in 1957, Kansas City Ballet is a 30-member professional ballet company under the direction of Artistic Director Devon Carney and Executive Director Jeffrey J. Bentley. Kansas City Ballet offers an eclectic repertory ranging from the traditional classics to exciting contemporary ballets. Through its professional company, its Second Company and its many community service programs, KCB seeks to nurture and develop its artists, audiences and students in the values inherent in the creativity, diversity and joy of dance. The company reaches over 20,000 Kansas City students and adults each year through its community education programs and provides dance training through the Kansas City Ballet School.
KCB’s home, the Todd Bolender Center for Dance & Creativity on the campus of Union Station, in conjunction with Resident Company status at the world-class Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, has truly positioned Kansas City as a Destination for Dance.
4. PREPARING FOR SUMMER INTENSIVE a. ITEMS TO HAVE AT HOME
● Dancewear – See Dress Code for more details. ● Water bottle ● Pilates/yoga mat* ● Thera-Band* (available for purchase at most online sports/fitness retailers) ● Yoga Ball* ● Mini Fusion Ball* (9cm) ● Sewing kit ● Hair items - hairbrush, bobby pins, hair ties, hair net, hair spray ● Foot care items – tape, Band-Aids, toe pads, blister pads, nail clippers
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ALL STUDENTS
● Students must be in dress code for every class ● No warm-ups are allowed for class ● Only small stud earrings are permitted – no other jewelry ● Hair must be neat and secured away from the face for all dance classes with the exception of conditioning classes
LADIES DRESS CODE All leotards must be simple and modest with no excessive cutouts or straps and no zippers. No patterns or multi-colored leotards are permitted.
● Ladies may wear any single colored leotard unless otherwise notified ● We will have at least one crazy leotard day during the intensive where patterned/multi-colored leotards will be allowed
Required
● single colored leotard (must meet leotard requirements above) ● ballet skirt ● pink or flesh toned convertible tights (must be worn under leotard) ● pink ballet shoes ● pink pointe shoes ● black or tan jazz shoes ● tennis shoes/sneakers for fitness classes
Optional
● black jazz tights, shorts and/or pants (if wearing shorts, tights must be worn underneath)
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MENS DRESS CODE
● Men may wear white shirts, with black or gray tights, and white or black shoes unless otherwise notified ● We will have at least one crazy uniform day during the intensive where patterned/multi-colored shirts or unitards will be allowed
Required
● white shirt (fitted t-shirt or compression shirt, no graphics or text) ● black or gray full-length tights ● dance belt ● white ballet shoes/white socks ● black ballet shoes ● black or tan jazz shoes ● tennis shoes/sneakers for fitness classes
Optional
● full-length tights in white or gray ● black jazz pants ● athletic pants for fitness classes
c. Dancing at Home
Proper attire
● Your dancer should put their hair up - no long ponytails or hair down ● Please wear a leotard and tights when taking virtual classes (See Dress Code for more details) ● Warmups are acceptable, but bulky clothing is not permitted as teachers can only correct your student if they can see them well ● Teachers may ask students to remove warmups if they cannot see properly for corrections
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Proper Etiquette
● It is easy to be relaxed at home but remember that we can see you! If you are not doing the combinations or if you are chatting with family, or playing with your pets, we can see you ● No gum, please ● Please be respectful to your fellow students, even virtually ● Do not use the chat button for social reasons during class
A good dance floor surface ● Carpet is ok if it is not too deep a pile ● Hardwood floors are good if they are not waxed ● A shower pan liner or linoleum make acceptable surfaces ● Ballet Marley is great if you have the funds and means to acquire one ● Do not jump on concrete
Ballet barres ● You can use a ballet barre (Instructions on how to make one will be provided on the SI Student webpage) ● If you do not have a ballet barre, you can use a chair, bannister, handrail or countertop ● Try to find something you can safely put your leg on for stretches
Space ● Make sure you have room to kick and stretch all around you without hitting furniture, siblings or walls
Logging on ● Please mute your microphone upon entering the class ● Click the three dots on your video to rename the display name and please input your name as: (First Last) ● Select teacher’s video to pin video or display on Speaker view ● Please use the chat box for questions for the teachers and not for personal conversations
Internet issues ● If you cannot hear the teacher check your microphone and speakers through the zoom app ● If your internet is glitchy or freezes often, you can log off and log on again ● Inform the teacher if you restart Zoom through chat - so they can let you in from the waiting room
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● If you have continued interruption of service, be patient and do your best ● Let the teacher know through chat that you are experiencing difficulties
5. HEALTH AND WELLNESS a. BEFORE BEGINNING Please make sure students are healthy and fully cleared by their physician to participate in the Intensive. The amount of physical activity is rigorous and we do not want any student to spend their summer injured. WARNING AND ASSUMPTION OF RISK Dancing and the exercises associated with it may place unusual stresses on the body and may increase the risk of injury. Please make sure you always dance in a safe place. By allowing myself (if no longer a minor) and/or my child to participate in Kansas City Ballet's virtual dance classes, I assume the risk of participation and agree that KCBS shall not be liable in any way for injuries or loss/damage of personal property sustained during participation in Kansas City Ballet's online dance classes or any of their related functions. This assumption of risk and release of claims is given on my own behalf if I am the participant and on behalf of my child and myself, if my child is the participant, and extends to executors, administrators, heirs and assigns. b. INJURY/ILLNESS Students should email our staff right away about any illness or injury that will impact their attendance in virtual classes. [email protected] If a student needs to miss class for any medical appointment, please try to schedule the appointment in a manner that allows the student to attend the most classes possible. Remember to notify us ahead of time for any absence. (see Dancing at KCB for details).
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6. DANCING VIRTUALLY WITH KCB a. ATTENDANCE Students are required to attend all scheduled classes for their assigned level. Regular attendance is essential for improving technique and building strength. Instructors take attendance daily and absences are reported to KCBS staff. In the event a student will miss any class, including a late arrival or early dismissal, the parent/guardian (or student, if 18+) must notify KCBS. Please contact us prior to the absence at [email protected] Tardiness is not permitted – students must be in class and ready to dance at the designated class time. Dancers logging in more than 10 minutes late may be asked to observe class. b. CURRICULUM Students attend class Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 9 AM to 4 PM and Tuesday and Thursday from 9 AM to 1 PM. Each day begins with a 1 hour 30 minute ballet technique class, typically followed by one hour of pointe or men’s conditioning. Once a week, each level will have small group instruction in order to benefit from individualized corrections. The schedule varies daily and may include any of the following classes:
● Ballet Technique ● Jazz ● Conditioning ● Men’s Class ● Modern ● Pilates ● Pointe ● Contemporary ● Yoga ● Character Barre ● Broadway Jazz ● Seminars
Sample M/W/F for Time Sample M/W/F for Gentlemen Ladies 9:00 – 10:30 Ballet Technique Men’s Technique 10:45 – 11:30 Pointe Circuit Training 12:00 – 1:00 Seminar or Small Group Seminar or Small Group 1:15 - 2:30 Modern Contemporary 2:45 - 3:45 Yoga PBT
KCB Staff will send the week’s schedule with appropriate zoom links and passwords each Monday at 8:30am.
9 c. FACULTY Instructors for the Summer Intensive include Kansas City Ballet Artistic Staff, Kansas City Ballet School Faculty, and Guest Teachers from around the country. All ballet classes are accompanied by Kansas City Ballet School pianists. Please visit our website to view faculty biographies.
Guests joining us for 2020 are: Lauren Anderson, Program Manager Education and Community Engagement with Houston Ballet, former Principal Dancer with Houston Ballet
Duncan Cooper, Master Dance Teacher and Choreographer, former Principal Dancer with San Francisco Ballet and Dance Theatre of Harlem Iliana Lopez, Artistic Director at Gulfshore Ballet, former soloist with Deutsche Opera Berlin and Deutsche Opera am Rhein, Duesseldorf, and former Principal Dancer with Miami City Ballet Shannon Lilly Parker, Former Principal Dancer with San Francisco Ballet, Northern Ballet Theatre, and Ballet Du Rhin Miyesha McGriff, Company Dancer with Collage Dance Collective, Former Dancer with Wylliams/Henry Contemporary Dance Company and Dallas Black Dance Theater II
Additional faculty include:
Devon Carney, Artistic Director Kristi Capps, Ballet Master Parrish Maynard, Ballet Master Christopher Ruud, Second Company Manager, Ballet Master Grace Holmes, School Director Kimberly Cowen, Principal & KCYB Director Dmitry Trubchanov, Men’s Program Coordinator & Associate KCYB Director Lynley Von Engeln, Children’s Program and School Coordinator
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d. FIRST DAY OF CLASSES – MONDAY, JUNE 8 On the first day, students will log in at 8:30am for a short orientation after which time, classes will begin. Students will be placed into their levels based on age and notes from the audition they attended if applicable. We will send you a link to your classes on Friday June 5th. During the first two days, we will pay close attention to ensure everyone is in the proper level and make adjustments if needed. Our faculty have the students’ best interests in mind and seek to determine the best place for them to learn and grow as dancers during their time here. e. FINAL OBSERVATION DAYS- WEDNESDAY-FRIDAY, JUNE 24-26 In lieu of a formal demonstration, parents are invited to observe all virtual classes Wednesday June 24-Friday June 26.
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