In This Issue Spring Showcase

IN THIS ISSUE Spring Showcase: Tickets / Students' Perspective 50th Anniversary: Your Aeroplan Miles / Notecards Staff Campaign | Associates Auditions | Doors Open | Golf Classic Student Council: Red Carpet Dance | Ballet Bites: Rebecca's Recipes

SPRING SHOWCASE 2009

TICKETS NOW ON SALE

Our renowned, annual performance tradition takes place this year from May 19-23. This is your chance to see students in the School's full-time Professional Ballet Program performing the much-beloved Swan Lake, along with the world premieres of new works by Canadian choreographers and NBS alumni, Sabrina Matthews and Matjash Mrozewski.

Photographer: Cylla von Tiedemann

Running for five nights at the Betty Oliphant Theatre, with Opening Night an invitation-only event, tickets are on-sale now and are available by calling 416-964-5148. For NBS parents, blocks of tickets are reserved to guarantee you'll see your child perform.

For more information, please visit our Spring Showcase webpage.

STUDENTS' PERSPECTIVE

This year, students in Spring Showcase have written about their experience learning the different choreographies. Read Natalie Ogonek's 30-Minute Beauty Makeover, Jackson Carroll's Sequentia, and Liana Macera's Swan Lake.

NBS' 50th ANNIVERSARY APPROACHES

SUPPORT NBS' 50th ANNIVERSARY WITH YOUR AEROPLAN MILES

With the kind support of Aeroplan, your generous transfer of Aeroplan Miles to NBS will support Assemblée Internationale 2009. Your Aeroplan Miles will help to bring approximately 120 ballet students and dance professionals from Canada and around the world to create and perform original choreography for delegates, the public, and participants – all for the benefit of our community.

For details on how to donate points or to learn more, please visit our Aeroplan webpage.

50th ANNIVERSARY NOTECARDS

September 2009 marks the beginning of NBS’ 50th Anniversary year. To help celebrate this milestone, we've designed a new series of notecards. Each card features NBS students in performance, and are sold both in packages of six and as singles. Available soon at The Shoe Room.

For further details about our 50th Anniversary events, please visit our 50th Anniversary webpage.

INTRODUCING NBS' STAFF CAMPAIGN

Our staff at Canada’s National Ballet School are extraordinarily proud of their workplace. The majority participate in our Staff Donor Campaign, now in its fifth month. The purpose of the Staff Campaign is to provide financial support to students and their families who find themselves in unexpected or emergency circumstances. The Staff Campaign also focuses on building a community of people who care. Learn more on our Staff Campaign webpage.

Left: Raymond Smith. Right: Marina Surgan. Photographer: Cylla von Tiedemann

To recognize our incredible staff and to highlight their dedication to their workplace, two staff donors will be profiled on a monthly basis. This month features Marina Surgan, Principal Pianist/Head of Musicians, and Raymond Smith, Ballet Master & Career Counsellor/Senior Student Advisor. Read about them on our Staff Donor Spotlight webpage. Back to Top

ASSOCIATES AUDITIONS CONTINUE

A part-time Dance Education and Training program, NBS' Associates Program allows boys and girls in the Greater Toronto Area, five to 17 years of age, to participate in after- school and weekend dance classes from mid-September to early June.

Photographer: Sian Richards

Students in the program will have an opportunity to perform in the Associates Program Closing Demonstration presented at the Betty Oliphant Theatre at Canada's National Ballet School, and to be considered for roles in The National Ballet of Canada's The Nutcracker and other productions.

Auditions this year take place on Sunday May 3 and registration is required. To sign up or for more information, please visit our Associates Auditions webpage.

DOORS OPEN

Doors Open Toronto returns for the weekend of May 23-24 and Canada’s National Ballet School is participating again! Join us on Saturday May 23 from 9.30am to 1pm and on Sunday May 24 from 10am to 1pm for a special tour of our award-winning facilities. For details, please visit our Events webpage.

2009 GOLF CLASSIC: SAVE THE DATE!

On Tuesday June 16, join Canada's National Ballet School for a day of golf, friendship and fundraising, taking place at the Glen Abbey Golf Club. The annual Golf Classic Fundraiser helps NBS secure a stronger position as a leader in education through the art of dance.

The day-long event kicks off with access to the practice range at 10:30. Registration and a barbeque lunch continue at 11, and the evening heats up at 6:30 with a gourmet dinner and live auction. This 18-hole event fills up fast so register soon! There are currently places available for both the Platinum and Corporate Teams.

For more information, please visit our new Golf Classic website, or contact Mina Cicconi at [email protected] or 416-964-3780 x2146.

STUDENT COUNCIL: "RED CARPET" DANCE

On Thursday April 2nd, the Student Council held their second dance of the year. With a "Red Carpet" theme, students dressed up as famous celebrities, movie characters, or paparazzi for the VIP event. Currie Hall was decorated with streamers, balloons, disco balls, and awesome posters and signs made by the students in Grade 6 and 7. Adding to the fun of the night, a real red carpet was placed so students could strut and strike a pose, while paparazzi flashed their cameras.

Making the night even better, a live DJ was present, as well as a special treat by three Grade 11 students who performed Beyoncé's "Single Ladies" dance. Pizza, drinks, and delicious homemade treats and goodies were also sold. Students were able to have fun and let loose as Term Two came to a close. Thank you to all who made the "Red Carpet" Dance possible and a really enjoyable time for everyone who attended!

BALLET BITES: REBECCA'S RECIPES

KINPARA FOR LATE SPRING May is that teaser season that gives us hope that summer is nearly here, yet often presents us with one last brief snowfall. We experience the same thing in the produce aisle at the grocery store. The summer harvest has yet to appear, but we find those first fresh, local signs that summer is indeed on its way. Radishes, fiddleheads, ramps, and burdock root are the first harvest of spring.

Burdock root contains compounds that enhance liver function. It is also a good source of inulin, which helps boost the populations of Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus, the helpful strains of gut bacteria. Burdock root is also loaded with calcium, iron, thiamine (a B vitamin), zinc, magnesium, manganese, potassium and selenium. These nutrients are just what your body needs to shed the effects of winter's cold stasis and make the springtime transition into summer’s fiery heat.

View full recipe...

From Rebecca Dietzel's cookbook in progress. Rebecca, NBS's nutritionist, is an anatomy and biochemistry specialist and the co-author of A Dancer's Guide to Healthy Eating, published by NBS and available through The Shoe Room.

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The future and sustainability of Canada’s National Ballet School is reliant on the generosity of our many dedicated supporters.

Although we receive funding from the federal, provincial, and municipal levels of government, the School is increasingly reliant on self-generated revenue to meet its operating needs. Donations from individuals, corporations and foundations account for a significant portion of the School’s revenue, and we are proud to have cultivated a diverse range of donors who share the School’s commitment to helping young people achieve their full creative potential.

Thank you!