Fall classes are filling fast, so please call before mailing in your registration to see what classes still have openings. This will help us avoid any delays in returning your registration form to you. Thank you!
August means upper level ballet camp! For levels 3/4 and up, we have one week camp sessions, during which the students attend 3-5 hours per day, exploring learning a wide variety of dance techniques...call the studio at 467-0765 for more info!
Summer classes are in full swing...Because our first three weeks of Cinderella Dance Camp filled, we have opened a fourth camp on August 3, 4, and 5 for 3-5 year olds, call 467-0765 for more info!
Summer Office Hours...T, W. and Th from 10:00 am - 2:00 pm. We check e-mail most weekedays, so you may reach us even more quickly by e-mail...
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La Danse...the movie mentioned below, is playing the next three evenings at the
Magic Lantern Theatre in downtown Spokane, call the theatre for info!
LA DANSE Documentary master Frederick Wiseman’s 38th film in a career that has spanned more than that number of years, turns his attention to one of the world’s greatest ballet companies, the Paris Opera Ballet. John Davey’s camera roams the vast Palais Garnier, an opulent 19th century pile of a building: from its crystal chandelier-laden corridors to its labyrinthine underground chambers, from its light-filled rehearsal studios to its luxurious theater replete with 2,200 scarlet velvet seats and Marc Chagall ceiling. LA DANSE devotes most of its time to watching impossibly beautiful young men and women — among them Nicolas Le Riche, Marie-Agnès Gillot, and Agnès Letestu — rehearsing the choreography of Mats Ek, Wayne McGregor, Rudolf Nureyev and Pina Bausch. For balletomanes and the curious alike, LA DANSE serves up a scrumptious meal of delectable moments, one more glorious than the next, made even more precious by their ephemeral nature.
This film will play in downtown Spokane on Thurs. Feb. 4th, as part of the Spokane International Film Festival, at River Park Cinemas at 7 pm. See Studio Director Janine Fraser for more details...This is not to be missed for any ballet lover! :)
Please note:
Performance participation forms and theatre fees due by January 31st...:)
December Happenings...
Costume orders will be due before Dec. 15, and please remember that you must mail them in, DO NOT drop them off at the studio, if you do this we must mail it in for you, only delaying your order. Orders received from Dec. 16th forward will be a full 25.00 higher...Yikes! Don't let this happen to you...:(
The Nutcracker Ballet will be performed in Spokane on Dec. 18- 20, we hope you are able to attend...What a fun weekend seeing our Inland Northwest Ballet dancers on stage with Ballet Memphis.
We will be closed for Christmas vacation from Dec. 21st through Jan. 3rd. In the future, remember that this info, along with all vacation day info, is also located in your student packet sent home this fall (the packet you had to sign for).
Miss Janine, Miss Kaiti, Miss Karen, Miss Lynne, Susie, and Cheryl all wish you the happiest of holidays!
Thanskgiving Vacation...
Inland Northwest Ballet in Spokane will be closed Thurs. - Sunday of
Thanksgiving weekend (Nov. 26th - 28th) ...Enjoy this time with your families!
Nutcracker Tickets!
Dec. 1st is the last day to order Spokane Nutcracker Ballet tickets at our discounted rate, and to be seated with our group, so get your order in before Friday if you wish to join us!
Performance packets are out!
It's that time of year again! Performance packets have been sent home so that our dance families may begin to make preparations for our ballet, tap and jazz, performances held in Spokane. Costume order forms are enclosed, and are due before December 15th, or your costume fee will be a full 25.00 higher. Yikes! Don't let this happen...order on time...:)
Also, dates and times of your performance are enclosed as well. This way, no one should be wondering when and where to be come springtime! Save this packet until the end of June for a no stress performance season!
November events...
What's happening in November? Lots of fun! A first pointe shoe fitting for several of our hard working ballet students (at Spokane's own Empire Dance of course...THE place to go for pointe shoes and all things ballet!), our annual studio sleepover, classes with a guest instructor for our upper level girls, performance packets being sent home, as well as a chance to order tickets to watch our students perform in the Nutcracker Ballet with Ballet Memphis in December...:)
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 acclaimed 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
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. She will be happy to give you details on audition times, as well as height and age requirements. Happy Dancing!
Fall Orientation...
We are so excited to meet our new dancers, and are looking forward to New Student Orientation, scheduled for Thurs., September 3rd at 7:00 pm at our Spokane Studio. This is a great time for our younger (ages 11 and below) students to meet the instructors, become familiar with the studio, and learn how our dance year unfolds. We can't wait to see you! :)
Fall Registration Taking Place Now...
We are accepting registrations for the remaining openings for our Spokane ballet, tap, and jazz, classes. Please keep in mind that all classes for Ballet Levels 1 - 6 were full by early June. We are trying to find a time slot to add another class or two, so please e-mail or call if you are interested. We do have openings in our Creative Dance classes (see description below) for ages 3-6, as well as a few openings in tap or hip hop.
Creative Dance Fun!
Our typical Creative Dance ballet class is full of fun, and includes a 5 - 10 minute floor warm up, using the imagination to create interest..."Do we slouch like a grouch, or sit up tall like a princess?. The class moves on to simple age appropriate ballet exercises in the center, including port de bras, plies, tendues, releves, retires, piques, pas de bourree, and arabesque. Then we progress to traveling steps to develop motor skills and coordination, by performing marches, skips, chasses, sautes, bourrees, and both small and large jumps. Throughout the class, tutus are often worn, and props such as wands, wings, and crowns are utilized to add more fun for the little ones! Each class culminates with an "imagination dance", during which the little ones choose a pretty prop, and get to perform a dance of their own creation...by far their favorite part of class...:)
Summer Dance Camp for our upper level students (those who have completed one or more years of level 5, 6, or 7)
Summer is a great time to round out our ballet study, as we have a little more time for trying new, more complicated exercises, partnering, the study of ballet history, French terms, stretching games, and just plain fun!
July 7-9
1:30 – 3:30 for levels 5 – 7 - class, snack games, and projects
3:30 – 4:30 for levels 6 and 7 only – a more intense class/ballet study
Each day, we will have ballet barre and center class, work on a little partnering, enjoy a snack, watch a short dance video, study our ballet history and play our French terms and stretching games. In addition, we will do our own fun project, such as creatively painting pointe shoes or butterfly wings (you can paint your own pointe shoes and take them home, or paint an old pair of Miss Janine’s and hang them in the studio…plan must be drawn out ahead of time for this). For level 5, this will be a challenging class, which will help you prepare for the additional Sat. barre class that you may participate in next year. Expect fun and progress in your ballet study!
Levels 5-7 $45
Levels 6-7 $70
Price includes instruction, art supplies, fun prizes for games, and snacks.
Summer Dance…for ages 3-9!
The “big kids” get to go to camp…why can’t I?
Join us for "Swan Lake Dance camp...
This year, our summer camp will include craft activities, story time, watching a short video excerpt of the Swan Lake Ballet, juice and snacks!
SwanLake Day Camp
Session I - July 7-9
Session II - July 14-16
Session III - July 21 – 23 (best for returning students)
9:00 – 11:00 3-5 year olds, 55.00 for one session
11: 00 – 1:30 6-9 year olds, 65.00 for one session
(5 year olds completing Creative Dance II may attend the 11:00 -1:30 session)
Activities include welcome and story time, a short viewing of excerpts of the video of the Swan Lake Ballet, fairytale make-up (simply sparkles and blush), warm-up and basic ballet exercises, a Swan Lake themed craft project (create your own Odette crown, wand or princess bouquet!), more extensive dance with props or tutus, snack and juice, coloring time, and even more dance with the props we have made… Many fun activities packed into each day!
To reserve your place in camp, simply e-mail us for a registration form, or cut and paste the info below, and mail it to the studio at PO Box 28434, Spokane, WA 99228, along with your tuition payment. Tuition is non-refundable, as this payment reserves a spot in the class. Once each camps fills (they do fill quickly!), registration for each camp will close. We hope to see you this summer!
Name ______________________________ Birthdate/Age _______________________________
Parent name _____________________ Special medical condition/allergies________________
Address (if a new student) ______________________________________Phone # ____________
Session registering for (dates and time of day)_________________________________________
See below for classes for the older dancers...
Summerdance, ages 6 and up
July 14-16
<!--[if !supportLists]-->·2:00 – 3:00 Hip Hop / Jazz I – II (ages 6-10) <!--[endif]-->
Tuition is 40.00, non-refundable, and must be paid in advance to hold your spot
(tuition only 35.00 for 2nd child)
July 21-23
<!--[if !supportLists]-->·2:00 – 3:00 Hip Hop / Jazz II – III (ages 10 – 14)<!--[endif]-->
Tuition is 40.00, non-refundable, and must be paid in advance to hold your spot
(tuition only 35.00 for 2nd child)
<!--[if !supportLists]-->·3:00 – 4:00 Ballet II – III (ages 6 and up) <!--[endif]-->
Tuition is 40.00, non-refundable, and must be paid in advance to hold your spot
(tuition only 35.00 for 2nd child)
Ask about classes for levels V and above...
Costumes are beginning to arrive, and will be tried on and
sent home soon (to all those who balances are paid in full).
What a fun time of year!
Please note: If you did not order a costume, you may wish to find out what day your class will be trying on costumes, and possibly skip that day, so your child will not feel left out. You can arrange a make up class for the missed class if you wish…:)
Enjoy your spring break Spokane ballet dancers...May 31th - April 4th!
Costume transactions should be complete by this time...
Now that the deadline has passed for completing costume payment, Encore Costumes will be closed for the season. If you have completed your business with Encore, hooray for you and for your child! It will be a fun performance season!
If not, please read on...:(
If you failed to pay your costume balance, your costume is probably no longer available, as you missed the deadline of Feb. 15th...:( All of the notes you received warned you of this deadline, and of the impending forfeiture should you fail to make payment, so please understand that their is nothing we can do, paying the balance was the responsibility of each parent. You may wish to find out ahead of time what date we are passing out the costumes, so you can keep your child home, so they will not feel left out. You may also wish to drop classes before June, as that is when we have the photographer come in and take photos in costume, and we prepare for our performance. If you have any questions regarding the above, please speak directly with Janine, she will happy to clarify.
Celebrate Martin Luther King Day!
(note: As always on MLK day, we DO have class today at Inland Northwest Ballet)
We have posted MLK's infamous "I Have A Dream" speech on our blog. Rather than look at today as a day off for many people, it might be wise to take a moment to contemplate the meaning of MLK day, and what his "dream" is all about, and share that with our kids. To reda his speech, click the blog link on the left.
Regarding classes on Wed., Jan. 7th...
Our recurring theme? Due to the 7.5 inches of snow that has fallen in the past 24 hours, there will be no school again for Mead students tomorrow. However, we have decided that we will go ahead and open the studio tomorrow for classes (however, office hours are limited). We miss our dancers, and think they may need something fun to do to stave off that cabin fever!
If you feel you can transport your child to the studio with minimal risk, please come to class tomorrow. If not, please stay home where you are safe and warm! Make up classes are available, and those classes can be taken any time within the next month.
We will note the attendance level of classes tomorrow, and that will help us make our decisions for future school closure days.
If you are reading this, thank you for staying current and checking our web site and blog. If you speak with any fellow parents, please encourage them to do the same. It is the only way we can stay connected in crazy weather days such as this!
Once again, Mead School District has chosen to close on Tuesday. We will follow their lead and close as well, but are considering opening on Wed. regardless of whether Mead is open or closed. We would love to hear feedback from parents on this thought. We see no reason not to be open, except that parents who do not check the website/phone messages and assume their is not class, may be upset when they find out the following week that we did have class after all. I guess that is the reward to staying current by checking the web site, thought isn't it? Of course, those of you who stay updated by checking out the wes site are informed and know what's going on..and we love you for that! Please stay tuned for our decision on Wed. classes, and let us know what you think -
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From Mead School District's web site... "Snow Update - No School on Monday, January 5th's District5 The Spokane County Sheriff's Department has closed all Spokane County public schools for Monday, January 5th, due to expected hazardous road conditions.County crews will be out trying to remove snow from the winter storm expected tonight and Monday. The District will determine if school will resume on Tuesday based on an update from the Sheriff's department expected late Monday afternoon."
Wow, we can't believe that it has lasted this long, but once again both Mead and Spokane School Districts, (and just about everyone else around!) are closed tomorrow Monday, Jan. 5, due to weather conditions....When will this end? We are having our roof cleared of snow as we write, and we are ready to dance! However, if it is not safe for you to be out, it is best that you stay home where you are safe and warm! We hope you have had a restful and safe holiday so far...:)
5:30 class - May attend Tues., Wed., or Thurs. at 3:45
6:15 class - May attend on Thurs. at 4:30
7:15 class - May attend on Wed. at 8:15 (if not already enrolled in that class), though we will have several extra hours of Sat. class in the spring that will more than make up for any classes missed due to weather! Also, keep an eye out for news regarding our stage make-up class taught by May Hafkamp, which will also serve a partial make-up for horus missed!
If you have questions, just send us an e-mail, we will be checking in frequently!
You can now pay your tuition online...
You can now pay your Inland Northwest Ballet tuition online, either with Paypal or with a credit card. Go to our blog, scroll down the right side, and you will find two menus.
The upper menu is for simple tuition payments in pre-set amounts, for our most common tuition payments totals. Simply select one amount and complete your payment.
The lower menu is for non-standard amounts, for a family who may have one child taking three ballet classes, two pointe classes, and one jazz class, and another taking a tap class. You must combine dollar amounts for the total you wish to pay, add them to your cart and then check out.
A 2.00 fee is required for the Paypal charge (and 6.00 if the payment is over 200.00, usually only neccessary for accounts in arrears. However, if paying online allows you to get your payment in on time, saving you 5.00, or saves you a trip in to the studio to pay, it may well be worth the 2.00 fee.
Keep in mind for next year…Annual payments, made by August 15th of each dance year, may be made online, but only half a month is given free, due to the larger Paypal fee.
This feature will soon be available on our web site as well as our blog.
Note: You can use either a credit card or Paypal, but we recommend Paypal. You give only Paypal your credit card number, no vendors whom you make online payments to ever have access to these numbers, it’s a safer way to make payments online!
If you have any questions, please ask…We hope this convenience benefits you!
SNOW CRAZY!!!
Needless to say, we are closed Dec. 18, 19, and 20th since there the schools have closed...Stay home where you are safe and warm! The fudge party has also been canceled, and will most likely be rescheduled for a later date. Be safe Spokane! Ballet dancers...continue stretching at home...:)
Snow closures...Notice dated Dec. 17
Just a reminder, that if the Mead School District or Spokane School District #81 makes the decision to let school out early or to cancel school altogether, we DO NOT have class. For instance, today, Dec. 17th, we did have class because school was still is session. We will have classes tomorrow as long as Mead has school. However, if Mead or Spokane closes, we will not hold class.
We will post any closure on this blog and our web site both, so check back if in doubt! Note: We usually only post closures, so if not notice is posted, assume we do have class. However, we respect your decision if you choose to stay home where you are warm, safe, and dry!
Costumes for our Inland Northwest Ballet spring photos and performance...
Costume orders must be postmarked by Wed. Dec. 10th to be guaranteed for arrival in time for our spring photos and performance, and to get the early order discount...Make certain you get yours in if you want to perform, as any orders receiived on the 11th or later will not be guaranteed, and will cost you more...Don't let this happen! If you do not order a costume, we assume you have chosen not to perform, which is fine, your instructor will simply make choreography adjustments for each class in the springtime...:)
Inland Northwest Ballet dancers perform in Spokane Nutcracker...
Cogratulations to those who you who performed this weekend with Alberta Ballet in our Spokane Nutcracker...You made us so proud!
Nutcracker Tickets...
Make certain you have picked up your Spokane Nutcracker tickets this week...We will meet and take our group photo by the Christmas tree in the Spokane Opera House Foyer....We can't wait to see our dancers onstage! After the performance, they will be passing out candy canes in the lobby, be sure to stop and say hello!
Thanskgiving Vacation...
Inland Northwest Ballet in Spokane will be closed Thurs. - Sunday of
Thanksgiving weekend...Enjoy this time with your families!
Nutcracker Tickets!
November 21st in the last day to order Nutcracker tickets at our discounted rate, and to be seated with our group, so get your order in before Friday if you wish to join us!
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 spring performance. 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!
Beyond the Barre...
Our series of “Beyond the Barre” sessions, led by Studio Director Janine Fraser will begin this Saturday, Nov. 8th at 9:00 am...We can't wait!
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 ballet classes a week.
Upcoming sleepover...
Our annual dance sleepover is coming up for those in fifth grade or higher, or dancers in upper level classes that received a letter. Please see your newsletter for details...You must have signed up BEFORE the sleepover filled to attend. If you are not yet in the fifth grade, this is something you have to look forward to...Lots of fun!
