Newsletter

Newsletter Autumn 2009

Welcome to all our new students and families and to all those returning after the summer break. We hope you are all excited at the prospect of a new term and are full of energy and enthusiasm. Our staff team are refreshed and energised

Show Roundup
Thank you so very, very much to everyone for making the show at the Octagon such a resounding success. We were delighted with the production; the choreography was stunning and all our students excelled themselves by performing exceptionally well. We were very proud and pleased with you all. What a privilege for us to teach such a talented bunch of youngsters! Well done to everyone. Thank you also to all who helped backstage, without you it would not have run so smoothly! You did a fantastic job.

We felt that the venue worked very well for us in spite of a few hiccups that can be expected when moving so many children into a new space. We particularly enjoyed the large changing area backstage, the large performance area front of house and the improved access to parking. We also very much appreciated the helpful and considerate attitude of the Octagon staff which really made a difference to the atmosphere. With this in mind we have already booked the venue for our next production so please make note of the dates:
26/6/11 Dress rehearsal
27-30/6/11 Performances
There will be 4 performances instead of 3, which should give everyone sufficient ticket allocation. Babies and Preps will dance on one night only and Pre-Primaries on two nights. Babies will dance on Monday 27th, Preps on Wednesday 29th and Pre-Primaries on Tuesday 28th and Thursday 30th June. This will greatly reduce the congestion backstage (thus ensuring greater safety levels and comfort), will ensure that our little ones don’t become overtired and will give them the opportunity to watch a performance and be truly inspired by the older students.

We would value any comments, both positive and negative about the forthcoming event in 2011, or or matters arising from the show in June, which might help us to keep on improving the overall performance experience for our students.


Boys Success
Congratulations to Adam Davies for winning a scholarship at the Yorkshire Assembly this summer which will contribute towards his next years’ fees. Also to Mathew Sheldon who has won the Carl Myers Boys Award at the Yorkshire Ballet Scholarship Centre for his hard work last year. The presentation is on Saturday with coverage from the press.

Exams
RAD exams are booked for Saturday 14th & 21st November but we may well need another day so will inform those concerned asap. IDTA exams will be held around Christmas time but we have no confirmed dates yet. Please note that children are selected for exams by the teaching staff according to their ‘readiness’ for the exam and it is not logistically possible for all children to take exams at the same time. Please refer to your Acceptance Policy terms if in doubt.

Northern Ballet Theatre
10 of our younger children have been invited by NBT to take part in A Christmas Carol Nov 10th to 14th and 6 of our younger boys are auditioning for the part of Tiny Tim. What a great opportunity for our students to experience professional theatre first hand!

Dance of Praise
Many children in Primary & Grade1 Modern Jazz and Grade 4 &5 Theare Craft are taking part in a dance of praise at All Saints Church, Ecclesall as part of the Harvest Festival Service on Sunday Oct 4th at 11.0am. Please come and support them.

All Saints are also holding an Arts week in November and BCDA has been asked to be part of it. We will be performing lots of routines from the show on Friday Nov 6th so please don't throw away or sell any of your costumes yet!!!! PROVISIONAL!! classes involved are be Nothing like a Dame, Sunday Clothes, Born to hand Jive, You can't stop the beat, Jesus take the wheel, Dixie Land, Simba, Let's face the Music, Run and Tell That...............these will be confirmed by class teachers in Oct. Tickets will be available to get a chance to see these fabulous routines again!

Lost property
Is once again overflowing, please locate the white lost property basket in the corridor outside the Main Hall if you have items missing. We do send unclaimed items to charity shops as we cannot cope with the excessive volume of lost items.

Congratulations
To Miss Catherine on her engagement and best wishes for Miss Fiona and James as they get married on Oct 24th.