The Autumn Term starts week commencing Monday 8th September. The school will be closed for holidays until 1st September but uniform orders can be sent via email or posted to the usual address during the holiday.

Newsletter 47 – September 2008

Term Dates Welcome back.  I hope you had a nice break and found a bit of sun this summer! Term dates are Monday 8^th September to Friday 12^th December inclusive, with half term w/c 27^th October.  All branches will have a 13 week term except Littleport which will have 12 weeks.  Please make a note of the following dates when lessons will not be held:

Monday 1^st December    - No lessons due to RAD exam

There will also be one further lesson cancelled for IDTA exams but the date isn't known at the present time.

Fees/uniform prices There are no increases in fees this term but there may be some slight price rises for uniform items once my supplier has notified me of his prices.  Also, if anyone needs skaters dresses, shoe covers etc, I am now able to supply them for you. Similarly, I have a catalogue with many fancy dress costumes, hats/props, dance leisure wear, jazz sneakers etc. Please just ask if you would like to browse it.

Achievement Awards   Winner for the term just ended was Charlotte McKee from Downham, well done!

Exams The next RAD exams will be on Monday 1^st December in Littleport.   Sunday rehearsals will be held on 23^rd and 30^th November for exam candidates, further details will follow in a few weeks.  IDTA exams will be held in November but a date has yet to be arranged.

Congratulations to all the exam candidates from the summer session.  We had fantastic results, the best ever received, with over half the candidates passing with honours!  The examiner was very complimentary about the standard of work and the enthusiasm of the candidates so well done to all those who took part.

Auditions I have been sent details of auditions for a production at Theatre Royal, Bury St Edmunds. If you are aged 14 to 18 and would like further details, please contact me by return as the closing date is soon.

Emails   As I mentioned in my previous newsletter, my email is not always reliable!  Just a reminder to please use info@samaraballet.co.uk for all email. Also, I will ALWAYS reply to an email, even if it's a one word reply, within 24 hours.  If you haven't had a reply from me after this time please resend or contact me by telephone.

Website The community page on the website is up and running so if you would like to promote your work etc to the parents of the school just email me the text.

Charlotte Walker   Over the summer I have met with Lynn Walker, Charlotte's mum, and we have worked out how we would like the school to remember Charlotte. The existing school bursary fund ceased in July after 7 years and this September 'Charlotte's Fund' will be launched to replace it. The fund will be managed jointly by Lynn and myself and will provide financial help for those who need it during their time at the school. Parents may apply for regular help with ballet fees or for one-off help towards the purchase of uniform or exam fees.  Senior pupils may also apply for help with audition fees or travel when progressing to full time dance education.  All applications to the fund will be totally confidential and an application form will be available to download off the website in the coming weeks. Charlotte's Fund will have its own page on the website where information about any future fund raising can be found together with links to a memorial site for Charlotte, maintained by her parents Lynn and Andrew. The fund is being set up as a registered charity and will evolve over time according to need.  We hope this is a positive way to remember Charlotte's love of dance and to celebrate her 7 years of dancing with us. Please feel free to get involved in our future fundraising and Lynn would also very much like to keep involved with the school once she feels able to.

In addition to the financial help offered by the fund, there will be a new series of Achievement Awards.  Each of the 4 branches of the school will have a new trophy, to be awarded at the end of each term, and kept by the winner for the duration of the following term.  These will be awarded along the same lines at the previous award i.e. for exceptional progress that term, for showing improvement in confidence or for many other reasons – not for the best dancer! The first trophies will be awarded at the end of this term.

Finally … to the many new faces joining the ballet school this term, we hope you'll enjoy your time with us.

Newsletter 46 – April 2008

Term Dates Welcome back after Easter. This is going to be a longer term due to the early Easter break but there are a few lessons I can't teach, as listed below.  The Thursday lesson on 10^th April is in lieu of the cancelled one last term so is not included on the new invoice.  Term dates are Thursday 10^th April to Wednesday 9^th July inclusive, with half term w/c 26^th May. Littleport will therefore have 10 lessons while all other branches will have 11 (plus one free for Thursdays).  Please make a note of the following dates when lessons will not be held:

Mon 5^th May   -  No lessons due to May Bank Holiday

Mon 19^th, Tues 20^th, Wed 21^st May No lessons due to IDTA Exams

Fri 6^th June    - No lessons as attending meeting at Royal Ballet School

Please also be aware that there may be other cancellations later in the term as my son graduates from The Royal Ballet School this summer and as yet we have not been given his final performance dates apart from 10^th/12^th July. There will also be a date for exams to fit in somewhere, probably late June/July!

Achievement Awards   Winners for the term just ended are Emma Appleby and Lucy Kenna both from Downham, well done to you both!

Melody Bear Classes A new class for 2 year olds has started in Littleport 2.15 to 2.45 pm on Mondays. The classes are £3, paid as and when you attend so if anyone else is interested please let me know.

Exams The next IDTA exams will be on 19^th and 20^th May with any 'overspill' on the 21^st May if required.  There will be a further exam session in late June/July for those not quite ready for May and details of this will be available next month.  I don't have any RAD exam dates at the present time.

Congratulations to Marie Sheehy from Stretham and Teyleah May from Downham who have been awarded scholarships for the coming year.  Congratulations also to Jacob Leeke from Littleport (scholarship winner from 2007)   who auditioned and was offered a place in the English Youth Ballet's production of Coppelia in Norwich in July.  I have also heard that ex pupil Christian Hutter has just started in the musical We Will Rock You in Germany following on from 12 months dancing on a cruise ship.

Help Required!   I need to find a mum/auntie/older sister/senior pupil who can help out with the exams in May as my usual helper is unable to be there on this occasion.  If you would like to sit in the exam hall and work the music for blocks of time, please can you let me know. No musical experience necessary (all music is on either CD or iPod) just a calm head and a good level of concentration able to act on the examiners instructions. Full training will be given and £8 per hour paid. 

Charlotte Walker   Thank you to all those who contributed to flowers for Charlotte's funeral.  After paying for the flowers there was still over £250 left over which will be used to start either a scholarship or bursary fund, in the coming months, once final details have been agreed with Charlotte's parents. I know Lynn and Andrew were overwhelmed by the sheer number of cards, letters and flowers that you kindly sent to them.

Emails   I am having trouble with loads of spam email and some of your emails are not getting through to me. Can you please send all emails to the following address info@samaraballet.co.uk  and hopefully I can try to filter the posts. Also, I will ALWAYS reply to an email, even if it's a one word reply, within 24 hours.  If you haven't had a reply from me after this time please resend or contact me by telephone.

Website I am going to have a new page on the school website for 'community links' and would like to offer any parents of pupils at the school the chance to advertise. This is completely free and is merely a 'sharing' page of links.  So, if you run your own business e.g. mobile hairdresser, gardener, dog walker, childminder or run book parties or Tupperware parties or make-up demonstrations etc and would like to have a link on my 'community page' please send me an email to info@samaraballet.co.uk containing the link you would like to include and a short paragraph of information about you or your business. Just thought it may help those of us trying to run our own businesses to help each other!

Extra Lesson at Littleport for Monday Pupils on March 17th.  This is to replace the lesson that was cancelled on 3rd March.  All times as normal.

Charlotte Walker

It is with great sadness that I learnt of the tragic death of Charlotte Walker in a car accident.  Charlotte was a pupil of our ballet school for the past 6 years and was a hugely talented child as anyone who came to our recent shows will know.  Charlotte played the part of Gretel in the Hansel and Gretel ballet both at the Downham and Witchford shows as well as dancing with her usual flair in the Chocolate Tap, Grease Tap and the Winter Wonderland.  She was awarded the Samara Scholarship in 2007 in recognition of her potential talent and only recently her mum and I discussed Charlotte's forthcoming application to the Royal Ballet School. 

In the weeks to come we will think of a suitable way to remember Charlotte's love of dance, her talent and her contribution to our school. If anyone would like to suggest a fitting tribute, please do feel free to contact me with suggestions. For now, we just send Charlotte's parents our love and prayers at this very sad and difficult time.

Flowers, Donations etc

Lynn Walker, has requested that any cards or notes should be passed on to myself and I will then co-ordinate getting them to Lynn and Andrew rather than give out their address. If you would like to make a donation then please do so and I will arrange flowers on behalf of the ballet school. Any money left over from the flowers donation will either be given to a charity of Lynn and Andrew's choice or held over to start a possible bursary or scholarship fund in Charlotte's memory.  This will be decided by Lynn and myself at a more suitable time in the near future.

Newsletter 45 – January 2008

Term Dates This term will be a bit strange due to the shows in January and February so the dates vary from branch to branch.  Littleport, Tuesday Downham and Cambridge will all have 9 weeks, Stretham will have 8 weeks and Thursday Downham and Ely Melody will have 7 weeks. Term dates are 7^th January to 14^th March with half term w/c 11^th February. Please make a note of the following dates when lessons will not be held:

Thurs 24^th Jan   -  No lessons due to family commitments

Thurs 7^th Feb   - No lessons due to Witchford show preparation

Fri 8^th Feb   - No formal lessons BUT FULL SHOW REHEARSAL AT WITCHFORD

Uniform   New supplies of T-shirts are now in stock for anyone who has been waiting – sorry for the delay! I also have a new drawstring dance bag on sale which is maroon with the school logo in white and is a good quality make, suitable for all ages. I initially have 25 in stock and will order more if they prove popular. They cost £6.50 and I will have some with me in the lessons if you wish to look at them.

Achievement Awards   Winners for the term just ended are Alison Cromarty and Rosie Holden both from Downham, well done to you both!

Tap at Class I have several names interested in tap at Stretham but not enough to start up a new class as yet.  If anyone else is interested please can you let me know.  I have also had a few esquires for beginners tap at Downham and Littleport but again, not enough to start a new class as yet so please let me have any names of children that may be interested.

Melody Bear Classes Three Melody Bear classes are now up and running for the 2 to 4 year olds and I am getting enquiries for a fourth class to start at Littleport. If you know of anyone in the Littleport area that may be interested in a new class for this age group, can you please pass on my details as I am happy to start a new class when I have 5 or 6 interested.

Exams I know its strange thinking about exams so soon after the shows but some children have returned to working on syllabus now their show work is complete and will be ready for exams in the early part of the summer term.  Also, I often incorporate steps for the next exam grade into the show choreography so children find it much easier when they return to exam work and realise they have actually progressed while working on show routines. Dates will be sent out to those that it concerns in the near future. Some classes will also be invited to use their show dances for a Team Award which is an exam that is marked as a team, not individually, but each dancer is still awarded a certificate and medal.

Show The show is 'roughly' finished but now needs a few weeks of work on the technique to make the dances look a bit smarter!  The children have all worked very hard to learn their routines and the first attempts at joining the dances together went well.  Separate letters are attached for those involved in the Downham show and the Witchford update will follow in a few weeks. Please try not to miss any lessons over the next few weeks and I know the changes in time for group rehearsals may not suit everyone but I am trying to make the times earlier rather than later for the younger children.

The helpers rota is still woefully empty of names and unless all the highlighted spaces are filled I won't be able to run some performances.  I have a duty to ensure that your children are looked after back stage and it appears that the same few parents offer to help 3 or 4 times while many do not even put their name down once!  I don't know what else I can do to 'beg' help but on one particular show there isn't a single name down to supervise the whole of the Cambridge branch of the school!!! My only other option is to 'buy in' help but then you will have total strangers looking after your children and the cost will have to be found from somewhere!!  Please, please try to help, or ask auntie or grannie or older sister to offer two hours of their time.  Thank you to the parents who have already signed up and also to those who have helped with props etc, your input has been great and saved me a lot of work!

Any unwanted Christmas gifts would make great prizes for the show raffle so if you would like to donate them they will be put to good use.  The raffle proceeds go to charity and last time we made a substantial amount (over £400) so any suitable items will be gratefully received.

Tickets are going well and Downham shows are almost sold out.  If you still need tickets please let me know as soon as possible. All ticket orders have been processed so if you haven't yet received yours please contact me asap!

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