CBA Spring Performance Information

Charlottesville Ballet Academy is gearing up for our second annual Spring Performance Seasons of Dance, featuring students from Charlottesville Ballet Academy and a guest performance by members of Charlottesville Ballet’s professional company.  Please see more information below.  Click here to purchase your tickets online!

Seasons of Dance
Saturday, June 1st, 2013 @ 3:30pm
The V. Earl Dickinson Building at PVCC

Around the World Program – Please Help Us Proof!

• Please click on the thumbnail image below for a proof of the CBA Program.  If you see any errors in your child’s name, please email Moira Price (info@charlottesvilleballet.org) with the page number and the corrected spelling/wording.

Co-Director Sara Jansen Clayborne’s Final Performance!

A Note from Co-Director Sara Jansen Clayborne:

Photo by Andrea Shirey Photography

Dear Friends, Patrons, and Community Members:

On April 20th, 2013 Charlottesville Ballet will present the Mainstage Two Performance: Tribute at Piedmont Virginia Community College to celebrate the professional company’s fifth performing season.  I want to let you all know that this will be my final performance as a professional dancer. 

I have thought long and hard about this decision and have realized that my role as both Director and Teacher have become my new passion.  I have been blessed to have a professional career for 12+ years and am excited to focus on the expansion of Charlottesville Ballet rather than expanding my career as a dancer and performer.  I will truly miss the stage (…and may return in a few fun character roles), but I am excited and determined to see Charlottesville Ballet grow to new heights!

I hope that you will join me on Saturday, April 20 in celebrating both the 5th Anniversary of Charlottesville Ballet and the culmination of my career as a dancer.

Please keep me in your thoughts and prayers as I embark on this new journey.  I look forward to this new chapter in my life and thank each of you for your continued support!

With Gratitude,

Sara Jansen Clayborne

Co-Director, Charlottesville Ballet
Director, Charlottesville Ballet Academy

Call for Community Performers | Keith Lee’s “Trilogy”

Calling All Dancers– Perform on Stage with Charlottesville Ballet’s Professional Company!

Charlottesville Ballet is offering community members a chance to participate in our upcoming Mainstage Two Performance: Tribute on April 20 at Piedmont Virginia Community College. The performance celebrates the company’s fifth season with an evening of works by Associate Director Keith Lee.

The grand finale for the April 20 performance is Keith Lee’s gospel-inspired work called Trilogy, which includes ballet, jazz, and modern dance movements. We are looking for community performers from all across Central Virginia to join the professional company on stage for the third and final section of Trilogy in an upbeat and energetic dance.

For more information about Community Collaboration in the Mainstage Two Performance, please contact Co-Director Emily Mott: emott@charlottesvilleballet.org or 434.973.2555.

CBA Closed Thursday 1/17/13

Charlottesville Ballet Academy will be closed today, Thursday 1/17, due the the risk of inclement weather.

Please stay tuned to our Facebook Page and call 434.985.3200 for inclement weather updates– stay safe and warm!

The Hard Hat Fundraising Gala is 10 Days Away!

Construction is coming along beautifully in Charlottesville Ballet’s new home at 1885 Seminole Trail!

Our Board of Directors, Dancers, and Staff have been excitedly preparing for the Hard Hat Fundraising Gala, which will be held in the new space on Saturday, January 26th at 6:00pm.  Special thanks to Lindsay Garrett Design & Photography for creating our beautiful posters and invitations for the event!

The Hard Hat Fundraising Gala will feature catering by The Little Red Hen and drinks by The Whiskey Jar.  Our silent auction features some of Charlottesville finest merchants including:  Angelo, Crutchfield, Penelope, Bristles, Bonefish Grill, Regal Cinemas, Andrea Shirey Photography, Virginia Wineworks, Artful Lodger, Curves, Hedge, Whole Foods Market, Jefferson Vineyards, and more.

Tickets to the event are $40 per person or $75 per couple with all proceeds benefiting Charlottesville Ballet.  Tickets can be purchased online at www.CharlottesvilleBallet.org or by calling the Box Office at 434.227.7592.

We’ve been updating our Facebook page with pictures and information about the progress of the construction, but we also wanted to post some updates here so you can really appreciate the transformation when you see the space at the Hard Hat Fundraising Gala!

Our contractor Mark Wiggins and his team finished installing the base of the sprung flooring system this week.   They’ve spent tedious hours laying state-of-the-art foam blocks every 6 inches across the 50′ x 30′ studio.  These little blocks may look like nothing, but they integral to creating a healthy space for our dancers– they allow the subfloor to give and cushion a dancer’s joints when he or she lands everything from small jumps to flying grande jetes!

Architect Corey Clayborne inspects the new framing

Mark Wiggins’ team laying the foam blocks

Over 4,000 blocks and many hours later…the sprung flooring base is complete!

Thank you again to all of our patrons, local businesses, and sponsors for making this new home possible for Charlottesville Ballet.  If you would like to make a donation, please visit our Contribute Page here.

Donate Now!

We look forward to seeing you at the Hard Hat Fundraising Gala!

Our Monthly “Meet the Artist” Series: Blake Seidel

Charlottesville Ballet’s “Meet the Artist” profile for December 2012 features company Apprentice Blake Seidel– check out his interview below and enjoy!

Blake Seidel

THE BASICS

Name: Blake Seidel

Age: 22

Astrological Sign: Virgo

Hometown: Fairfax, VA

Role in C’ville Ballet: Apprentice

FAVORITES…

Food: Chocolate chips and salad, but not together!

Color: Green

Book: This Boy’s Life

Movie: Mean Girls

Musician/Band: Incubus

Quotation: “Great dancers are not great because of their technique, they are great because of their passion.”-Martha Graham

Spot in C’ville: Whiskey Jar

Business/Store in C’ville:  Trader Joe’s

NERDY DANCE QUESTIONS

Blake and his family

Tell us about your dance background and training:

I started dancing at the age of 18 when I was attending Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, NY. My mother was a dancer and I have always loved to dance, so I decided to take a beginning modern dance class my first semester. It was love at first sight. I transferred to the University of Virginia my third year of college and continued to study dance through the University. I auditioned for the Charlottesville Ballet during my final year at UVA and was hired as an Apprentice with the company, simultaneously balancing my work with the company with finishing my final year of college. After graduating, I completed summer intensives with the American Ballet Theater and the Joffrey Ballet School. I am continuing to study and grow as a dancer with the Charlottesville Ballet during the 2012/2013 season.

 

Blake performing in David Dorfman’s “Prophets of Funk: Act One” at the University of Virginia

What genres of dance do you enjoy?

Favorite dancers or role models?

Do you have a favorite dance piece:

Blake during a photo shoot with Andrea Shirey Photography

What is your favorite ballet step/movement?

Adagio! Most people hate it, but I love it!

 

Tell us, why do you dance?

For me, dance is just as necessary as oxygen is. I feel full of life with it and feel empty without it. It is a challenge for me – physically, emotionally, and and mentally. It allows me to express with my body what I cannot express in words. I simply could not live without it. Dance brings me more joy than anything that I have ever tried before, so why would I ever stop?

 

OTHER

What other jobs/activities/pursuits are you involved in?

I work at the Whiskey Jar on Charlottesville’s Downtown Mall and I teach Contemporary and Hip Hop dance classes at Charlottesville Ballet Academy.

 

What other talents or passions do you have?

I can sing, do yoga, do lots of handstands, and I am working on my breakdancing skills!

Anything else you’d like to express:

I cannot express how much I appreciate all that Sara Clayborne and Emily Mott do – for me, for the company, and for Charlottesville and its surrounding area. They have given me the opportunity to follow my dreams to become a professional dancer and are an integral part of the dancer I am today.

Blake and Resident Choreographer Audrey Fenske as Clara and the Nutcracker

Come see Blake Seidel perform as the title role in our production of The Nutcracker Suite at PVCC December 22nd and 23rd!

Thanks for enjoying our “Meet the Artist” segment– and look for a new Charlottesville Ballet artist profile next month!

(c) Charlottesville Ballet 2012

Announcing Charlottesville Ballet’s New Home in Charlottesville!

Thanks to community support and dedication, Charlottesville Ballet is growing!

We have exceeded capacity at our current location in Greene County and are now fundraising for a new home in Charlottesville!  The state-of-the-art facility will be located at 1885 Seminole Trail in Charlottesville and provide a wonderful home for both the professional company and Charlottesville Ballet Academy!

A State-of-the-Art Facility on Route 29 and Woodbrook Drive–

Coming Spring 2013!

•Second Floor Space with Elevator Access
•Three Studios with Sprung Marley Flooring
•A Beautiful New Home for the Professional Company and Charlottesville Ballet Academy

 Help Us Build the Future of Charlottesville Ballet!

Members of the Professional Company pose during a tour of the new Charlottesville location. Help us turn this unfinished space into a fabulous center for dance in Charlottesville!

Charlottesville Ballet is thrilled to create a new home in northern Charlottesville that will serve both the professional company and the students of Charlottesville Ballet Academy.

Our mission is to promote lifelong health and well-being through excellence and access to the art of ballet. The new Charlottesville home will allow us to offer accessible dance education and performance to more members of the community.

Please consider making a special donation today to help build a new home for Charlottesville Ballet.  For more information about our capital campaign, please see our Support page or contact Co-Director Sara Jansen Clayborne (sclayborne@charlottesvilleballet.org).

Thank you for your support!

Register Now for Fall Classes at CBA!

Can you believe the summer is coming to an end?  As you gear up for back-to-school, check out the schedule of classes at Charlottesville Ballet Academy.  We offer instruction in all dance genres from Princess Ballet to Mom & Me Yoga to Musical Theater!

-Click the image below to view the CBA Fall 2012 Schedule-

Join Us for FREE Trial Classes at CBA!

Not sure what dance class to take this year? Come try out a class for FREE!

Princess Ballet (4-7yrs) | Tuesday, August 14th from 5:30-6:15pm

Dance Mix (4-7yrs) | Thursday, August 16th from 5:30-6:15pm

CBA August Registration Hours:  

Come by the studio to ask questions, purchase uniforms, and register for fall classes! 

Monday & Wednesday: 10:00am-5:00pm  |  Tuesday & Thursday: 10:00am-7:00pm

Click Here to Register oNLINE!

For additional information about CBA classes please contact Sara Jansen Clayborne at 434.985.3200 or email sjansen@charlottesvilleballet.org  We look forward to dancing with you soon!

CBA Spring Performance Information – “Around the World”

Charlottesville Ballet Academy is gearing up for our inaugural Spring Performance Around the World, featuring students from Charlottesville Ballet Academy and a guest performance by members of Charlottesville Ballet’s professional company.  Please see more information below– and be sure to purchase your tickets at the studio this week!

Around the World
Saturday, June 9th, 2012 @ 3:30pm
The Dickinson Theater at PVCC

CBA Families can find the “Parent Information Letter” here:

CBA Performance – Parent Letter

• Rehearsal times, performance information (tickets, hair, costumes, backstage info, etc.), and other notes for Charlottesville Ballet Academy students.

Around the World Program – Please Help Us Proof!

• Please click on each thumbnail image below for a proof of the CBA Program.  If you see any errors in your child’s name, please email CBA Principal Emily Mott (emott@charlottesvilleballet.org) with the page number and the corrected spelling/wording.

-Click Image for Page 1-

-Click Image for Pages 2-3-

-Click Image for Page 4-

Sneak Preview of The UNEARTHING @ The Ix Building

Dear Blog Readers and C-ville Dance/Arts Supporters,

Co-Director Sara Jansen and I stopped by the Ix Building Complex last week and got a sneak peek of the upcoming site-specific work called the UNEARTHING.  I caught up with Zap McConnell and performers of The UNEARTHING during a rehearsal and I wanted to share this great project with friends of C-ville Ballet.  If you haven’t heard of the project, check it out!

The Unearthing from Marco Durán on Vimeo.

WHAT IS THE UNEARTHING?

The UNEARTHING is an international exchange, art installation, dance theater performance, environmental fundraiser and saloon. The performance is the collaboration of twenty professional dancers, actors, and musicians from Mexico, California, Oregon, and Charlottesville. It is going to be a remarkable event and should stretch everyone’s concepts around what is possible. The UNEARTHING includes massive installations, kinetic sculptures, bicycle generators, local beer, live music, stunning movement, comedic scenes, and seed planting.  

Zap McConnell’s artistic vision is fueled by her belief that “cultivating imagination, making connections with community, and engaging the creative process can allow us to confront and solve the problems that we, as members of the global community, are facing.”

The Unearthing: One Word Promo 1 from Marco Durán on Vimeo.

  THE PERFORMANCE IN CHARLOTTESVILLE

In the performances of the  UNEARTHING, the artists “will create moving, visually-intense images based on our  research and our responses. We will poke fun at our own selves trying to live lightly as our carbon foot print is super large.”

• The performances of the UNEARTHING run the first 2 weeks of February:
• Wed-Sun Feb. 1-5 @ 8 pm  |  Tues-Sun Feb. 7-12 @ 8 pm
  The Ix Complex (Next to Play On! Theater) | 981 Second Street, SE
• Tickets can be purchased online through Live Arts:  https://www.choicesecure03.net/mainapp/eventschedule.aspx?Clientid=LiveArts

• The UNEARTHING Website: http://www.theunearthing.com
• The UNEARTHING on Facebook:   http://www.facebook.com/theunearthing

Please help Charlottesville Ballet support this wonderful collaboration between artists, dancers, activists, environmentalists, and community members here in Charlottesville!

Cheers to Zap McConnell and to all of the people, businesses, and organizations involved in the UNEARTHING project– y Mucha Mierda!

Emily Mott

Co-Director, Charlottesville Ballet