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| A New Home for HPSD Hyde Park School of Dance has grown significantly since 1993, when August taught its first budding ballerinas in the space we now call Studio One. As the school has grown, our students and faculty have found it increasingly difficult to divide class and rehearsal time among three separate studios – none of which is ideal for dance training. This year, at the recommendation of the school’s Board of Directors, the school has begun a feasibility assessment to determine our best strategy for consolidating into one site, a new home for HPSD. Funded by a grant from the Arts Work Fund, the assessment is being performed by the IFF (formerly Illinois Facilities Fund), the Midwest’s largest Community Development Financial Institution exclusively serving nonprofits. Other IFF clients include the Joffrey Ballet of Chicago, the Choir Academy of Chicago, Hyde Park Art Center, and the Old Town School of Folk Music. To date, the IFF has met with HPSD staff and board members, toured the existing facilities, and reviewed the school’s programming goals, financial position, and student needs in order to recommend space options. The IFF study is a result of the Board’s strategic plan for HPSD. Creating a home under one roof has long been a goal of the organization. This study is the first step toward realizing our dream of a facility that can house all of the school’s activities and that our faculty and dancers deserve.
Spring Concert The annual spring concert gives all HPSD dancers the chance to perform at no cost and with no costume fees. This year’s concert will be held on Saturday, May 16, at Kenwood Academy, 5015 S. Blackstone Avenue. In order to accommodate the very large audience for this concert, we have divided it into a morning (11am) and an afternoon (2:30pm) show. There will be no classes held on the performance day. With 300+ students all performing on the same day volunteers are the backbone of this concert. We hope you will consider helping out to make this the best concert ever! Please, talk to your dancer’s instructor if you would like to assist with her/his class. Stay tuned for more information regarding your dancer’s performance time. Parents
of creative movement and pre-ballet dancers: | Hyde
Park School of Dance: Hyde Park School of Dance is a vital part of the south side arts community. Founded in 1993, the non-profit School enrolls more than 300 students in a curriculum that emphasizes progressive training in ballet and modern, supplemented by jazz, and master classes taught by some of the city’s top dancers. Each year, HPSD students are accepted into the country’s premier summer training programs, including the School of American Ballet, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, and the American Ballet Theatre. HPSD alumni have gone on to train and perform with the Joffrey Ballet, the Dance Theater of Harlem, and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.
What if my daughter or son does not aspire to dance professionally? Dance training teaches life-long habits of self-discipline, hard work, and commitment that benefit all our students, regardless if they pursue dance as a vocation. At HPSD we promote healthy habits and body image, and we believe that all bodies can be beautiful and expressive in performance. Committed to providing opportunities for any young person who wants to dance, HPSD provides need-based scholarships and offers an outreach program in local schools. For more information on the variety of programs and performance opportunities the school offers, please visit www.hydeparkdance.org |
| Scholarship Auditions With the economy forcing many families to cut back on extra-curricular activities, we want to make it possible for every child who wants to dance at HPSD to continue doing so. Scholarship auditions are held twice a year for students age seven to 18. Scholarship auditions for Fall 2009 are scheduled for Friday, May 29 at the times listed below: Ballet I, II,
and III: 5-6 p.m. All auditions will be held in Studio One. To apply for a scholarship, parents or guardians must submit a completed application and participate in an interview. Students must attend the audition to be considered. Awards are based on financial need, talent, and commitment. Application forms and more information can be found on our website.
Level Evaluation Classes Hyde Park School of Dance has a set syllabus for its ballet and modern classes. In order to have strong dance technique, avoid injury and frustration, and flourish in dance, students must complete all syllabus material before moving on to the next level. Each year instructors complete Level Recommendations for student placements in the fall. Starting this spring, the school will also offer Level Evaluation Classes to evaluate students in Ballet Level II and up and to explain to students and parents exactly what it takes to move from one level to another. The 90-minute Level Evaluation Classes are scheduled for May 19, 20, or 21, with specific times to be announced. These Classes are free, and we encourage students to attend with their parents, as there will be an opportunity to ask questions after the class. Please note that although Level Evaluation Classes are not required, they are highly recommended.
HPSD Presents Alice in Wonderland and Carnival of the Animals Despite unseasonal, torrential rains, a large and appreciative audience attended our presentation of Alice in Wonderland and Carnival of the Animals on March 7th and 8th at King College Prep High School. The performance showcased the talent, hard work, and commitment of more than 65 HPSD dancers, ages five to 17. Artistic Director August Tye originally choreographed Alice in Wonderland for the Kalamazoo Ballet in 1991. Set to music by Johann Strauss, the work was previously performed by HPSD dancers in 2001 and 2003. Tye has revamped the choreography each year: “It’s important to remold the choreography to fit the new cast each time the work is produced. Every dancer has something special to offer and it’s important to show their strengths,” she said. Opening the performance was another HPSD favorite, Carnival of the Animals, set to the music of Camille Saint-Saens and bringing to life the composer’s various musical fauna: lions, chickens, elephants, kangaroos, donkeys, swans, turtles, birds, and fish. First created on a cast of very young HPSD dancers in 1995, Carnival has been restaged three times since its premiere. The 2009 production featured new choreography by HPSD Associate Artistic Directors Allyson Ratliff and Sarah Ford Thompson. Many thanks to the parents and volunteers who shuttled dancers back and forth for rehearsals, and who gave hours of their time and energy sewing and fitting costumes, and providing backstage support for the production.
Class Photographs in April Class photographs will be taken from April 13 through May 2 - please make sure your dancer comes to class during that time in the proper uniform and with hair in the required style. Sample photographs will be on view at the Spring Concert and may be ordered at that time. Don't miss out - class photographs are only available every two years!
Second Annual Student Choreography Showcase Training at HPSD includes more than just dancing. The School’s emphasis on original choreography provides students the opportunity to actively engage in the creative process as they have the works of their teachers crafted on them and learn the art of choreography themselves. HPSD students age 9 and up are encouraged to present their original choreography each year during the Student Choreography Showcase. Performances are on April 17 and 18 at Studio One. Because of space restrictions the performances are limited to invited guests of the dancers and choreographers. Donations will be accepted at the door to benefit a charity selected by the choreographers.
This and That …Congratulations to alumna Elizabeth Mensah! Liz will be joining the Joffrey Ballet of Chicago Trainee Program this fall. After two years in New York at the Joffrey School, Liz is thrilled to be returning to Chicago… …This winter Animal Planet asked HPSD students to dance alongside Snowball the Cockatoo for an episode to be aired in mid to late March. Watch for it!... …HPSD alumni Jane and Anna Sawyer are having a wonderful time dancing in New York City in the Alvin Ailey training program… …Healthy habits are essential in order to be a strong dancer. Each year we bring in a nutritionist to talk with our youth company members about healthy eating. This year's Nutrition Talk is scheduled for April 4th for all TNG and TNGT members… …Our upper level students will be spreading throughout the country this summer to study at top companies and performing arts schools, including Lines Ballet School in San Francisco, American Ballet Theatre in Austin, and Walnut Hill in Boston...
TNG Auditions Auditions for the school’s youth company, Tyego Next Generation (TNG), are scheduled for Thursday, May 28, 6-8 p.m., in Studio One. TNG is open to dancers between the ages of 10 and 18.
Summer Program You or your dancer can stay in shape this summer with HPSD’s weekly schedule of regular classes for students of all ages. Two 4-week sessions will be offered: Session I: June
1 – June 27 The
complete class schedule is available online. Young Choreographers
Workshop Teacher Trainee
Workshop Session II: July
11 – August 1 Please visit www.hydeparkdance.org for more information about these two workshops. Please note that the Teacher Trainee Workshop is free of charge to students who can commit to all four weeks without missing any classes.
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Hyde Park School of Dance · 5650 S. Woodlawn Ave. · Chicago,
IL 60637 · T: 773-493-8498 · F: 773-493-8508 · www.hydeparkdance.org
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