Festival Ballet virginia policies
Class Attendance
Consistent attendance is vital in maintaining a student’s mastery of dance technique. Dance is a physical activity that requires consistent weekly training to establish muscle strength and muscle memory. Classical ballet training is a highly specialized technique that requires excellent instruction by a knowledgeable teacher and committed attendance by the student in order to achieve the desired results.
Class Requirements
Junior company members are required to take a minimum of three ballet classes per week. Senior company members are required to take a minimum of four ballet classes per week. As a dancer gets further in their training, daily ballet classes are strongly encouraged.
Rehearsals
It is extremely important for company members to attend all rehearsals they are scheduled for. In certain instances, a choreographer may be creating a new work and must have everyone present in order to effectively create their piece. In other instances, students may have been rehearsing together for some time or may be rehearsing a part they have performed in the past. Regardless, it is imperative that all cast members be present at every rehearsal to achieve the level necessary for public performance. It is very difficult for fellow dancers to work on a piece without everyone present. It is not about how well a dancer knows their particular part, but how much it affects the other dancers and choreographer when they are not present for a rehearsal.
Participation in any of the productions requires consistent attendance to all scheduled rehearsals. Two excused absences during the year are allowed, but a student will lose their position in the company for additional absences.
Nutcracker rehearsals are kept to an absolute minimum number of days and thus require perfect attendance. Rehearsal and performance dates are publicized in early September. There are no excused absences with the exception of illness, and unless contagious, the dancer is expected to attend the rehearsal and watch.
Summer Study
Dancers in the Junior and Senior Companies are required to continue their dance training in a summer intensive program. The Greater Washington Dance Center offers a multi-week Summer Intensive program designed to challenge the dancers' ballet, modern and jazz technique. All company members must dance a minimum of three weeks during the summer months. There will be a mandatory Nutcracker workshop for all company members August 20-24.
Cost
Consistent attendance is vital in maintaining a student’s mastery of dance technique. Dance is a physical activity that requires consistent weekly training to establish muscle strength and muscle memory. Classical ballet training is a highly specialized technique that requires excellent instruction by a knowledgeable teacher and committed attendance by the student in order to achieve the desired results.
Class Requirements
Junior company members are required to take a minimum of three ballet classes per week. Senior company members are required to take a minimum of four ballet classes per week. As a dancer gets further in their training, daily ballet classes are strongly encouraged.
Rehearsals
It is extremely important for company members to attend all rehearsals they are scheduled for. In certain instances, a choreographer may be creating a new work and must have everyone present in order to effectively create their piece. In other instances, students may have been rehearsing together for some time or may be rehearsing a part they have performed in the past. Regardless, it is imperative that all cast members be present at every rehearsal to achieve the level necessary for public performance. It is very difficult for fellow dancers to work on a piece without everyone present. It is not about how well a dancer knows their particular part, but how much it affects the other dancers and choreographer when they are not present for a rehearsal.
Participation in any of the productions requires consistent attendance to all scheduled rehearsals. Two excused absences during the year are allowed, but a student will lose their position in the company for additional absences.
Nutcracker rehearsals are kept to an absolute minimum number of days and thus require perfect attendance. Rehearsal and performance dates are publicized in early September. There are no excused absences with the exception of illness, and unless contagious, the dancer is expected to attend the rehearsal and watch.
Summer Study
Dancers in the Junior and Senior Companies are required to continue their dance training in a summer intensive program. The Greater Washington Dance Center offers a multi-week Summer Intensive program designed to challenge the dancers' ballet, modern and jazz technique. All company members must dance a minimum of three weeks during the summer months. There will be a mandatory Nutcracker workshop for all company members August 20-24.
Cost