For information on summer dance classes or to register for dance lessons, please call 706-259-7264.
Updated Dance class schedule now available.
Recital Masquerade, May 9th (Ballet Dalton, Guild Ensemble and Int. 4's) and 10th (entire school), 2008 will be held at the Dalton High School Theater. The company concert on Friday will be at 7 pm and the school recital on Saturday will be at 2 pm. Also, please hold the entire week prior to recital open for in-theater rehearsals.
MAY NEWSLETTER AND RECITAL 2008The following newsletter contains important information about our last month at CAG before summer break and Recital. Please let us know if you have any questions. Keep in mind that ALL in theater rehearsals and performances will be held at the Dalton High School Theater. TUITION AND RECITAL FEES DUE: The week of May 5th, we will not have regular classes, but instead will have in-theater rehearsals Tuesday through Thursday (6th-8th) and recital is on Friday, May 9th (Int. 4’s, Guild Dance Ensemble and Junior and Senior Company) and Saturday, May 10th for the entire school. There will not be any dance classes on Monday, May 5th. The theater schedule will appear later in this newsletter. After recital, we have two more weeks of in studio classes before regular classes end for the summer. Our last day of regular classes will be May 23rd. Our summer class schedule begins in June. (The last week, we will be having dance parties with our classes so feel free to bring treats for the entire class if you wish.) Please don’t forget…Your $25 recital fees (per family) and all tuition payments must be paid in full BEFORE recital. Any outstanding fees may hinder participation in recital. The afternoon Recital admission is free, so please bring your friends and family. There is nothing better than dancing for a packed house! Tickets for our Friday evening concert with Intermediate 4’s, Guild Dance Ensemble and Junior and Senior Company will be $10 for adults and $5 for students and seniors. BALLET DALTON COMPANY AUDITIONS: The auditions for placement in the 2007-2008 Ballet Dalton Company will be held Tuesday, May 13th. Junior Company will audition from 4:30-6 and Senior Company will audition from 6:00-8:00. (This will also include Junior and Senior Company auditions for Snow Queen.) In order to be eligible for Ballet Dalton Company, students must be at least rising 6th graders (or same age – unless otherwise discussed with you by your instructor), take ballet class twice a week and have had a year of pointe work. Ballet Dalton dancers have a required schedule of classes and rehearsals during the school year, they must attend Company summer dance camp and they have the opportunity to participate in many different performances. We wish the best of luck to all our dancers who will be auditioning! COMPANY DANCE CAMP: Dance camp for members of Ballet Dalton will be held June 2nd-6th and June 9th-13th from 10 am to 3 pm. All Company members ARE required to attend. The cost is $270 for both weeks. (Please make sure to bring lunch each day.) Some choreography for the following year’s Snow Queen and recital will take place during company camp. PARENTS NIGHT OUT: Last year’s parents night out was a huge success and we are excited that the dance department has many more to come. More information will go out about that as it is available. RECITAL VIDEOS: We will be taping both the Friday evening and Saturday afternoon performances. Video order forms are included in this packet. You may hand your order form in now and also may purchase videos on recital day. Please remember that you will not be allowed to videotape during the recital or take flash photography. During dress rehearsal, you may take any photos or videos you want, but please no flash and not at all on recital day. CONGRATULATIONS to all of our Junior and Senior company dancers who are going away this summer to dance programs. We are so proud of you and look forward to hearing all about it when you get back! RECITAL PICTURES: Thank you all so much for a wonderful recital picture turn-out! The pictures are beautiful and will be happily displayed on our walls very soon. BEST WISHES: Best wish forms are also being handed out. This is a way to write your dancer a special message in the recital programs for everyone to see. Please complete your best wish form and hand it in with your payment by May 1st. (All best wishes should be handed in to Ms. Jessie or Ms. Elizabeth.) We do have plenty of extra best wish forms, so please ask if you need them. INTERMEDIATE 3’S (beginning August 2008): All Intermediate 2’s will become Intermediate 3’s with the new school year. This is the year that they will be able to go on pointe. All Int. 3’s must take ballet class twice a week to be able to begin their pointe work in January. This way they are getting enough technique and strength training to prepare their bodies for pointe and in time, they will be ready to audition for Ballet Dalton. COSTUMES, TIGHTS AND SHOES: Now is a good time to go ahead and check to make sure that your child has all of their tights, shoes and costumes ready to go. Please check with your instructor if you are unsure as to what color tights they will need for their costume. (Int. 4’s and Junior and Senior Company must have pink, seamed tights for their ballet dances.) Also, if you are looking for something in the Guild Shop but do not see it in the right size, please ask for help. We have extras of many things that are not displayed yet. (All dancers should wear either capezio or bloch tights.) T-SHIRT ORDER FORMS: All t-shirt order forms are being handed out. Please fill out your form and return it with your payment by Thursday, May 1st and let us know if you need a new form. PARENT VOLUNTEERS: We are looking for parent volunteers to help backstage during recital. If you are interested, please let your child’s instructor know. We will need your help during the Thursday dress rehearsal and the Saturday afternoon show. (Don’t worry, you will be able to go out to the audience to watch your child perform.) Thanks so much for your help! All of our recital dances are being completed and polished. We are so proud of all of our dancers and look forward to watching them perform after a year of hard work! Thank you to all of our wonderful families who have played such an integral part in our year! REHEARSAL SCHEDULE – Tuesday, May 6thThis is a rehearsal for lower school students only. It is not a dress rehearsal, so just come in regular class attire. If you assist a class and will be in their dance, you also have to attend. This rehearsal will start at 4 pm. The following rehearsal order will not be the order of dances in the actual show (regular class times are in parenthesis): 4:00 pm Creative Movement (Wednesday 3:15-4) This is an approximate schedule, please be aware that we may need to take more time with some groups. Wednesday, May 7th - Dress rehearsal for Friday 7 pm show. ACT IMasquerade – Senior CompanyTempest - Intermediate 4 – Tuesday Ballet ACT IISpanish Nights - Michael’s – Senior Company
Thursday, May 8th The schedule for this rehearsal and the Saturday 2 pm show is as follows: ACT I ACT IISpanish Nights - Michael’s – Senior Company *Upon arrival please take your child to their assigned area in the Dalton High School Theater. A chaperone or teacher will assist you. We are looking for parent helpers. We will need you for the Thursday dress rehearsal and the 2 pm recital. Please sign up with Ms. Jessie or Ms. Elizabeth if you are interested in helping. (Don’t worry, you will have time to go out and see your child dance.) All students and parents are welcome to stay and watch dress rehearsal. Otherwise, you may leave once your group is done rehearsing. For dress rehearsal as well as recital, you must wear costume, with correct tights, shoes, hair and makeup, etc. Friday, May 9th and Saturday, May 10th
-Lower school students in the Saturday 2 pm performance, arrive no later than 1 pm. HAIR AND MAKEUPHair: All hair must be in a slicked back bun unless otherwise directed by your teacher. NO BANGS, whispies or beauty parlor hairstyles. Make-Up: Every dancer should start with a powder-foundation base to avoid shine. Makeup for young girls should be tasteful. Please wear a moderate amount of eye shadow, mascara, blush and a little bit of true red lipstick. Natural colors work best. Intermediate 1’s through Intermediate 4’s and teen classes should wear brown or black eyeliner and red lipstick as well as eye shadow, mascara and blush. Jazz students should follow the same guidelines. Junior and Senior Company should be as discussed with your director. ABSOLUTELY NO ADDITIONS TO ATTIRE MAY BE MADE …NO GLITTER, NO IMPROPER FOOTWEAR, NO ADDITIONAL HEADPIECES, ETC.
Final Notes… Please check well in advance to see that you have what you need as far as tights and shoes are concerned. It’s always good to have extra tights. Also, Junior and Senior Company - Don’t forget false eyelashes and remember to wear your diamond studs. If your ears are not pierced, you can use eyelash glue to glue sequins or rhinestones onto your ears. MAKE SURE YOU HAVE ALL OF YOUR HEADPIECES AND YOUR NAME ON EVERY PIECE OF YOUR COSTUME. You all have done a wonderful job this year. Enjoy the reward of performing after a year of hard work! Have a wonderful time onstage! Ms. Jessie, Guild Dance Faculty and the Creative Arts Guild
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Ballet Dalton Dance Camp a huge success! June 2nd - 6th and 9th-13th, the Creative Arts Guild will conduct it's annual Ballet Dalton Dance Camp for their pre-professional company dancers. All dancers have morning technique class from 10-12, a lunch break and then 2 hours or more of rehearsal time in the afternoon to learn dances that will be used the coming year. The First week, Michael Hollier, a classical ballet instructor and choreographer from Louisiana will travel to Dalton to teach classes and set a classical ballet piece in the afternoon. The second week, choreographer/instructor Lonnie Davis will drive in to instruct the senior company dancers in Modern Dance Technique, teaching them class in the morning and setting choreography in the afternoon. Junior Company dancers spend one week with Dance Director Jessie Bonanno and the other week with Dance Instructor Elizabeth Fisher. Company camp is required for all Ballet Dalton dancers. (Placement in company is by audition and invitation only.) Senior Company Laureane Urbain, Rosalyn Zock, Lizzie Baker, Chelsea Pope, Claire Kortum, Heather Kimsey, Bernadette Valleriano Senior Apprentice Allie Mullins, Emily Lawson, Malorie Noles, Virginia Leigh Lawson, Paige Finley, Lindsey Smith Cinthia Rangel, Emily O’Brien Junior Apprentice Eric Zock, Courtney Lewis, Anna Kate Sprites, Maddie Lowery, McKenzie Gibbs, Abby Earle |
Congratulations to Lizzie Baker for her acceptance into Alabama Ballet's Summer Dance Intensives. |
Congratulations to Heather Kimsey for her acceptance in Alabama Ballet's Summer Dance Intensive. |
Congratulations to Bernadette Valleriano for her acceptance into Alabama
Ballet's Summer Dance Intensive, Austin Ballet's Summer Dance Intensive and
Burklyn Ballet's Summer Dance Intensive and we are |
The Creative Arts Guild Dance Department offers a pre-professional teaching program for students who feel they might be interested in teaching dance after their schooling years. Students who are interested will be placed in classes alongside the Guild dance instructor. The Guild instructor will guide the assistant in the proper ways of teaching dance classes to all ages – including syllabus. Once the assistant has assisted for an appropriate amount of years, knows the syllabus and is comfortable in the classroom environment, they are then allowed to substitute teach when needed. |
Dance Department Staff |
| JESSIE BONANNO |
Jessie Bonanno, Guild Dance Director has an extensive background in Classical Ballet, Pointe, Modern, Jazz and Tap dance. She began her training at age 3. Over the years, she has worked with such notable teachers as Robert Barnett (Former Artistic Director of Atlanta Ballet), Mary Munro (RAD), Maniya Barredo (former member of Joffrey Ballet Company and Prima Ballerina of Atlanta Ballet), Nicholas Pacana, Cornelius Carter and Carl Ratcliff. Her studies continued with Diane Callahan (Former member of San Francisco Ballet), Carol Smiarowski, Heidi Lambert, Stanislav Issaev (Principal Dancer with Moscow State Ballet Theatre), Amy Card-Lillios, Andrea Pell, Vincas Green, Jolie Long and Martha Goodman. In 1999, Mrs. Bonanno earned her B.F.A. in Dance Pedagogy from Brenau University after being awarded a four-year dance merit scholarship. Her studies included Ballet, Modern and Jazz techniques, teaching internships with Gainesville School of Ballet, ballet terminology, Anatomy and Physiology, Kinesiology for dancers, music for dancers and improvisation, as well as Dance Practicum, Choreography and extensive performance credits. While attending Brenau University, she performed soloist roles with Gainesville Ballet Company and Brenau Dance Ensemble as well as making guest appearances on other projects. Mrs. Bonanno was also a substitute dance instructor for Brenau University and Gainesville School of Ballet. Since moving to this area, Mrs. Bonanno has taught and choreographed for Dalton School of Ballet, Baker-VanCura Ballet Centre, Mountain Laurel Dance Studios, Bessy Smith Hall and created a dance program for The Lutheran School in Chattanooga. She was also invited to judge for the state of Georgia in the Governor’s Honors Program. Since 2001 and prior to joining with the Creative Arts Guild, she owned and directed Dalton School of Ballet and Ballet Dalton. She is now on staff with the Creative Arts Guild as Dance Director and is currently serving as one of only 4 dance panelists across the state of Georgia for Georgia Council for the Arts. Mrs. Bonanno and her husband Ryan reside in Chattanooga, TN with their son Riley and daughter Finley. |
| RYAN BONANN0, ACT/L |
| Certified Athletic Trainer, Ryan Bonanno will be volunteering his time and expertise to the Creative Arts Guild to care for our dancers, gymnasts and wellness students. Ryan’s background includes a degree in exercise physiology from the UTC,
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| MONICA COULTER |
| Monica Coulter has a BFA and MFA in Ballet from Texas Christian University. She was on staff with Dalton School of Ballet for many years as well as an adjunct professor at UTC Department of Theater and Speech, teaching dance technique classes and Dance Appreciation. Ms. Coulter’s professional experience includes demi-soloist with Ballet Concerto (Fort Worth, TX), Allegro Dance Theater, Chattanooga Ballet, Ballet Tennessee, and Chattanooga Civic Ballet and has also taught for each of these organizations. Ms. Coulter has also trained in Modern and Classical Spanish. Most recently, she was voted Best Adjunct Professor at the University of Tennessee, Chattanooga. Currently, Ms. Coulter teaches Ballet and Pointe at the Creative Arts Guild and resides in Chattanooga with her husband and son. |
| ELIZABETH FISHER |
Elizabeth received her training from the Virginia School of the Arts, Walnut Hill School in Natick, Massachusetts, Alabama Ballet, Georgia Governor’s Honors program, Gainesville Ballet, Dalton School of Ballet, Woodstock School of Ballet and Ruth Mitchell of Marietta, Georgia. She has also worked with such notable instructors and choreographers as Wes Chapman– Artistic Director of Alabama Ballet and former principal dancer with American Ballet Theater, Shawn Black – former principle ballerina with American Ballet Theater, Petrus Bosman, and dancers from Boston Ballet and Alabama Ballet. Ms. Fisher has been accepted into prestigious summer intensive programs such as Joffrey Ballet’s professional trainee program – where she received a scholarship. Over the past two years while she has been living in Springfield, Missouri, Elizabeth has taught for and performed with the Springfield Ballet, choreographed for the Springfield Opera’s 25 th Celebration Gala, and staged and coached the Moscow Ballet’s children’s choreography for their touring performance of “The Great Russian Nutcracker”. Prior to moving, Ms. Fisher taught and choreographed for Dalton School of Ballet/Ballet Dalton for three years, then moved to Missouri and returned to Dalton in August of 2005 with her husband Matt (an army reservist) and their son Jacob and now teaches for the Creative Arts Guild and once again Ballet Dalton. In addition, she also works to promote dance in the schools through the Arts in Education program, judges for the Georgia Governor’s Honors program and is the Guild Shop Manager at the Creative Arts Guild. |
| KARA MARCUM |
Kara Marcum, a native of New Hampshire, began dancing at the age of 5. She received regional and national recognition by the age of 10 and has performed professionally in the US and overseas. Mrs. Marcum has trained with industry professionals such as Frank Hatchett, Ann Reinking, and Brian Friedman. After continuing her dance education at Florida State University, she moved to Arlington, Texas, where she taught at A Step In Time dance studio. Mrs. Marcum choreographed for the competition team, as well as advanced levels of jazz and lyrical. Recently married, Mrs. Marcum just relocated to Chattanooga, TN with her husband, Caleb, and daughter, Jade. She is very excited to be joining the dance department staff at the Creative Arts Guild. Mission Statement - |
| For employment opportunities within the dance department, please contact Jessie Bonanno at 706-259-7264 or jbonanno@creativeartsguild.org. |
