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Uodate from November 25th

  • Nov 28, 2023

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!


I hope everyone was able to spend some quality time with family and/or friends yesterday and eat some delicious food. Get lots of rest for the upcoming week! It is going to be a busy one. Everyone should have received a Performance Week Guide last Saturday when you picked up your dancer. If for some reason you didn't receive it, you can find it here: https://vynutcracker.wixsite.com/vyibanutcracker/performance-week-schedule


These next few days are a great time to start getting your dancer's laundry basket ready (yes, every dancer needs a laundry basket for their things). Check the Performance Week Guide for what to pack. There is a button that says, "Click here for what to bring".


Tickets: In case you didn't see on Facebook, Instagram or our website, Viktor is offering a "Black Friday Sale" until Monday. Ticket sales are still low compared to last year, especially the evening performances. Now is a great time to push those who couldn't commit to a date to purchase their tickets. It is much easier if they order now and pay ahead of time than having them purchase at the window. It gets very backed up especially during the matinee shows.


We have a new videographer this year who is going to be recording both Saturday shows from multiple angles. Currently, we do not have enough orders to reach the minimum number needed. Please purchase a DVD as soon as possible. Just a reminder: No video should be taken during the show. The performance and choreography is the property of Viktor Yeliohin International Ballet Academy. No personal videos or photos are allowed during the performance. Every year and every performance we kindly ask everyone to abide by this, and every year there are people doing it anyway. Please be respectful of Viktor and his hard work over the last 30 years and purchase a DVD of the performance or a CD of photos from the performance if you wish to save these memories. Thank you ahead of time for your understanding!


Volunteers:

Thank you to those who have stepped up already and signed up to help during show weekend. It looks like most of the slots are pretty full. There is one role that is still empty except for the Sunday show and that is the Black Curtain Security. James cannot do this job alone. It really is easy and the dads always seem like they are having fun together at the black curtain. Your job is just to take attendance when dancers arrive (if you take that shift) and then make sure that no one goes past the black curtain that is not on the approved list of people allowed backstage. This keeps all dancers safe! We give everyone a name tag who is allowed backstage so it's pretty easy to identify those people.


In the past, this role is usually filled by dads, but it by no means needs to be dads. Anyone can do this role! Here is the signup: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSctjuUHRipPxSBD_dm5sFq_M8KbN8-7DdvyhYlcTsQZmJtVMg/viewform


Final reminder for Tuesday: Regular leotards, skirts, and tights are needed. NO MAKEUP. They will be running through the show like they have the past 3 Saturdays and the professional dancers will be in attendance. Please make sure your dancer eats dinner before they arrive. If you have signed up for the Remind texts, you will get a text when different groups are finished. We will have someone at the bottom door to run the carpool lane like we did last week. Please make sure you enter from Water St and exit through Arch or Mulberry.

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1. Here is the Remind information for anyone who didn't get a Performance Week sheet. Click on this link https://www.remind.com/join/b3kf96e or follow the directions attached to this email.


2. The link to the Black Curtain Sign-Up was incorrect. Here's the correct link: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080B4FA4A62AA1F49-security2#/


3. We are in need of food items for the Professional Dancers during the show. Please sign up to donate at least one item if you have not already.


Please bring all donated items to the Black Curtain on your assigned day. We don't have space at the studio to store items unless they have been purchased for the "Professional Welcome Bags".


Have a great day!

Kelly


The end is near and it's almost time to see all of the hard work pay off!

See everyone soon,

Kelly, Marie and Viktor

Update from November 15

  • Nov 27, 2023

Happy November Everyone!!!!


We are in the home stretch!! We can do this, I promise. We only have 2 Saturday rehearsals left. There is NO rehearsal on November 25th. That is time to enjoy with your family and gather up all your energy for Performance Week. More information regarding performance week will be coming soon. If you would like to get a sneak peek ahead of time you can go to this link: https://vynutcracker.wixsite.com/vyibanutcracker/show-week.


First things first, PARKING AND THE ALLEY. I already sent out an email regarding parking last week. Let's remember that we can't park in any spaces anywhere on Grant St, around the studio. If you need to park and walk up to the studio, you need to park on Water St, Orange St, or Mulberry St or of course there are always the paid parking lots/garages. After I sent that email last Sunday, I received feedback about the traffic in the alley last Saturday. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE enter Grant St from Water St and exit out Arch St or Mulberry St. We are aware that the alley is not officially one way, but when people are coming both directions, there is no way anyone can get out. Marie or I will be outside tomorrow at 4 pm for the small dancers and 5 pm for the older dancers. If you arrive to the studio to pick up your dancer and no one is outside yet, please go around the block. Do not just sit in front of the studio and wait.


ALL dancers will be in the big studio the entire time for the next 2 weeks. There is no need for anything other than a water bottle. The amount of trash and general mess last week was unacceptable. Please help us keep the studio clean and only send your dancer with water and a labeled coat.


Due last week: Flower orders were due last week but are being extended to this week. https://forms.gle/gqC9wNe9bmh6HBSg8


Due this week: Red Carpet Awards and Dinner. See the message below from the chairperson of this important event.


If we don't receive an order for your dancer for the pizza we will email you to make sure that your dancer doesn't want pizza so we don't have any tears the day of the pizza dinner.


Due next week: Photo Orders.

No photography is allowed during the show. You can order individual photos of your dancer or photos of the show. Lisa needs these so she knows how many dancers she is photographing. Make sure you write a check or add cash to an envelope for this. This is not part of the studio so we do not handle any of these payments.


Due next week:

Updated ticket balances will go home tomorrow. The 8 tickets that you are required to sell are due next week. If this requirement is not met by next week, you will be billed for any leftover tickets. This is also the last week to get your 4 commitment tickets.


Show week volunteers:

- We are in need of volunteers for show week. We need every family to volunteer in some capacity during show week. Please go to the following link to sign up: https://vynutcracker.wixsite.com/vyibanutcracker/sign-ups

- We are also in need of lots of food for show week. Every family should sign up to contribute at least one item. We need food for the pizza dinner, professional dancer bags, and the professional dancer hospitality room. Thank you for your help with both of these things.


See everyone at the studio tomorrow between 12:30-12:45!


Thank you,

Kelly, Marie and Viktor





Dear Nutcracker Families,


When all the shows are over, it is time to celebrate and recognize what we have accomplished, and enjoy the evening with friends and families! The Red Carpet Award Ceremony and Dinner is a perfect way to celebrate. We are able to remember to be grateful for the time we spent, and learning opportunities, and grow through friendships we have built during Nutcracker.


The Red Carpet Award Ceremony and Dinner fee/paperwork is due this Saturday 11/11.


If you prefer paper, please submit the form at the studio. If you would rather do this online, submit the form through the Google document with your total payment. PLEASE REMEMBER: If you attend this award ceremony/dinner and pay fees, that means you are asked to bring potluck items. To do this, please sign up using the signup link on the Nutcracker website page. Items to bring:


At least 1 item for one (1) person, or a two (2) people group

2 items for three (3) to four (4) people group,

3-4 items for more than four (4) people group total


The link to sign up dinner is:




Due to the location and room capacity, please kindly limit no more than 6 people. This is the event for your dancer and his/her immediate close family. Please kindly refrain from bringing friends outside of the Nutcracker family. We like to avoid the overcrowding situation both inside and outside parking of the venue.


The general information of the event is:


~~Red Carpet Award Ceremony and Dinner~~


Fee: $5 per person with potluck items to sign up.

Date: Saturday December 9, 2023

Time: 5 pm to 8 pm. (NO earlier arrival than 5pm) dinner starts around 5:30pm

Location: Brightside Opportunities Center

Address: 515 Hershey Ave. Lancaster, PA 17603

If you have any questions, please contact Junko at: junko.bessho@gmail.com


Looking forward to seeing you, and celebrating together!


Junko Greineder

Director of Nutcracker Red Carpet Award Ceremony & Dinner

Update from November 4th

  • Nov 15, 2023

Hello Nutcracker Family!


Sorry for the late email this week. Things are really starting to get busy here at the studio for Nutcracker. We only have 3 rehearsals left before show week. There is NO REHEARSAL on Thanksgiving weekend. These next 3 Saturdays are going to be long for everyone. All dancers will be in the studio the entire time running the entire show. If you have a dancer who is an ANGEL/BEE or a LITTLE DOLL/LITTLE FLOWER only, they will be finished around 4:00 so please plan to arrive around then. All other dancers will be here until 5:00.


Due this week:

Flowers - Orders for flowers are due this week. Bouquets are being ordered from Royer's so they will be of professional quality for cheaper than getting them there. It also makes it much easier to just pick up the flowers at the theater and not have to make one more stop when you are already stressed about whether or not you have everything you need and getting there on time. (Hmm I might be speaking from personal experience on that one.)


Due next week:

Red Carpet Dinner - Think sports banquet. This dinner is our way of wrapping up the Nutcracker season and recognizing all of the dancers. Please join us for this special night!


Tickets - Tickets, oh tickets. We will always be talking about tickets. Currently, we are approximately 300 tickets below where we were last year at this time. Please continue to push tickets everywhere. No one wants to perform for an empty audience. Jill is doing a wonderful job advertising on Instagram and Facebook on the studio pages. It's as easy as just sharing her posts on your page and asking people to put your dancer's name when they fill out the form. The matinee performances are fuller than the evening performances so if you have people who are up in the air about which show to come to, seating options are more varied for the evening performances.


Ornaments - Back by popular demand! The ornaments aren't like the ornaments of the past. We are going to try to find another company for next year that can do what our old company used to do. The wooden ornaments for this year are beautiful!!!! There is a picture of the ornament in the Google form so go there for more information. We decided just to go with the one ornament to keep costs lower. You can have it engraved or not engraved. Ornament money and orders are due by Saturday, November 18th.


Don't forget to order your DVDs. You can order DVDs up until the day of the shows, but we need to give the professional photographer an approximate number, so the sooner the better. Don't forget about the Behind the Scenes DVD (Viktor took some funny videos last week that you don't want to miss!)


T-shirt orders should hopefully be in next week. If you didn't order a shirt, we did order a few extras. Reach out if you would like one. I think that is all for this week. See everyone soon!


Kelly, Marie, and Viktor

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