Featured Programs: Ballet School at Bement

Janine Parker, Program Director

ABOUT THE PROGRAM
The Ballet School at Bement, located on the lovely Bement School campus in historic Deerfield, offers quality dance instruction for all area children ages 4 and up. Classes are age-appropriate, helping students discover the beautiful world of dance, music and art while teaching them correct technique as they progress through the levels. In the Children's Division (Creative Movement, Pre-Ballet and Primary) students will learn the very basic positions of the arms and legs, and the beginning elements of ballet class while also using their innately creative spirits to explore movement, mime and music. In the Lower Division (Levels 1 and 2) students will begin to study ballet in the tradition class format of barre and center work, including basic jumps and turns, while slowly building the strength and coordination necessary for progression. Class work in the Upper Division (Levels 3, 4, and Intermediate) increases in complexity and difficulty as the students become stronger and more sophisticated in their ability to move in an expressive, musical, and coordinated way. Female students will begin pre-pointe and pointework in Level 3; Modern Dance is offered to students in Levels 3 and up. The mandatory number of lessons per week is necessary for students to master and maintain the material. All students of The Ballet School at Bement will have performance opportunities, including the end-of-year presentation.

JANINE PARKER, PROGRAM DIRECTOR AND TEACHER
Janine Parker has been teaching for over twenty years, and danced with various ballet and modern companies in the Boston area. She has had a long affiliation with the Boston Ballet School, serving as faculty member, Associate Principal in the Boston studio and Assistant Principal in the Newton studio. Ms. Parker ran the Children's Dance Extension Division at the Walnut Hill School for Performing Arts in Natick, MA, for four years; during that time she was also the Assistant Director for Walnut Hill's Summer Dance Program. Locally, Ms. Parker was the Artistic Director for Pioneer Valley Ballet from 2003-2005; she has been an adjunct faculty member at Williams College since 2003, and at Deerfield Academy since 2010. Ms. Parker has written extensively about ballet and dance for The Boston Globe, The Boston Phoenix, and other publications.

DRESS CODE
Be sure to purchase all items, particularly ballet slippers and pointe shoes, at a dance supply store, such as KDS in Greenfield (413-773-7816) – there will be staff who know how to properly fit children. Only close-fitting ballet sweaters are allowed to be worn, if desired, in colder weather.
Note about hair: Students' hair must be neatly pulled off of face at all times, in a ponytail, pigtails or ballet bun for girls in the Children's Division, and in a ballet bun for all girls in Levels 1 and higher; in a ponytail for boys with long hair.

CHILDRENS DIVISION:
See specific leotard colors and styles just below. No decorations, jewelry or skirts, please. Girls wear pink ballet slippers with white ankle socks (pink footed tights if desired in colder weather); Boys wear WHITE short-sleeved boy's leotard or tee-shirt, white ballet slippers, , black lycra shorts, short white socks.
Creative Movement: Girls: LIGHT PINK cotton or cotton blend tank-style leotard
Pre-Ballet 1 and 2: Girls: WHITE cotton or cotton blend tank-style leotard
Primary: Girls: LIGHT BLUE cotton or cotton blend tank-style leotard
LOWER AND UPPER DIVISIONS
See specific leotard colors and styles just below. No decorations, jewelry or skirts, please. All girls in Levels 1 and higher must wear their hair in a ballet bun. Girls wear pink ballet slippers with light pink “convertible” ballet tights; Boys wear WHITE short-sleeved boy's leotard or tee-shirt, white ballet slippers, , black ballet tights, short white socks.
Level 1: Girls: LILAC cotton or cotton blend tank-style leotard
Level 2: Girls: NAVY cotton or cotton blend tank-style leotard
Level 3: Girls: BURGUNDY cotton or cotton blend tank-style leotard
Level 4: Girls: FOREST GREEN cotton or cotton blend tank-style leotard
Intermediate: Girls: DUSTY ROSE cotton or cotton-blend camisole or tank leotard
POLICIES
∞ Please respect The Bement School's lovely, safe campus by supervising your child/ren and any of their friends at all times before and after their class. The Polk Building also houses the library and offices; children must not run or make excessive noise in the hallways.
∞ In order for your child/ren to remain focused and engaged during class, visitors are not allowed in the dance studio except during Open Houses; please keep window “peeking” to a minimum as younger students are easily distracted.
∞ Please arrive at least 10 minutes prior to each class so that your child/ren will be calm and ready to dance. Dance classes are designed to warm up the muscles in a logical sequence, so students who are late may be asked to sit and observe in order to prevent possible injury.
∞ All classes for each level are mandatory; if a student is injured, he or she should still come and observe class; if you know that your child will be missing a class due to illness or any other reason, please leave an e-mail or phone message. Make-ups may be made in the level immediately below the student's level.
∞ If a student must permanently withdraw from classes due to a serious injury or other medical condition, pro-rated tuition may be refunded upon receipt of a doctor's note. Tuition will not be refunded for any other reason.

The Ballet School at Bement
94 Old Main Street, PO Box 8
Deerfield, MA 01342
413.774.7061 x 130
theballetschool@bement.org