|
|
|
|
|
2009 Newsletter | 2008
Newsletter | 2007 Newsletter
| 2006 Newsletter
| 2005 Newsletter
 As
fall, school starting and “Nutcracker” are upon us, I hope the memory of summer
days and a slower pace, give all renewed energy! It is time for Dance Kids of
Monterey County’s largest production of the season, “Nutcracker”!
This year’s production is made even more exciting by our return home to Sunset
Center! For four years, we have produced the ballet at the Morgan Stock Stage,
Monterey Peninsula College and have great memories. Our audience at MPC could
only be 348 while Sunset Center has a capacity of 750! Seating capacity was only
one reason for our decision, but a BIG one!
In the past few years, members of the community, the business sector and Sunset
Center board of directors have urged us, to consider a return “home”. The
increase in organizational fees after the renovation was daunting. Former Mayor
Ken White spearheaded a group of individuals and organizations including
Executive Director Peter Lesnik of Sunset Center, to solicit grants to help
defray expenses. Dr. Amy Roth and Roberta Bialek deserve special thanks for
their generous donation to facilitate the venue change.
These are troubled times in funding the arts. One major funding source has been
cut in half in the last week making the future of Dance Kids of Monterey County
in question. We are committed to Nutcracker, December 5, 6, and 7, 2008 at
Sunset Center, but beyond that point our future is in the hands of our audience,
parents, businesses and the community. Our plans for “Sleeping Beauty”, our
Spring Ballet, are in question. Dance Kids board of Directors are working on
ways to “Keep Dance Kids Alive!”.
We are asking for your financial support! I urge all of you to talk to your
friends and neighbors, service organizations, and business that are supported by
your family and tell them of our plight. We have a 15-year record of
accomplishment of providing high quality programs for the youth of Monterey
County. We need your help and we need it NOW-please do what you can to keep the
arts alive through Dance Kids of Monterey County.
I look forward to seeing all of you at Sunset Center, December 5th and invite
you to join us for the Gala Opening Night Reception at 5pm. In addition, YES,
KION-TV New Anchor Hunter Finnell will make a command performance appearance
this year as the ever-loving “Mother Ginger”. Hunter, we all love you, but easy
on the mascara!
See you at Sunset! ON with the show….
Alan
|
|
|
|
|
Dance Kids Family,
Where do I begin? I hold so much respect for Carol, following in her footsteps
as Dance Kids Artistic Director will be a challenge in itself. Thank you to
everyone who has believed in Dance Kids, giving me the chance to continue
creating magic on the stage.
We are already one month into Nutcracker 2008 rehearsals and are all so excited
to be returning to Sunset Center. Things are progressing very well as we move
forward looking forward to a breath taking performance from the cast. I look
forward to celebrating the holiday season with each of you at the theater.
Sleeping Beauty, our spring ballet, will be here before we know it. The fairy
tale classics are always a wonderful opportunity for families to enjoy together.
We will be looking forward to a beautiful Aurora and other leads from our
talented group of dancers.
Again, sincere thanks to each and every one of you for keeping a part of the
Dance Kids magic and family alive. I look forward to seeing you at the theater
for many more years……
With love,
Tia |
|
|
|
|
 Dear
Dance Kids Parents and Dancers,
After fifteen successful years of Nutcracker, I thought a walk down memory lane
would be an interesting topic. In 1993, I realized productions could not grow
without a non-profit entity to drive an organization. Setting about without real
knowledge of where the end was or how I was to get there….Dance Kids was born.
Until 1995, Nutcracker had been performed at the Carmel Ballet Academy. Yes, on
the very stage where Choreographer’s Night takes place, was the full length Nut!
With Dance Kids created, a board of directors in place (Sarah Felsinger being an
early presidential leader) the move to Sunset Center took place. As I look back,
a shaky beginning, yet a dream full of hope for the future of traditional ballet
in Carmel was begun.
During and after the renovation of Sunset Center, we were welcomed to Monterey
Peninsula College and found our home for some years. Once the dust had settled
after the renovation, we found the operational fees excessive for our Nutcracker
budget. There were contentious words and letters over that period between the
former executive director of Sunset Center, Jack Globenfelt and members of the
Dance Kids families. Our families believed we belonged at Sunset and the reality
of cost kept us away.
Artistically, Dance Kids grew as a dance and theatrical production company,
producing at the height of productivity, three productions and a month long
theatre musical camp directed by Gloria Elber. Our team grew and changed. Tia
Brown took over the artistic director tiara a year ago. Wonderful choreographers
touched many children’s lives over the musical and dance years of the
organization, many memories of songs and lyrics, costumes and sets, laughs and
serious moments and most of all, touching the lives of so many.
The years have pared some of the treasured productions due to financial
constraints and now we face another major cut in funding. Regardless of the
outcome, I am so grateful to parents, families, choreographers, teachers and
most of all the young people that I have had the joy to know.
The future of Dance Kids of Monterey County is in the hands of parents, the
community and the board of directors. It has a unique imprint of the arts;
ballet. Ballet is second only to opera as the most expensive art to produce.
Money is not unique, just scarce for the arts these days.
Please help if you can!
Dancingly,
Carol |
|
|
|
|
All rights reserved. Revised
March 5, 2008.
|
|
DANCE