It's hard to believe the 2020-2021 Academy Year is nearing its close. May is our final newsletter of the season, with our final week of regular classes coming May 17-23. We’re so grateful you’ve chosen to be a part of our Academy community this year, whether in-studio or tuning in from home. It's been a pleasure to share our love of dance with your students and watch them continue to excel. We look forward to celebrating a successful season with you and welcoming you to our new Margaret and Michael Valentine Center for Dance very soon!

Spring Production 2021 is just around the corner! Have you marked these important dates on your calendar?

Sunday, May 9: Spring Production t-shirt preorders due

Wednesday, May 26 & Thursday, May 27: Main & Professional Training Division Dress Rehearsals 

Friday, May 28 & Saturday, May 29: Main & Professional Training Division Spring Production, with performances both nights at 7 PM

Saturday, May 29: Children's Division Spring Production, with performances at 11 AM & 3 PM

Final Spring Production packets will be headed your way via email as we get closer to our performance dates, with last-minute details about drop-off and pick-up, live-stream access, and more. If you've missed any of our previous communications about Spring Production, please visit the links below to review!

Specially designed Spring Production 2021 t-shirts are available by preorder only, and the deadline is this Sunday, May 9. Be sure to get your order in this week!

While the 2020-2021 Academy Year is coming to a close, we already have big plans in place for next year. We look forward to welcoming you back for the 2021-2022 Season… to our gorgeous and spacious new home on Gilbert Avenue!

Priority Registration: All current Academy families receive exclusive priority access to registration for the upcoming Academy Year. We anticipate opening enrollment after Spring Production and will be in touch with further details.

Placement and Evaluations: Main Division students will receive their 2021-2022 level placements as part of their year-end evaluations later this month, and Children’s Division students will receive theirs at the opening of priority registration. As we enter our new Margaret and Michael Valentine Center for Dance, our faculty leadership has been hard at work reimagining our programs for a more diverse and inspiring Academy experience. We can't wait to share our new program and class options with you in addition to our signature pre-professional ballet training.

We look forward to seeing you all again this fall!

We’re looking forward to a full summer of robust programs, from camps for our young dancers to intensives for advanced level students, we'll be continuing to inspire a love of dance for all in the coming months.

Limited space remains in Youth Summer Intensive Division I and in our August week of Kids Dance Camp. If you haven’t yet finalized your summer plans, we’d love to have you join us!

It’s not too late to join in the creative fun! Cincinnati Ballet’s Story Choreography Project provides a step-by-step introduction to sharing stories through dance, geared toward anyone in our community interested in participating. This year’s project is being conducted virtually and focuses on the "untold stories" in our own families. 

Over six weeks in April and May, we’re rolling out a series of choreography lessons online, alternating between self-paced videos one week and an interview with a choreographer the next. You can catch up on the first few weeks of lessons on our Facebook page and tune in for our next live Q&A with resident choreographer Jennifer Archibald, this Thursday May 6 at 6:30 PM. Can’t join in live? Submit a question to the choreographer in advance by clicking HERE. We can’t wait to see what you create!

Injuries: As dancers seek to finish the year strong, we want to remind you our friends at Mercy Health Performing Arts Medicine are available to support injured Academy students. Their after-hours, walk-in Acute Care Clinic is at 7575 Five Mile Road and open Monday - Friday from 5:00-9:00 PM. It's a great way to avoid the emergency room for minor injuries. Academy parents are also welcome to reach out to Mercy Health Athletic Trainer Kelly Jo Rodrigo with concerns or questions at 513.490.1599.

Water: Students attending in-person classes, don’t forget to bring your filled water bottle with you to every class, as water fountains remain closed at the Ballet Center. As temperatures heat up and class time focuses more intensely on performance preparation, hydration is more important than ever!

The new Margaret and Michael Valentine Center for Dance in Walnut Hills opens in just a few months! You’re invited to join us in a scavenger hunt designed for our Cincinnati Ballet community May 14 - 23. Participants will receive a kit with a map, clues, and other items to guide you through a series of puzzles at businesses, murals, and landmarks in the neighborhood. All activities are outside, socially-distanced, accessible, technology-free, and family-friendly. Participation costs $25. The hunt will take 3-5 hours total over the course of the week. We hope you'll join us!

April 16 - May 20: Story Choreography Project

May 9: Final day to preorder Spring Production t-shirts

May 14 - 23: Cincinnati Ballet Walnut Hills Scavenger Hunt 

May 17 - 23: Last week of regular classes

May 21 - 23: Ballet in the Park

May 26 - 27: Dress Rehearsals for Main Division

May 28 - 29: Spring Production 2021

Congratulations to our Professional Training Division dancers, who will be featured as part of Cincinnati Ballet’s spring Ballet in the Park performances later this month at Seasongood Pavilion. We know these promising young dancers will make our Academy and our organization proud!

OTTO M. BUDIG ACADEMY  |  1555 Central Parkway  | cbacademy@cballet.org  |  513.562.1111