Ballet

Dancers from Ballet and All That Jazz participated in the "Nutcracker" performances at local nursing homes, Valley Mall and Potomac Towers.

Photos from recent events at Ballet and All That Jazz

Members of Ballet and All That Jazz Tap Dancers performed in the National Cherry Blossom Parade on April 14 in Washington, D.C. There were a total of 650 tap dancers from all over the United States. Ballet and All That Jazz's spring recital is on Saturday, May 19, at the Maryland Theatre in downtown Hagerstown.        

On Saturday at The Maryland Theatre, the stage will be filled with dancers wearing ballet slippers, pointe shoes, tap shoes, character shoes, jazz shoes, hip-hop sneakers and going barefoot.  Ballet and All That Jazz, under the artistic direction of Ranelle Flurie, will present two shows at 2 and 7 p.m.  The matinee show consists of Little BITs (Ballerinas In Training), the school's youngest dancers with the preschoolers dancing as magical fairies.  The elementary ages will become childhood princesses.

The Potomac Classical Youth Ballet Company recently sponsored a collection of used eyeglasses, lenses, frames and cases in conjunction with its annual spring performance on June 8. The items collected were donated to the Lions Club of Halfway to benefit its "Gift of Sight" program. The program helps provide glasses to needy individuals. The ballet company's collection netted more than 60 pairs of glasses for the program. The Lions Club of Halfway will be holding its 2002 "Sight Night" this fall.

Ballet and All That Jazz seniors pose for their photo.

Dancers from Ballet and All That Jazz dance studio participated in a jazz camp in June with Bonnie Slawson of Motion Mania Dance Theatre.

Young ballerinas rehearse Thursday for the Ballet and All That Jazz spring recital. The dancers are, from left, Madison Mertz, Jade Grindle, Adrianna Shaeffer, Alexandra Wannell and Lexi Cabrera.

This weekend's performances by the Maryland Symphony Orchestra feature music written for the ballet. Each of the three works on the program are suites, or groupings of musical extracts, derived from larger theatrical works for dance. The practice of extracting sections of a large work to form a new one strictly for the concert stage was established in the 19th century, as a way for a composer to give "new legs" to music that might not otherwise be heard by audiences who favored the concert hall over the opera house or the ballet theater.

On Saturday at The Maryland Theatre, the stage will be filled with dancers wearing ballet slippers, pointe shoes, tap shoes, character shoes, jazz shoes, hip-hop sneakers and going barefoot.  Ballet and All That Jazz, under the artistic direction of Ranelle Flurie, will present two shows at 2 and 7 p.m.  The matinee show consists of Little BITs (Ballerinas In Training), the school's youngest dancers with the preschoolers dancing as magical fairies.  The elementary ages will become childhood princesses.

Jana Lyn Russell, 36, of Hagerstown, Md., and Edina, Minn., died Monday, March 4, 2013, peacefully at home surrounded by family. A precious child, Jana was the light of her family and many extended friends. At the age of 2, she was diagnosed with a tumor on her brain stem and bravely withstood surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation treatments. Despite the challenges brought on by surviving childhood cancer, Jana was ever-present with her mother in the ballet studio, in her leotard and at the barre, reminding us all that life is to be lived fully and without regrets.

The story is a fairy tale classic. Girl sweeps floor, then magically appears at royal ball and sweeps prince off his feet. There are fairy godmothers, magic pumpkins and a race against the clock — a surreal series of events all told with romance, humor and drama, as well as a happy ending. Throughout the years, the story of the peasant-turned-princess who loses a glass slipper has never lost its luster or appeal. And, today, the shoe still fits. For some, the enchantment of "Cinderella" has come from the pages of a book.

It's a hectic Saturday afternoon inside the City Ballet School at Hagerstown's City Centre. In an upstairs studio, children bump into each other as they scurry from one room to the next with costumes in hand. Parents help set up stage props, the artistic director tweaks a sequence of dance steps while  the music of Tchaikovsky plays in the background. It's December and another "Nutcracker" is being polished and assembled, piece by tinselly piece. There is attention to detail, enough hard work to make the floor shake and a commitment to creating magic.

Ballet and All That Jazz dancers to perform Act II of 'The Nutcracker' Dancers with Ballet and All That Jazz will perform Act II of “The Nutcracker” to those in the community who are not able to come to them.  The following is a list of performances: Monday, Dec. 3, Coffman Nursing Home,  6:45 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 4, Valley Mall (J.C. Penney),  7 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 5,  Western Maryland Hospital Center, 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 6, Broadmore Assisted Living, 7 p.m. Monday, Dec. 10, Potomac Center, 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 11,  Potomac Towers,  7 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 12, Homewood Retirement Village (chapel)

The dancers from Ballet and All That Jazz in Hagerstown have had a busy season. Seniors from the ballet studio's Class of 2012 performed together for the last time at The Maryland Theatre on May 19. The dancers included Sandra Solberg, Rachel Redmond, Mara Dennis, Ally Bowers, Carolyn Weaver, Jordan McNairn, Emma Conlon, Emily Seifarth, Casie Burk, Breanna Bailey, Brianna Roberts, Hannah Nichols and Tori Robinson. In June, dancers joined instructor Bonnie Slawson and learned contemporary, jazz and hip-hop routines.

Chambersburg Ballet Theatre will have an open house and fall registration from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 17, at the Wood Center at Capitol Theatre Centre, 159 S. Main St., downtown Chambersburg. Featured will be a performance of ballet students from the August Ballet Intensive, performing excerpts from "Swan Lake. " Tours of the studio will be offered, as well as information about the school. A seminar, "Hairstyles for Ballet," where student and parents can learn to make the "bun" hairdo, will be offered.

Dancers from the Ballet and All That Jazz dance studio in Hagerstown will participate in the annual recital Saturday. The 2 p.m. show features those ages 3 to 10 and the 7 p.m. show features the intermediate and advanced dancers.  The types of dance include modern, jazz, tap, hip-hop and classical ballet. The school is highlighting 13 graduating seniors each with their own dance solo.   Under the direction of Ranelle W. Flurie, the school was established in 1989 and will offer summer classes and dance camps in June.  Tickets for each show cost $5 and may be purchased by calling The Maryland Theatre box office at 301-797-2000.

They are focused on their preparation, pushing themselves toward a perfection that is ballet. There are hours of training, long days of rehearsal and time spent learning to balance the physical with the emotional. The strength, elegance and grace of movement won't happen overnight. But this is more than discipline and hard work. It's a love affair - one that began for many of the students when they were preschoolers, anxious to stand on their toes. They walked into a bright room with large mirrors, were taught the most delicate of moves from first position to fourth.

Members of Ballet and All That Jazz Tap Dancers performed in the National Cherry Blossom Parade on April 14 in Washington, D.C. There were a total of 650 tap dancers from all over the United States. Ballet and All That Jazz's spring recital is on Saturday, May 19, at the Maryland Theatre in downtown Hagerstown.