"Dance Up" Summer 2009 - The Newsletter of The Wooden Floor

danceup summer 2009

providing Hope and Opportunity Through Dance, Academic and Family Programs

Saint Joseph Ballet melanie ríos glaser, executive and artistic director

in the first person Melanie Ríos Glaser O thou lord of life, “ Mine, send my roots rain.”

Gerard Manley Hopkins

Can dance end poverty?

We begin with the body in dance because it is the structure of our humanity, a root shared by every human being on earth.

Dance frees the body, it animates the spirit and hope surfaces. The dance we value at Saint Joseph Ballet is about possibility and expansion.

You feel a sense of accomplishment and you yearn for more—you are able to discern opportunity.

Self-actualization is the goal.

We are working arduously to keep offering the inextricable programs of dance, academic and family services to our youth in this economic climate.

If you are able, I ask you, help us stay strong-send our roots rain. For all of you who do, I thank you on behalf of all the young lives that you have moved out of poverty and into the dance of possibility.

Thursday - Sunday May 28-31

Friday May 29

Thursday October 1

From Here…

Experience a performance that unites choreographers who are shaping dance today with a cast of over 100 young artists.

Tickets available through the Irvine Barclay Theatre online at www.thebarclay.org or call 949-854-4646.

Choreographer’s Chat Enjoy a free pre-concert Choreographer’s Chat at the Irvine Barclay Theatre hosted

by Executive and Artistic Director, Melanie Ríos Glaser and featuring guest choreographers Mark Haim, Jeff Slayton and Nami Yamamoto.

Fall Wine Tasting Benefit Join us for a delicious evening featuring a wine tasting of 90+ point rated wines. For early reservations and sponsorship opportunities, please contact Amy Larson at 714-541-8314 x40

supporter spotlight

Kathi Saage When Kathi Saage walks in at Saint Joseph Ballet, many of our young ones swarm around her with hugs. Kathi has been a member of the Saint Joseph Ballet family, as both a devout volunteer and financial supporter, for over a decade. Back in 1998, new to Orange County, she had read newspaper and magazine articles on Saint Joseph Ballet and decided she wanted to help the cause.

Saage volunteered as a teaching assistant for a ballet class, when the organization was based at its former Fourth Street location. “Since there was just one studio, the classes would have upwards of 70 kids in attendance. I helped the students learn dance steps, and helped with the crowd control that was necessary for a class of that size.” From there, Kathi volunteered often and passionately. Most recently, she has become synonymous with Saint Joseph Ballet’s annual reading program, helping to faithfully lead the program twice a week. “I adore the kids, that is obvious. But what also keeps me at Saint Joseph Ballet, versus another after-school program, is that I can see how very effective the programs are. I have been around long enough to watch a lot of these students grow up. I have seen them go from being uncertain they would make it, to finding an interest, a purpose, and then wanting to go to college.” She credits a lot of that success to the security and support students get at Saint Joseph Ballet, “It is so important that it is safe for these children to find out who they are, to grow up being nurtured, to push themselves harder than they felt they could previously do. It is brave to graduate high school when your peers are not.”

Kathi will be moving to Northern California this month and will be deeply missed. She leaves a lasting legacy of the power of volunteers to exert change. “When I think of Saint Joseph Ballet, I think of comfort. I could enter that building after a hard day, and all the bad stuff is instantly gone.” We know that it was her touch that lifted the spirits of her young mentees here and we are forever indebted to Kathi for her constant service.

2 Saint Joseph Ballet | summer 2009

From Here…

From Here…

May 28 – 30, 8 pm May 30 & 31, 2:30 pm Matinee Irvine Barclay Theatre

Tickets start at only $20 and are available through Ticketmaster and www.thebarclay.org or 949-854-4646

May 28th – 31st, Saint Joseph Ballet presents its 26th Annual Concert, From Here…

The performance is an uplifting combination featuring the youthful energy of a 100-person cast with the visionary artistry of the nation’s top contemporary dance choreographers: Mark Haim, Jeff Slayton and Nami Yamamoto. The transformation during the concert process for everyone involved begs the realization, “From here, you can go anywhere.”

“The biggest change was in me.” Jeff Slayton says of his time choreographing his new work, Tribute. “I have always been slightly afraid of teenagers, and have also shied away from working with a large number of dancers. I have found that I can do both and that these teenagers are far from scary.” Slayton created Tribute in homage to mentors Merce Cunningham and Viola Farber. Tribute elegantly weaves historical references with Slayton’s current sensibility.

Slayton’s piece will be served up alongside the work of Mark Haim and Nami Yamamoto. Says Haim: “Melanie Ríos Glaser says I make my best work here, and I must agree.” His piece, What Is Too Strong For Breaking, received ovations loud and long last year. “I felt so full of joy at the end of last year’s concert. I did not know there would be a reprise, but of course I kept my fingers crossed!”

Two-time Saint Joseph Ballet concert veteran, Nami Yamamoto returns to create a new piece, Flying with my shooting stars, speaking to the power of individual growth and attaining aspirations above and beyond how they were first envisioned. Once again, she strikes with searing, compassionate images.

Yamamoto invites puppeteer Matt Acheson and his endearing puppet Tony to collaborate in the dance. Yamamoto says, “When I am with the dancers at Saint Joseph Ballet, they always surprise me - they bring such a fresh and sincere quality to the stage. It’s almost like they are giving me an opportunity to discover something new and fresh.”

Media Sponsor Made possible in part by the Helen Sperry Lea Foundation and an award from:

save the date!

Fall Wine Tasting An evening to benefit Saint Joseph Ballet’s dance, education & family service programs.

Thursday, October 1, 2009 6:30 – 8:30 pm Join us for this 3rd Annual event, which brings together our supporters, Board and alumni.

This popular evening is once again generously hosted by John and Janice Markley. Known for his attention to detail, John has been working since last spring’s event to curate another amazing collection of wines, all rated 90 points or higher by Wine Spectator and Robert Parker. There will be 11 wines, 6 whites and 5 reds. The “headliner” will be Chateau D’YQuem Sauterne. As noted in the Wine Spectator, “Everyone should have the chance once in their lifetime to taste this, best in the world Sauterne.”

In addition to the wine tasting, hors d’oeuvres and desserts, guests will have the opportunity to meet Saint Joseph Ballet students and enjoy a short dance preview.

Over 170 guests attended last year’s event, so space is limited. Tickets are $175 per person. For early reservations and sponsorship opportunities, please contact Amy Larson (714) 541-8314, ext. 40, or Amy@SaintJosephBallet.org.

Education Update q The current average GPA for q 82 students are currently In addition to dance Saint Joseph Ballet students enrolled in one-on-one classes and family services, is 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. tutoring sessions. Out of these one of the cornerstones 290 students have used the 82 students, 41 students with q of Saint Joseph Ballet’s Betty Hutton Education Center GPAs 2.0 or below are in since September 2008, working mandatory tutoring. successful outcomes is with 7 paid tutors and 5 q Of the 10 current students our free one-on-one volunteers specializing in that began the year in tutoring sessions. math and science. mandatory tutoring, 80%

averaged a 1.0 increase in GPA. q Evaluations for all students in tutoring are mailed to the student’s parents to keep them informed of their child’s progress.

Saint Joseph Ballet’s Class of 2009, alongside the organization’s Board of Directors.

Celebrate Saint Joseph Ballet’s Class of 2009!

Graduation Ceremony Friday, June 12, from 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm

The RSVP, please contact Ellen Reader at 714-541-8314 x24

For the fourth year in a row, 100% of Saint Joseph Ballet graduates plan to go on to college. This is three times the national average for their peers.

Many Saint Joseph Ballet students are the first in their family to not only enroll in college, but to graduate from high school. Congratulations to the Saint Joseph Ballet class of 2009. Support for Saint Joseph Ballet’s Pre-Collegiate Mentoring is made possible in part by The Junior League of Orange County, California, Inc.

Levi Cortes Orange Coast College Sindy De La Cruz University of California, Los Angeles Allison De León Northern Arizona University Eric Gama Santa Ana College Jacqueline Hurtado Cypress College Esbeydy Pardo California State University Fullerton Desiree Perez Orange Coast College

2009 Graduating Class Diana Aguilar Orange Coast College Jessica Camacho Wellesley College Cecilia Cano California Institute of the Arts Yesenia Capellino University of California, Santa Cruz David Carmona California State University Fullerton Rocio Cruz California State University Fullerton Evelyn Cortes Orange Coast College

Jocelyn Perez Santa Ana College Jeffrey Rodriguez California State University San Bernardino Rosselle Sandoval San Francisco State University Victoria Senechal California State University Riverside Viviana Sosa Santa Ana College Edna Tobias Santa Ana College Judy Tran University of California, Los Angeles

Based on their GPA’s, 17 students will be receiving 4-year college scholarships from Saint Joseph Ballet, ranging from $1,000 - $2,500 annually.

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Saint Joseph Ballet 2008-2009 Board of Directors Ernesto Vasquez, Board Emeritus AIA and Vice President, McLarand, Vasquez, Emsiek & Partners Socorro Vasquez, Board Emerita Community Leader Damien Jordan, Chair Senior Vice President, General Manager The American Funds Service Company Jim Slaughter, Vice Chair Attorney at Law, Slaughter & Slaughter LLP Jacob Preus, Secretary President, Concordia University Richard C. Hunsaker, Treasurer President, Hunsaker Management Joan Beall Community Leader Beth Burns Saint Joseph Ballet Founder and Artistic Director (’83-’05) Catherine Chase Senior Vice President, Credit Suisse Arlene Craig President, The Betty L. Hutton Title Holding Co. Vice-President, The Hutton Foundation Jim Driscoll Community Leader Frank Foster Principal, Residential Strategies, LLC Jan Foster Community Leader Ginnie Hunsaker Community Leader Yvonne M. Jordan Community Leader Juan Laguna Attorney at Law, Parent Representative Catherine MacIver Senior Vice President Bank of America Insurance Services Group Robert Mairena President, Office Solutions Donald McKayle Professor of Dance, University of California, Irvine Jacobé Murillo Parent Representative Cyrus Parker–Jeannette Chair, Dance Department California State University, Long Beach Larry Stofko Senior Vice President, Chief Information Officer Saint Joseph Health System Fernando Vivanco Director of International Communications Boeing IDS Support Systems Barbara Yingling Community Leader William Yingling III Community Leader Photos by: Mayra Avina, Kevin P. Casey, and Kathi Kent.

Saint Joseph Ballet thanks Pickle Group for graciously underwriting a portion of the cost of this newsletter.

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Sponsor a Star 127 students will arrive at the Irvine Barclay Theatre on opening night of Saint Joseph Ballet’s 26th Annual Concert, From Here… Next to the bright lights of the dressing room mirrors, the children will see their names displayed on large silver stars.

This moment represents months of rehearsals and Sponsorships can be made: q Online at www.SaintJosephBallet.org and clicking tremendous dedication. It also represents a personal evolution. When they take the stage and are witnessed on the “Make a Donation” button, select by an audience, these students start to realize that “The Star Campaign” as your fund. who they are and what they have to say matters – q By returning your sponsorship in the enclosed despite the odds many of them must overcome. donation envelope.

You can make a difference in the lives of low-income q Or, by contacting Ellen Reader at 714-541-8314 x24. youth by “Sponsoring a Star” today. Star Sponsorships start at only $25 per Student Star, $250 per Senior Sponsors of $250 and above will be invited to a Star and $2,500 per Choreographer Star. backstage tour to see their star(s).

Saint Joseph Ballet 1810 North Main Street Santa Ana, CA 92706 (714) 541-8314 www.SaintJosephBallet.org RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

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