News and Updates

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Term 1 2012 begins on February 7th. We are looking forward to seeing everyone again and welcoming new members to our MEBA family.

Our 2012 Timetable is now on the Timetable page. Also, check out our 2012 Newsletter which can also be downloaded, and updated fees page.

As a settling in process it would be appreciated if there were no spectators in Vocational classes (Intermediate Foundation upwards) for the time being.

Congratulations for making the Finals of the Prix de Lausanne, Brooke! We are very proud of you.

Brooke has been offered 7 full scholarships at the Prix de Lausanne.

*Royal Ballet School, which she has accepted, to start in September.

*San Francisco Ballet School

*Houston Ballet's Ben Stevenson Academy

*John Neimeier Ballet School, Hamburg

*John Cranko School, Stuttgart

*Munich Ballet Academy

* La Scala, Milan

Brooke in Trafalgar Square, London, at the beginning of her big adventure.

Outside the Royal Ballet School.

In Lausanne.

Practising variation on stage.

Contemporary coaching

Finals

Congratulations and good luck to Olivia James-Baird, who is leaving mid February to train at the Professional Ballet Coaching Academy on the Gold Coast, Queensland. MEBA wishes you well!

Congratulations to Thealyssa Ng for being offered a Full Time place at The National College of Dance in Newcastle, Australia. She recently attended the summer school there, from the scholarship she received at the AHA Awards in 2011.

We are thrilled that Kaena Ahern, Ariana & Katie Hond and Brooke Ray have all successfully auditioned to compete in the finals of Youth America Grand Prix in NYin April !

Well done to Jasmine Mexted for receiving the 'Excellence' award in Advanced 1 & 2 at the January 2012 Auckland Academy of Dance seminar. Congratulations to Kate Turner for winning the 'Excellence' award in Advanced Foundation and Lina Robertson for receiving the Incentive Award. Congratulations also to Rachel Young for her 'Excellence'award in Intermediate and Breanna Drummond for winning the 'Excellence' award in Intermediate Foundation.

Alex Cambie is doing very well and loving her training at Ballet West, Salt Lake City. She has been performing regularly with the company. Recently Alex received a scholarship to attend Pacific Northwest Ballet's Summer Intensive and she has also been chosen to represent Ballet West in Youth America Grand Prix.

Congratulations to all the MEBA students who did so well at the 2011 Caledonian Competitions! You helped MEBA win the 'Highest Points in the Ballet Section'.

Here are some of the results...

Imogen McGill - Winner of the Sir John Logan Campbell Trust Ballet Award

                        - 2nd Place Ora Burnett Jazz Award

                        - Runner Up Pre Senior 14/ under 16 Ballet Scholarship

                        - Most Entertaining Item for Demi Character

                        - Most points Pointe & Classical Variation

                        - Most Outstanding Solo Performance Ballet Section

Ariana Hond - 2nd Place Sir John Logan Campbell Trust Ballet Award

Brooke Ray - 3rd Place Sir John Logan Campbell Trust Ballet Award

                     - Winner Pre Senior 14/ under 16 Ballet Scholarship

Molly Pragert, Ling Zhang, Kaena Ahern, Olivia James- Baird, Melody Martin, Natalie Welch - Finalists in Sir John Logan Campbell Trust Ballet Award

Kaena Ahern - Winner Senior 16/ over Ballet Scholarship

Melody Martin - Winner Senior 15/ over Jazz Scholarship

Thealyssa Ng - Winner of 1 week Scholarship to NZSD

                        - Most Promising & Versatile 12/ over

                        - Winner Classical Variation

Leah Winters - 2nd Place Classical Variation

                      - Winner Intermediate 12/ under 15 years Jazz Scholarship

Katie Hobson- Brown - 3rd Place Classical Variation

Thomas McClintock - Winner of the President's Award ( for Most Entertaining Item) for his Character dance.

                                 - Most Promising & Versatile Under 12

                                 - Winner of Junior 10/ under 12 Ballet Scholarship

Katerina Hond - Runner Up Most Points Solo Dances

                        - Most Outstanding Classical barefoot any age

Finn Roberts - Nominated for the President's Award

Larissa Kiyoto- Ward - Winner Juvenile Under 10 Ballet Scholarship

FOR YOUR INTEREST...

Shock news from the Royal ballet!

http://www.roh.org.uk/news/sergei-polunin-resigns

Steven McRae

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/theatre/dance/8473998/Steven-McRae-Dancing-at-full-throttle.html

http://www.guardian.co.uk/stage/2011/nov/06/ballet-russia-isabella-mcguire-mayes

Congratulations RNZB! See below...

http://www.ballet.co.uk/2011/11/pr-2011-uk-national-dance-awards-nominees-announced/

Lauren Cuthbertson

http://www.guardian.co.uk/stage/2011/oct/30/lauren-cuthbertson-ballet-manon-interview

New National Contemporary Dance Company Initiative – Dance – Culture – New Zealand Listener

www.listener.co.nz
Seeing Sylvie Guillem and Russell Maliphant inspired choreographer Shona McCullagh to launch a national company that might attract similar-sized audiences for contemporary Kiwi dance.

Alexander GrantRIP

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/03/arts/dance/alexander-grant-dancer-with-royal-ballet-dies-at-86.html

Ex MEBA pupil, Rebecca Jensen, is busy dancing in Melbourne. Rebecca trained at Victoria College of the Arts.

 http://lanewaymagazine.com.au/?dancehouse-document/

Dancehouse – DOCUMENT | Laneway - Melbourne Talks Melbourne

lanewaymagazine.com.au

Roger Nelson reviews Sandra Parker's DOCUMENT at the Dancehouse.

http://www.bellaunion.com.au/p?rogram_guide/show_465/

Bella Union | Plan Your Night

www.bellaunion.com.au

Launch Date: 14th September, 2011Show length: 45 minutesPresenter: Jo LloydWebsite:http://jolloyd.alphalink.com.a?u/

Ethan Stiefel

http://www.guardian.co.uk/stage/2011/jul/10/ethan-stiefel-new-zealand-ballet

NEW DIRECTOR OF ROYAL BALLET COMPANY IS APPOINTED.

londondance.com : New Director for the Royal Ballet

www.londondance.com

Kevin O’Hare is to be the new Director of the Royal Ballet, succeeding Dame Monica Mason who retires in 2012. He has been Administrative Director of the Company since 2009 and says: “This is a great honour for me. Under Monica Mason’s inspired leadership The Royal Ballet has had a great ten years.

??????????, ??????????... Check this out!

http://www.ziln.co.nz/channel/tempodancetv 

Alex at YAGP

Alex at Prix de Lausanne

GRADE 6, 7 AND 8

These are beautiful grades with particular emphasis on dance quality and musicality. We recommend it for Vocational students to help with the quality of their work and to give them the option to continue with Free Movement and Character styles. It is also good for those who would like to keep doing ballet but without pointe work and attending lots of classes per week.

*We strongly recommend children who sat Grade 5 last year do Intermediate Foundation before, or as well as Grade 6. For this age we think it best to sit he Grade 6 exam next year but think attending Grade 6 will be extremely helpful for artistry in Intermediate Foundation. All Upper Grades (Grade 6, 7 and 8) require maturity, especially Grade 8 (like Solo Seal of the Grades).

Please Help Us Look After Our New Studios

Please refrain from eating in the studios and bathrooms! 

Please protect our floors...no street shoes in studios!

Absolutely no chewing gum!!!!

Also... if we have big classes in smaller studios (these will be rotated so not same classes in small studio each week), it may help to not have spectators? If the dancers are too squashed, please respect this, especially if blocking barre space!