The Louisville Ballet School Community Association
First things first, what is The Louisville Ballet School Community Association (the “LBSCA”)? The LBSCA is The Louisville Ballet School’s community organization. It supports the Louisville Ballet School to further nurture and grow the art of dance within our school, as well as provide a way for School families, students of all ages, and staff to interact with one another so as to foster our community. Every student and their parents are members of the LBSCA and benefit from its efforts. Indeed, the LBSCA had an incredible 2018 – 2019 school year! Last year the LBSCA’s fundraising efforts included spirit wear sales, a bake sale at the Nutcracker auditions, hosting the Sugar Plum Parties during the run of the Nutcracker at Kentucky Center, the sale of Nutgrams to the Nutcracker cast, hosting a Tea Party at the matinee performance of Cinderella for princesses and princes both young and old, and flower/merchandise sales at the Spring Dance Festival! These events were all led and made possible by our amazing volunteers and corporate, as well as individual sponsors! Because of the LBSCA’s fundraising efforts, we were able to contribute money to the School to make the following improvements: new paint in the reception area; new tile flooring in the reception and kitchenette; removal of a wall to create a café with seating adjacent to the kitchenette; addition of School logo and name over reception desk; and relocated and updated the faculty lounge and procurement of seating options in the gallery area for students and families. Electrical ballasts throughout and lighting in the gallery were repaired. Emergency signs/lighting and sprinklers were checked and several fire extinguishers were added in compliance with the fire code. Additionally, the buildout of an unfinished studio was started in December of 2018 with a targeted completion date before the 2019 – 2020 school year starts! Our goal of continuing to create a welcoming, bright, and up-to-date space continues into the 2019-2020 school year!
We also used proceeds from our fundraising sales to support our Pre-Professional students! Specifically, we polled the Pre-Pro Dancers to find out what they wanted in their space and used the results to make improvements to their dressing room! We also fueled our Pre-Pro dancers with fruit, pizza, and sweet treats throughout the year! Thanks to a generous donation from Coit, we had the carpets cleaned at both studio locations. We also invested time and energy into fostering our school’s community, by creating the Ballet Buddy Mentor Program. A number of Pre-Pro students volunteered to be mentors to the Classical Ballet Students. It was amazing to see the relationships blossom and the awe in which the younger dancers had for their mentors. This program will continue into the 2019 – 2020 school year! Thanks again to our Ballet Buddies, who made the program such a success last year. Pre-Pro students who are interested in applying should be on the look-out for the upcoming application period.
Building a strong community is key to the success of our School, which is why the LBSCA also hosts Teacher Appreciation and Student Appreciation events in conjunction with the Parent Observation Weeks during the year. To ensure that the LBSCA can continue to community build and support the School, the LBSCA will be collecting a $10.00 membership fee per student/$20 maximum per family when you enroll, so that we can continue to expand our impact in our School and for our students. Please contact the School if this fee will cause a financial hardship to your family. We look forward to getting to know you over the coming year! We also invite you to our community meetings and to volunteer throughout the school year. Volunteer Forms will be available at the Front Desk, if you are interested in sharing your time and talent with the LBSCA and The Louisville Ballet School.
Thank you again for all that you do to make The Louisville Ballet School great!
Tanya Bowman, LBSCA president
Sugar Plum Party Sponsorship Form 2019
Volunteer to Help with the Sugar Plum Parties
Looking for a way to be more involved with The Louisville Ballet School? Consider joining the LBSCA Board!
It is a wonderful way to participate with the daily functions and support our outstanding school. There are several positions open for the next school year. Each position is a two-year commitment. For most positions, you will be paired with someone already familiar with the responsibilities for the first year. We have six board meetings a year. Duties specific to each position are listed below. If you will be willing to join the LBSCA Board, please indicate which areas would be of most interest to you and return to the school office by Friday, May 15th . Contact Tanya Bowman at tbowman@fbtlaw.com for more information. Please consider sharing your talents with the LBSCA Board!
Please consider sharing your talents with the LBSCA Board!
Positions Open for the 2020-2021 School Year:
President-Elect: 1 year as President; and 1 year as Past-President. (1 Person Needed)
Vice President: 1 year as President-elect; 1 year as President; and 1 year as Past-President. (1 Person Needed)
Sugar Plum Party Chairs: Organize and coordinate annual Sugar Plum Parties in December during the matinee performances of the Brown Forman Nutcracker. Note: given that COVID-19 may affect this event, the Chairs would need to plan accordingly. It is a wonderful community-building and fundraising event for the School. (3 People Needed)
Community Events & Fundraising Chair: Coordinates promotion of fundraising and community building events throughout the year including the Annual Nanz & Kraft Holiday Open House and the Nutcracker Children’s Cast Audition Bake Sale. The Chair is tasked with planning events for the parents and supporters of The Louisville Ballet School to help advance the school’s community building and fundraising efforts, which will be approved by the LBSCA Board and approved by the school administration. (2 People Needed)
Ballet Buddies (Mentorship Program) Coordinator: Chair oversees organization and coordination of the Ballet Buddies Mentorship Program between the Classical Ballet Program and Pre-Professional Programs. The Coordinator works with School administration to drive the established Mentor application and selection process. Working as a resource providing reminders of the set standards and expectations to the Mentors selected from the Pre-Professional Program and guidance on how to connect and support their Buddies in the Classical Ballet Program throughout the school year. (This role would ideally be filled by a current parent of a Pre-Professional student.) (1 Person Needed)
Teacher & Student Appreciation: New for the 2020-2021 School Year! Coordinate teacher and student appreciation activities throughout the school year. (2 People Needed)
Health and Wellness Chair: New for the 2020-2021 School Year! This person should have a passion and commitment to health and wellness and be knowledgeable about the same. The Chair will support the school in developing and maintaining a healthier school environment, as well as promote the physical, emotional, nutritional, and mental health and wellness of the entire school community with a focus on parent-teacher education. The Chair will advocate and promote healthy living within the school community. The Chair will form a committee to help support programs and projects as needed by the school. (1 Person Needed)