Dear Ms. Victoria,
  
I would like you to know how much I appreciated the Nutcracker performance this past December.  It surpassed all my expectation and it was so enjoyable to watch.  I was totally blown away by the beautiful choreography of the performance, and my senses were drenched by the gorgeous music, the superb dancing, and the romantic scenery the very moment the curtain rose.  I am sure everyone was impressed with Anton Korsakov.  He made me think of Baryshnikov right away.  I mean the gestures were so alike, and the dancing was just beautiful!  So you see how much I have enjoyed all the shows.  I said to my husband what a lovely surprise it was for Christmas.  I also think the show was more charming, endearing, and more intimate than a huge production where sometimes too much detail can be overwhelming.  I have also seen a few PBS (Public Television) performances of the Nutcracker and so far you are the best!
  
For me, the evenings and matinee were pure magic.  Thank you, Ms. Victoria, and bravo!!! 
Your new biggest fan,
 
Elizabeth Manz

    And finally we are happy to reveal the winners of our Nutcracker Survey Lotto. Thanks to everybody who participated by answering to our one question survey during the staging of The Nutcracker 2011.

    On Thursday, January 19, 2012 at 10 a.m. we invited the youngest students from the Kindergarten program of Arts and Science Academy of Canada to draw the ballot of the lucky winners of two tickets for the Gala Concert (Yearend Performance of Victoria Ballet Academy) that will take place in May 30, 2012 at 7 p.m. or a free trial class at Victoria Ballet Academy for two person of your choice.

And the winners are:

1. Vera Sposevski
2. M. Rossman
3. Angelina Fung
4. Stacie Goldin 

In addition to the ballot draw, the Academy chose few the most thorough answers in order to thank participants for their effort. They will receive a special treat from Victoria Ballet Company: a free trial class at Victoria Ballet Academy for a person of your choice.

1. Mikada Zambri
2. Sierra Darmaga
3. Dina Dehbiar
4. Kevin Johnstone
5. Nadia Nobce
6. April Methot
7. Yulia
8. Larissa

  Our Congratulations!

Victoria Ballet Company

One of representatives from York Media Group, Ms.Catherine, attended the much expected performance of The Nutcracker ballet staged by Victoria Ballet Company at the Richmond Hill Centre for the Performing Arts this past December 2011. Ms.Catherine was really impressed by the quality of the show and the warm reception by the audience. “This is the type of performance that the public is looking forward to seeing in our community. It promotes an understanding of ballet and music, two of the most beautiful fine arts and it also helps children to appreciate the beauty and splendour in each of them.” More than 2,000 people had the opportunity to watch the wonderful performance of world ballet stars, including Anton Korsakov (the Prince), from the Mariinsky (Kirov) theatre of St. Petersburg, Russia, and rising Canadian ballet stars Lisa Mironova and Anastasia Loskutov (The Princess), both alumnae of Arts and Science Academy The role of Little Mary (Clara) was performed by Rebecca Shemesh and Siena Thalassinos, our young students from the Professional Division of Victoria Ballet Academy. Other roles were performed by students of Arts and Science Academy of Canada and Victoria Ballet Academy. 

 During a conversation with Ms. Victoria Mironova, Artistic Director and Choreographer of Victoria Ballet Company, she indicated that  she was really happy about how warmly the audience had accepted the performance, and how it gave the audience a feeling of happiness, enthusiasm, and celebration. 

“These are some of our goals as we present the public with a beautiful art form such as ballet” said Ms. Mironova, and added: “I wish everyone a happy New Year, and we hope to see them again on December 14, 15, and 16, 2012 at the Richmond Hill Centre for the Performing Arts.” Meanwhile, Victoria Ballet Company is now starting castings for the next Nutcracker performance.

Dear students and parents,

We are excited to inform you that The Nutcracker’s DVDs are ready. If you already ordered yours, you can come pick them up at the office. If you haven’t done so already, hurry up! We don’t have many left. Please send your order to info@victoriaballet.com and don’t forget to indicate if you would like the Saturday’s or the Sunday’s performance DVD.
The price is $40 each.

Thanks,

Victoria Ballet Academy
Arts and Science Academy
7751 Yonge Street, Thornhill, ON
905-707-7585
www.balletacademy.ca
info@victoriaballet.com

As parents we are always doing what we believe is best for our children. I think
that one of the most important things we want for our children is for them to
be happy. But what about the “learning” experiences, the values, the discipline
we all know are needed to be a complete, mature, and productive human being?

A very interesting, and even ambivalent point, is how we want to protect our
children from any harm knowing, at the same time, that it is unimaginable for
anybody to grow and mature without experiencing at least some hardship.

To me, everything requires an effort. The difference between a fruitful effort
and a futile one resides on how much we enjoy what we do to achieve what we
want. For my daughter, and I am absolutely sure of this, dancing is the passage
through which she arrives at that sort of Promised Land where everything in the
horizon is worth the effort.

While I watched my daughter dance in The
Nutcracker, the splendid December 2011 ballet staged by Victoria Ballet
Company, I realized that it is only through a combination of discipline and
enjoyment that our children can achieve what they truly want, what they, beyond
any doubt, are meant to be and to do.

Yes, you cry and smile for a few minutes. She is up there, dancing, recreating, after
long hours of hard work, what talented artists wanted to share with the whole
word: A beautiful work of art, a fine, exquisite ballet piece now being
performed by our own children. She is combining the music and the very
difficult steps to take us to that beautiful, fleeting moment when for us proud
parents, everything is perfect.

I want my daughter to be happy, but also independent, self assured, strong, and
aware of other person’s needs.

Performing at The Nutcracker Ballet and of course the excellent training she has received at
Victoria Ballet Academy has given her one of the many keys I know will open the
doors to a life of achievements and happiness.

Alex,

(parent of one of VBA’s students)

Dear Parents and friends,

We are now receiving your orders for The Nutcracker DVD by email. Please
contact us at info@victoriaballet.com and do not forget to indicate if you
would like the Saturday’s or Sunday’s performance DVD. If ordered before
December 28 the price of each DVD is $35. After that, the price will be $40.

Thanks and Happy holidays to everybody!

Victoria Ballet Company

You are cordially invited to enroll your children (4-8 years old) for Winter Break Camp. The program will run from January 3 (Tuesday) to January 6 (Friday) 2012. You can choose any or all of the days. Our full-day program runs from 8 a.m. till 6 p.m. Ballet classes and hot meals will be provided. The fee is $60 per day. The camp is located in Thornhill at the intersection of Yonge and Centre streets. We are very close to public transportation.

Please contact us at 905-707-7580.
Vladimir Demine, Principal
Victoria Ballet Academy Canada
7751 Yonge Street, Thornhill, ON L3T 2C4,
www.victoriaballet.com
info@victoriaballet.com

Famous Russian ballet dancer Anton Korsakov (Mariinsky Theatre) and other international ballet stars, as well as young Canadian talents from Victoria Ballet Academy will dance for the respectful audience in the Nutcracker. This production of the Nutcracker has received great reviews as one of the best in Canada.

The day performance starts at 2 PM. on December 15, Thursday.
The evening performances start at 7 PM on December 16, 17 and 18.
The Ballet will take place in Richmond Hill Center for the Performing Arts, 10268 Yonge St., Richmond Hill
You can buy your ticket (from $32) by phone (905)787-8811 or online www.rhcentre.ca.

Do not miss a chance to escape with us to the dream and wonder of childhood fantasy and to start celebrating the season with a beautiful tradition.

The Nutcracker has been one of the most widely performed ballets in history. It’s first staging took place more than 100 years ago at the Imperial Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, Russia, in December of 1892.
Alexandre Dumas ―writer of Three Musketeers and The Count of Montecristo, among many other works― adapted the tale “The Nutcracker and the Mouse King” by E.T.A Hoffman. His version: “The tale of the Nutcracker” was the story used by renowned Ballet Master and Choreographer Marious Petipa and his assistant Lev Ivanov for the choreography. The music as it is well known was commissioned to the famous Russian composer Pyotr I. Tchaikovsky by Petipa with whom Tchaikovsky had already worked in Sleeping Beauty.
The most popular rendition of the Nutcracker was adapted by Vassily Vainonen, renowned Soviet choreographer, in St. Petersburg, Russia in 1934. His version, famous for the Snowflakes dance, still remains in the repertory of the Mariinsky theatre company to this day, and has been used by choreographers such as Mikhail Baryshnikov and Yuri Grigorovich. This same time-honoured version is the one being staged by Victoria Ballet Company. Nowadays many different versions are performed as this ballet has become a Christmas and a Holiday Season tradition for millions of people all over the world.
Now you know a little bit more about The Nutcracker, and whether you are participating as a dancer on stage or as a volunteer or member of the audience, we hope you will enjoy Victoria Ballet Company’s production staged under the Artistic Direction of Victoria Mironova and choreographed by both Victoria Mironova and Elena Dmitrieva and with International guest ballet stars.

Please don’t forget about our Sunday Rehearsal Dates on Sunday November 27 at 1 p.m. (for those dancing in the first act only), and December 4 and 11 at 1:00 p.m.

What’s in a dance? Graduates of Victoria Ballet Academy (class of 2011) share their thoughts and emotions on one of the dances performed at the annual Gala concert.