Tag Archives: Raymond Van Mason

2021 Imagine Ballet Theatre Company Auditions January 30.

Imagine Ballet Theatre will be holding auditions for the company dancers Jan. 30, 2021 at our studios 2432 Washington Blvd. Ogden, Utah.  Registration will be at 9:30 am and costs $25.00,  the audition will begin at 10:00 am to 12:00.  Ages for the audition are 9 years of age and older.

Our Spring show will consist of smaller works created for the company by Christina Stockdale, Jessica Gabler, Matthew Rees, Isabella Willie and Raymond Van Mason.  Of course it will

“Crossroads of Ogden”

include Nutcracker and various other performing opportunities throughout the year.

Dancers must provide a resume and photo in first arabesque.  They must come ready to dance with a face covering at this time.  If they are in pointe shoes they should bring them as well.

Nutcracker Auditions for 2015

photo Nutcracker Auditions will take place Sept 12, 2015.  Imagine Ballet Theatre performs in the beautiful Peery’s Egyptian Theater with the New American Philharmonic Orchestra.  Performance dates are Dec 11,12,17,18 and 19th.

Ages 6 to 11 will register 9:30 to 10:00

Audition will take place from 10:00 to 11:30

Ages 12 and up will register 11:30-12:00

Audition will take place from 12:00-1:30 ( Ladies please bring pointe shoes)

Looking for: Soldiers, Party Boys and Rats, Parent roles, Gingerettes, Russians, Ladies in Waiting, Pages, Arabian, Spanish, Waltz and Snow Corp and Angels.

The cost for the audition is $25.00.

Please come ready to dance with a dance photo.

Nutcracker Perspectives! Thoughts from first-time dancers and seasoned professionals. Part 1

 Week four was a difficult weekend, I had two young dancers have to pull out of the Nutcracker due to some problems at school so they could concentrate on their studies.  I have always maintained that a dancers education is very important and must be a high priority,  however this has left me a bit short in a couple of numbers so I have to rework or find some replacements for these parts.  Never is an easy task getting this large show onstage.  We will make it because the show must go on! Right! Right!discovering tree

Nutcracker

                My favorite memory of performing the Nutcracker ballet with IBT is the very first year Ray choreographed it. Can you imagine being the first one to dance a part? To be the first one in a brand new costume designed to fit you? Of course, every corps member had one just like mine. But it wasn’t the same one. And all of us together, we were dancing brand new choreography in our brand new costumes. It was magnificent. Never had I felt so beautiful in my life. My part is special. I performed Clara’s friend as a Party Girl, a Snowflake, a Flower, and Spanish. And I am very protective of those parts. I strive to help the people in them because I want them to look good, doing my part. I, myself, work very hard at the new parts I’m given, because those parts had an original person to them too. They even had multiple people before me. My mother role that I have now was even played by a dancer who danced with Ray at Ballet West. Nobody can tell me that isn’t intimidating.

The best part about dancing with IBT is I’m lucky enough to not get 1 part, but more than one. And some schools, you get one, and you even share that part with another person. But I will never complain if it gets cut down because we have more people. Why shouldn’t other people get the opportunity to dance with us? Can you imagine watching a little girl take your spot that you had originally, and dancing it the best she can? I remember the joy I had when I performed Spanish and I love seeing other people get the opportunity to do it.  Written by Tessa Parkinson

Third week of Nutcracker rehearsals, took back seat to a show by the Choreographer Carrie Lee Miles “Gatherings” which took place Saturday night at the Peery’s Egyptian Theater.  However, we did do a bit with our Angels and I might say they are retaining and remembering rather well.  I worked with Tessa Parkinson on her new role as Snow Queen.  I have had Tessa as part of the company since 2003 which was the first year we IBT.  She is a very conscientious dancer and thinks about everything, it is finally her turn to shine in this new role. Tessa

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Imagine Ballet Theatre is now into it’s second week of Nutcracker ballet rehearsal and already the magic has begun.  I would guess I might be considered the seasoned professional around here, as this will be the 42nd year I have been involved with Nutcracker. First I danced as a child with Ballet West and then I danced with the company for 17 years, moving from the corps to Principal dancer, and later as a guest artist for Clytie Adams School of Ballet (Utah), Ballet Etudes (Phoenix), West Virginia Ballet, Ballet Pacifica (California), Dance West Ballet (Chicago), Grandiva Ballet (Japan), Tyler Texas Ballet. Eight years ago I created my own Nutcracker ballet for IBT in Ogden, Utah.

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It’s hard to believe we are two weeks into Nutcracker rehearsals! This past Saturday we had our second angel rehearsal. These are some of our youngest and newest dancers. In this number, at the opening of Act II, the dancers hold candles. During rehearsal we have the dancers practice by holding a water bottle to get used to the weight. A couple of dancers were holding magic wands. Suddenly, one of the youngest dancers — I believe she is 4 — tapped me with her wand and informed me that I was now a frog. So I obliged her and got down on all fours and started jumping.  I asked for a kiss on the cheek so I could become a prince and she said no. Finally, after a lot of laughter she tapped me and made me a prince.  Back to rehearsal we went.

Imagine Ballet Theatre Summer Intensive 2013 in full swing!

Mendez

Dance

The beauty of dance is beautiful as the universe, as the sun and shines every morning upon awakening, the dance is all passion and love for her, where you express your feelings, is that I’ve been in my soul. I encouraged at all time, if you concentrate and elevate your thought got here away let yourself go for the music and movements, the dancers are what make and give joy, is what the heart expresses do not let go live with her dance, live dance, enjoy it more and more , love dance.

Maria Alejandra Mendez from Bogota, Columbia age 14

 

 

 

I’ve Been Dancing for All My Life

by Abby Hardin

 

 

I’ve been dancing for all my life and what do I have to show:

 

some battered feet, a vulnerable heart, and an unassured ego.

 

You look in the mirror

 

and cringe in fear

 

of the image reflected back.

 

You make a mistake,

 

and your insides quake,

 

embarrassed of the skills that you lack.

 

 

As you stand in row,

 

your envy grows,

 

as everyone else seems to put on a show.

 

You think that you are progressing too slow,

 

and every critique feels like a final blow.

 

 

What am I doing?

 

Why am I here?

 

My heart is renewing

 

all my old fears.

 

Why do I do this day after day?

 

What has it brought me but stress and decay?

 

I should just leave without any delay.

 

But no matter what, I always will stay,

 

time after time, day after day.

 

I shrug on the leotard, pull on the tights,

 

and tell myself that it will turn out all right.

 

My own insecurities made me lose sight

 

of why I dance each and every night.

 

 

For when this first started,

 

when my first dance class began,

 

I had a dream of being the best dancer I can.

 

Visions of elegance and beauty swept through my head,

 

and I twirled ‘round my room instead of going to bed.

 

And now I’ve seen glimpses, a fleeting glance,

 

of how I’ve always wished I that could dance.

 

And every new day, I get the chance

 

to see how far that I can advance.

 

I’ve come a long way since I first began,

 

but I’m only beginning to understand

 

that dance may be hard and scary and tough.

 

It will beat you down before it builds you back up.

 

The journey is difficult, the road long.

 

But it’s worth every minute because it’s where I belong.

 

 

I’ve been dancing for all my life and what do I have to show:

 

some iron feet, a hopeful heart, and the boundless ability to grow.

Spring2013-poster

Gary Flannery

Gary Flannery will be joining IBT Summer Intensive next week so get your Fosse on!

DANCE

Dance to the waves of the sea
Dance with the wind in the sky
Dance to be all you can be
Dance for who knows why
Dance with the leaves in the breeze
Dance to the water in a brook
Dance let your mind be at ease
Dance close your eyes, don’t look
Dance with the light from the sun
Dance with the stars in the dark
Dance and spin until you’ve spun
Dance through the city and the park
Dance to the whistle of the weeds
Dance in the puddles of reflection
Dance to fill your needs
Dance to strive for perfection
Dance to the drops of rain
Dance with the birds in the trees
Dance because there’s something to gain
Dance just dance, please
By Danielle Lee Dreis

Danielle grand jete

“Performance”
By: McKayla Woods
Air filled with voices and the sound of shoes.
Up next the dance will be to a song of the blues.
The dancers look perfect their hair is just so.
They get in position, the music starts low.
Dancers move smoothly, lovely and grand.
The dance ends beautifully and the crowd cheer and stands.
Mckayla

Dance

Dancing is like a dream

where you can be anything.
From a swan, to Giselle
even a King!
So many aspects of dance
and just to name a few;
There’s modern, ballet, jazz and more
just make sure not to miss your cue!
By: Sierra Miles
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daniellephoto
Costume Designs by Oswaldo Muniz, who is also here staging Pas De Quatre and First Regiment from Stars and Stripes.
He is also teaching for IBT Summer Intensive.  The costumes will be on display August 2, 2013 along with a program that starts at 7:00 pm featuring Costume Designs and Dance cost $5.00 as part of the Ogden First Friday Art Stroll.

Dancers as Art! at IBT Studio Theatre Feb 1, 2013 Ogden Art Stroll

Catherine Aoki
YAGP Denver 2011
Placed 3rd Classical and Contemporary

Please join us for the Ogden City Arts Stroll Feb 1, 2013 from 6:00 to 9:00 and and see Dancers as Art.  They will perform classical variations from Giselle, La Bayadere, Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake and the Fairy Doll.  As well as new works created for the Youth America Grand Prix semi-finals in Los Angeles California.  We have 5 exceptional dancers that will be dancing for you Catherine Aoki, Emma Chase, Madeline Compas,  Danielle Dries, and Ashleigh Richardson.

 

Bryan Smith of Only in Ogden a year at the ballet! Julie Myers: Masks inspired by Nutcracker!

Bryan Smith has taken photos of A Night to Remember with the Kruger Brothers, Alice: Adventures in Wonderland, Rocky Mountain Choreography Festival, The Fairy Doll, Peter and the Wolf and Nutcracker which will be on display at Ogden’s First Friday art stroll at the studios of Imagine Ballet Theatre.  Julie Myers has created Masks inspired by characters from the Nutcracker from Clara to the Snow Queen.  You will also be able to view a Nutcracker rehearsal in progress in the studio as well.  Some come and join us for a festive evening.