Daphne Bennett School of Dancing

Dear Parents

This letter contains a lot of important information, so please read very carefully.

Thank you for allowing your child to take part in our school show "The Twelve dancing Princesses", to be held on Saturday 18th and Sunday 19th July 2009 at Arlington Arts Centre, Newbury. There are three performances on Saturday at 4.30pm and Sunday at 2.30pm and 7.00pm. There is a technical run-through at the theatre at 9.30am on Saturday 18th July, and the youngest children will be released between 11.00am and approximately 11.30am. Final Rehearsals for everyone in the cast will be on Sunday 5th July: with the Dress Rehearsal for everyone on Sunday 12th July, both at Burghfield Village Hall in Burghfield. Senior rehearsals and numbers with Coaching children will be held on Saturday 11th July in addition to the above rehearsals, also at Burghfield Village Hall.

"The 12 Dancing Princesses" will consist of two separate acts, with mainly the older dancers and Coaching children in the second half. The youngest children will be finished by 5.10pm on the Saturday and 7.40pm on the Sunday, and should be collected then, so you will need to make arrangements for this. On the Sunday they will be in the theatre from 1.00pm until the evening. Some parents may feel that this is quite a long time for Nursery age pupils, but from past experience, even the youngest children find this great fun and there is a real party atmosphere. We provide excellent supervision, the children bring a packed tea, and we provide fruit and plenty to drink. There are lots of activities for them, including Nursery videos, a play area, and even a sleep corner with duvets if they need a nap! We also provide opportunities for parents to visit between the shows, provided you have registered. Please note that once children are booked in for the performances, they are not able to leave the theatre unless in an emergency, because of Health and Safety Regulations, and the chaperones are responsible for them at all times.

The dancers are able to watch the second half of the show during the technical run-through if they wish. We know that a lot of the dancers find this an excellent opportunity, and like to stay in the theatre all day. Please make sure they have a packed lunch and tea in this situation.

Rehearsals: Although most work will take place during normal class time, there may be some extra lessons, and changes to timetable, so please be patient with us! It is vital that your child attends as many classes and rehearsals as possible, as they won't be able to do their best if they feel unsure. Once the work has been set the children become very bewildered if we have to make alterations or leave gaps where people are missing. Everyone must be available for the Final Rehearsals on 5th and 12th July at Burghfield Village Hall; and for the technical run-through at Arlington Arts Centre at 9.30am on Saturday 18th July.

Cost: There is a small charge of £20.00 per child per dance. This covers some of the costs of costume, lighting, scenery, rehearsals and theatre hire. Please now pay the charge of £20.00 per child per dance, in an envelope in cash only please, (please get a receipt from your teacher or Jane) as this goes into the show fund. There is a family maximum charge of £50.00, no matter how many numbers are performed, or how many children are dancing. Please put your child's name clearly on the envelope with your fee, and include the tear-off slip below, for our administration. Thank you. No child will be barred from taking part though lack of funds, as we always have a special contingency fund for this. Please speak to Miss Louise in confidence if you need special help. Any small profits made after costs will be put back into the school for new equipment. A professional video will be taken of the Sunday evening performance, and order forms will be available at the theatre, during the performances.

Help: We will need lots of help both before and on the day, particularly if you are able to do even simple pinning or sewing, or scenery making beforehand - nothing too difficult! Every group needs chaperones for each performance and rehearsal, so we need lots of helpers (particularly if you are a registered teacher, nurse, childminder, first-aider or are CRB checked). Please write your name on the branch notice board. We take our safety and security responsibilities very seriously: we really do need you on the day of the show. It can't go ahead without volunteers, and we need about ninety!! A short course will be run for chaperones in the afternoon of Sunday 5th July at Burghfield village hall, which you should attend if at all possible - there will also be printed sheets available, outlining duties.

Tickets: Tickets will be available from the Arlington Arts Centre from approximately the 27th April for all performances, with concessions for children, students and pensioners. Please do not leave booking tickets until too late - they sell out extremely quickly and parents are always very disappointed if they are unable to watch. The tickets will be £10.00 for adults with concessions for children, students and pensioners at £7.00. The number for the Box Office is 01635 244246 or www.ticketweb.co.uk.

Seating: Please let the Box Office know if you require a wheel chair space when you book your tickets. This is a Professional Theatre and access to dressing rooms and backstage areas will not be permitted by the Theatre Management unless you are registered to help and have signed in.

Please note that your child will not be able to sit with you unless you buy a seat for them, and they will only be able to watch the second half of the performance if they are dancing in the first half. It was extremely disappointing for the students previously, when the auditorium was half-empty for the second half of the evening performance, as so many parents had gone home having only watched the first half. It was particularly upsetting for those parents who hadn't been able to buy tickets at all, to find that they could have watched at least some of the performance. We are hoping to do a ticket-share with some parents who were unable to buy tickets, or who were chaperoning, Please let Jane know if you will not fully use your ticket, to arrange ticket-sharing.

We hope that you are all looking forward to the show as much as we are.

Best wishes to you all.

Miss Louise, Daphne, Jo, Joanne, Lauren, Sam, Sarah, Teresa

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

Names of Children .....................................................................................................

Branch .............................................................................

Email Address ................................................................................. Daytime telephone No.

o    I enclose a rehearsal/costume fee of £20.00 per dance in cash           No of dances .............................

Total: £…………………….. (maximum £50.00 per family)

Please put your child's name & branch on the envelope with the cash fee.

I can help with: ................................................................         o  I will ensure all rehearsals are attended

SIGNED:   ..........................................................................                DATE:

Please return this form with fee (in cash only, in a named envelope) to your class teacher or to Jane Coleman as soon as possible