Saturday, March 28, 2020

Zoom Class Schedule: March 30, 2020–April 3, 2020

To view the March 30, 2020–April 3, 2020 OBT School Zoom class schedule please see the Important Information section of the blog or click here.

Friday, March 27, 2020

OBT School Update - March 27, 2020

OBTS CONNECTS!
Announcing the launch of Oregon Ballet Theatre School’s brand new online learning programs for dancers – OBTS CONNECTS!

Beginning, Monday March 30 registered students of OBT School will have access to new and exciting ways to experience ballet and contemporary training, plus a myriad of learning opportunities related to ballet and dance in general.

OBTS CONNECTS!  OBT School offers three fundamental sections of online learning through Google Classroom.  You will be receiving more details on links, etc.

  1. There will be curriculum content and ballet barre exercises on video for all levels, including notes from your teachers.  Each student will be provided a link allowing them access to their classwork.  You may add your own videos of work from the barre exercises and receive feedback from your teachers, or submit an exciting dance creation of your own to share with others.
  2. You can look forward to working with your teachers in your ‘at home’ studio via our Zoom ‘live’ classes.  Students will have the ability to enjoy ongoing classes in the safety of their homes while sharing a new virtual dance experience with classmates.  You will receive a weekly Zoom class schedule, which may include exciting contributions from company members and guest teachers.  If a scheduled class time does not work into your current schedule, it may be viewed at a later day or time.
  3. The Enrichment section will include an amazing array of special offerings including reading lists, performance videos, projects, ‘how to’ videos, dance history, conditioning/flexibility/wellness information, TED Talks, music education, and much more.
Your OBT School teachers, pianists and staff are in creative mode, and very excited to present ballet and dance in a new way.  We certainly miss seeing you all, and cannot wait to get back in the studios again.  For the time being, we are hoping to CONNECT with you in the virtual world.

All the best and in good health!

Marion Tonner
School Director

Wednesday, March 18, 2020

OBT School Update - March 18, 2020

We write to update you that with yesterday’s announcement from Governor Brown extending the statewide school closures through April 28, OBT School is following suit regarding the continued suspension of all classes, workshops, rehearsals, and activities. We thank you for your continued patience as our organization works through the best and most fair response to the continued closure.

Our staff is compiling resources and information for our student body to offer a personal conditioning regimen from home. These online resources will be compiled to encourage everyone to stay connected to, inspired by, and engaged with OBT and the art form in the weeks to come.
 

OBT School is optimistic that the length of this interruption will be sufficient to avoid any spread of the virus, with classes and programming planned to resume fully in line with Portland Public Schools District, as well as state and local best practices. We so miss seeing all the happy and engaged young dancers in our studios!

OBT remains committed to ensuring that our community continues to be safe and healthy.

In good health,

Marion Tonner, OBT School Director
Kevin Irving, OBT Artistic Director
Michael Greer, OBT Executive Director

Tuesday, March 17, 2020

OBT School Update - March 17, 2020

OBT School is very appreciative of the support we have continued to receive from the families of our students, and we remain committed to ensuring that we all - students, teachers, accompanists, and staff- stay safe and healthy.

Due to the rapidly developing nature of our current health crisis, and the most recent guidelines from Governor Brown, we recognize that many of you have questions regarding the resumption of classes and whether there will be refunds for classes that have been affected by our temporary closure. We kindly ask for your continued patience as we determine the eventual scope of this unwelcome pause in our activities and what the next best course of action will be.

At this time the majority of OBT personnel will be working remotely through various methods of communication. Please understand that OBT School’s response time may be extended beyond two business days as we endeavor to function under current circumstances.

We continue to formulate options for our students. Plans discussed for the short term include the possible extension of the school year and make-up classes available within the school year. We are also taking into consideration online training options if we remain closed beyond March 31, 2020. As part of the larger OBT organization, we are in the process of coordinating the many facets and considerations that make our ballet world spin.


OBT School continues to follow the guidance and protocols of the Portland Public School District, and will remain closed at both locations until April 1 - as previously communicated. We realize that it is possible that date might be adjusted. However, in order to avoid confusion, we will wait for more clarity before taking further action.

Once again - thank you all for your support and patience during this challenging time.

Marion Tonner, School Director
Kevin Irving, Artistic Director
Michael Greer, Executive Director

Friday, March 13, 2020

OBT School Closure Notice - 3/13/20-3/31/20

Dear OBT School Families,

We have all struggled with the recent news of the consequences of the Coronavirus. In concert with Portland Public Schools effective immediately, Friday, March 13, 2020, both OBT School locations, Portland and West Linn, will remain closed for all classes, masterclasses, workshops, and rehearsals through March 31, with continued connection to any PPS closures beyond that date.

We have been monitoring growing concerns and are dedicated to taking the necessary steps and precautions to mitigate the possible spread of the COVID-19 virus. We are remaining vigilant and very busy formulating options for our students. There are many considerations for us, not the least of which is the continued training of our students. We have several options and will communicate details very soon.

As you can imagine, the school is part of the lifeblood of our organization. Those OBT School staff members who are able will continue to work either remotely or on campus to perform necessary duties and develop thoughtful strategies for our families.

OBT School is an active member of the larger dance community through Dance/USA, and will be sharing information, strategies, and solutions with our affinity group. Our group includes major professional training institutions across the country, all of whom have been communicating similar scenarios and challenges.

We hope to pull the spirit of our OBT community together in these very challenging times, and ask for your patience, understanding, and support. Closing our beloved school in this period of uncertainty for any amount of time will undoubtedly cause budgetary hardships. For those of you able to grant OBT your generosity and help mitigate any potential revenue losses as tax deductible donations, we call on you for your charitable contributions to link us into the foreseeable future. Donations can be made at https://www.obt.org/contribute/.

Sincerely,

Marion Tonner
School Director
Oregon Ballet Theatre

Saturday, March 7, 2020

Class Schedules: March 9, 2020–March 15, 2020

To view the OBT School weekly class schedules for March 9, 2020–March 15, 2020 please see the Important Information section of the blog or select the corresponding location below.

Portland          West Linn

For ASP rehearsal details visit the Student Production blog: http://obtyoungdancer.blogspot.com/

Monday, March 2, 2020

OBT School Classes Resume March 2, 2020

Dear OBT School students and families,

We wanted to update you all on the situation regarding a case of the COVID-19 coronavirus in the Lake Oswego School District and how it is affecting OBT.

In alignment with the Lake Oswego School District protocol today, Sunday, March 1, we are having our professional cleaning crew come through both our Bancroft and West Linn locations, and perform a deep clean. After this we will be scheduled to reopen on Monday, March 2, as normal.


Again, following the lead of the Lake Oswego School District, we ask that OBT School students who attend Forest Hills Elementary School refrain from attending classes until after Wednesday, March 4. Those families should contact the school arrange make up classes.

We thank you all for your understanding about Saturday's closure. Our community's health and safety is our highest priority, and we appreciate your efforts to help us make that possible.

If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to schoolofobt@obt.org.

Sincerely,

Kevin Irving - OBT Artistic Director
Michael Greer - OBT Executive Director