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Ballet Theatre Company Brings Dance and Theater into the Classroom The mission of BTC s Behind the Curtain is to expose students to the joys of ballet and develop an understanding of the process behind staging a fulll e n g t h b a l l e t p r o d u c t i o n I t a i m s t o i n s p i r e c r e a t i v i t y in its students and develop a lifelong connection to the arts

Opening Students Eyes to the Many Wonders of a Ballet Production Behind the Curtain complements BTC s main stage productions such as Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty along with its annual production of The N u t c r a c k e r B T C w i l l o f f e r a l i v e s t r e a m o r i n p e r s o n p r e s e n t a t i o n h o s t e d by its professional dancers and artists to educate students about the many aspects of full length ballet productions These interactive presentations aim to invoke an early appreciation for the performing arts and offer knowledge that will propel students to be active and attentive audience members In addition the Behind the Curtain program offers entertaining workbooks so that students can further explore the ballet and performing arts world while also practicing essential academic skills In opening students eyes to the many wonders of a ballet production Behind the Curtain aims to share the joys of live performances PROGRAMS ARE OFFERED FOR GRADES K 8 EXCLUDING THE ACTIVITY WORKBOOKS WHICH ARE SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED FOR GRADES K 5 with young audiences and inspire a lifelong connection to the arts whether that be as a performer costumer member of the crew or audience member BEHIND THE CURTAIN PAGE 2

Share the joy of dance and the performing arts with your classroom Don t miss out on the magic of Aladdin this spring Ballet Theatre Company is thrilled to offer Behind the Curtain featuring its Spring 2022 production of Aladdin Aladdin In April 2022 Ballet Theatre Company will return to The Bushnell s Maxwell M and Ruth R Belding Theater to present its production of Aladdin choreographed and directed by Artistic Director Stephanie Dattellas The ballet will integrate the talents of BTC s resident professional dancers local performers students of The School of Ballet Theatre Company and many guest performers In addition many other talented artists work behind the scenes to build backdrops and sets design and create costumes and determine lighting designs to create this magical production The content in each presentation of Behind the Curtain is designed for the grade level of students in attendance Please note the activities below are intended to give a general overview of our program and may be adjusted slightly based on the audience the school s resources and or interest BTC is pleased to offer the following Behind the Curtain program for its 23rd Season This package is a great way to integrate the arts into your classroom in a fun and engaging manner Don t miss out on this artistic and cultural experience BEHIND THE CURTAIN PAGE 3

Table of Contents Introduction 2 3 Table of Contents 4 Programming Pricing and Scheduling 5 Aladdin School Tour 6 12 Livestream Performance of Aladdin featuring Act I 13 Aladdin Digital Storybook 14 Aladdin Academic Activity Workbook 15 Aladdin Performing Arts Activity Workbook 16 About Ballet Theatre Company and Contact Us 17 BEHIND THE CURTAIN PAGE 4

Programming Pricing and Scheduling Ballet Theatre Company is offering the following programming as part of Behind the Curtain Aladdin School Tour BTC s professional dancers artistic team and community partners will bring classical ballet Chinese and North Indian Dance classical ballet production elements performance excerpts and more into your school through an interactive presentation Livestream Performance of Aladdin featuring Act I BTC s professional resident company renowned guest artists and local dance students will perform live at The Bushnell s Maxwell M and Ruth R Belding Theater brought to your classroom via livestream In Act I students will enjoy the Marketplace Scene Aladdin traveling through the desert and the Cave of Riches Aladdin Digital Storybook and Academic Activity Workbooks Available for Grades K 1 Grades 2 3 or Grades 4 5 Aladdin Performing Arts Activity Workbooks Available for Grades K 1 Grades 2 3 or Grades 4 5 Pricing BTC is willing to offer its four part Behind the Curtain program to schools for a flat rate of 1 000 Payment can be made via check or credit card BTC is also willing to tailor its programming to best fit the school grade level or classroom involved with the program Schedule a Behind the Curtain School Tour At this time we are able to offer Ballet Theatre Company s Behind the Curtain program featuring BTC s production of Aladdin Behind the Curtain school tours are available on March 30th and April 6th If your classroom wishes to see the livestream performance prior to the school tour additional school tour dates will be made available in May If you are interested in bringing Behind the Curtain into your school please contact Kyleigh Olivier BTC s Outreach Administrator at outreach dancebtc org BEHIND THE CURTAIN PAGE 5

Get creative through movement exploration Aladdin School Tour Interact with professional artists Behind the Curtain offers an interactive experience between BTC staff dancers and the students in your classroom The School Tour can be held in one of the following ways 1 In person BTC will come into your classroom 2 Held virtually BTC will offer the program on Zoom using its professional in studio set up Experience a dance performance up close Learn about the value of the arts in different cultures What is the Aladdin School Tour BTC has developed the Aladdin School Tour to expose students to the joys of dance and allow them to explore the many different roles in the performing arts world through an interactive presentation Special Behind the Curtain programming for Aladdin features BTC s partnership with Asian Performing Arts Director Julie Lai and Kathak dancer choreographer and author Rachna Agrawal The program will last for approximately one hour allowing time for students to learn authentic Chinese and North Indian Dance watch live performance excerpts learn basic elements of ballet technique and ask the professionals questions Experience the joy of dance and theater in an interactive setting BEHIND THE CURTAIN PAGE 6

Aladdin School Tour Continued What does the program include 1 Students will be introduced to the Aladdin ballet including its storyline characters costumes and musical score 2 Students will learn Traditional Chinese Dance from the Asian Performing Arts company 3 Students will learn Authentic North Indian Dance from Kathak dancer choreographer and educator Rachna Ramya Agrawal 4 Students will explore Ballet basics positions and movements from BTC s Ballet Mistress 5 Students will watch a Live Performance excerpt a Experience and enjoy excerpts of Aladdin performed by Curt ai n School Tours BTC s professional and pre professional dancers 6 Students and Teachers will have the opportunity to interact with BTC s Professional Dancers Artistic Team and partnering Dance Educators through a Q A Session Please Note All of BTC s staff and resident company dancers are fully vaccinated and will stay masked for the entirety of the program if the school wishes for the School Tour to take place in person BEHIND THE CURTAIN PAGE 7 The Behi nd t he f eat uri ng Al addi n are avai l abl e t o book on t he f ol l owi ng dat es March 30t h Apri l 6t h

Rachna Ramya Agrawal Kathak Dancer Choreographer and Educator BTC is proud to partner with performer choreographer educator and published author Rachna Ramya Agrawal to learn authentic Kathak Dance to incorporate in Aladdin Performer choreographer educator and published author Rachna Ramya Agrawal has studied dance with the great gurus Dr Maya Rao Guru Rajendra Gangani and Smt Sandhya Desai Agrawal has performed extensively and has been featured on Indian national television many times Agrawal is the recipient of the 2020 2021 Distinguished Achievement in Dance Award awarded by the Connecticut Dance Alliance and The Vision Award 2021 awarded by Charter Oak Cultural Center She is a Member of the International Dance Council CID UNESCO Agrawal is the Artistic Director of the Sumbhaav School of Expressive sharp alluring and precise Kathak lives today as an important school of classical dance Kathak originated over 2000 years ago Evolving from a blend of Middle Eastern styles and Indian temple dance Kathak combines dance drama and music to tell stories Modern Kathak emphasizes geometrical patterns and designs with special emphasis on footwork and intricate rhythmic patterns BEHIND THE CURTAIN PAGE 8 Kathak Dance at five locations in Connecticut She is also on the teaching faculty at Trinity College in Hartford Furthermore Agrawal published a novel written in Hindi titled Digbhramit Rachna s book Kathak The Dance of Storytellers explores the philosophical and practical aspects of Kathak dance its origin development and techniques

I am very excited to collaborate with BTC on their new ballet Aladdin This is the first time an Indian dancer has been invited to collaborate with a Ballet dance company in the state of CT Ballet and Kathak share a similar approach elegance decorum of the courts and timeline of their development as classical dance forms BTC embraces much needed cultural diversity in dance by meeting with another dance tradition I am looking forward to working with choreographer Stephanie Dattellas and adding a brand new artistic experience to my 30 years of dance career in CT which myself the Indian community and the dance community will never forget Rachna Ramya Agrawal BEHIND THE CURTAIN PAGE 9

Asian Performing Arts Asian Performing Arts promotes educates and retains Chinese and Asian cultural arts through providing entertainment programs in dances martial arts instrumental music songs and other educational and cultural workshops Established since 1997 members of the group have many years of experience in performing in different events and cultural activities and are specialized in conducting interactive and educational workshops Organization director Julie Lai will work with choreographer Stephanie Dattellas and dancers in order to incorporate authentic Chinese dance in its production of Aladdin In order to further spread this opportunity to the Greater Hartford community BTC is thrilled to have Julie join the Behind the Curtain school tours and share Chinese cultural arts with the students who participate The Bouquet Dance at the end of the Aladdin production features Traditional Chinese Dance BTC looks forward to sharing authentic dance in its production in order to acknowledge and represent these beautiful dances and cultures BEHIND THE CURTAIN PAGE 10

Julie Poon Lai Artistic Director of the Asian Performing Arts Julie Poon Lai was born in Hong Kong and immigrated to and grew up in New York City where she learned and loved Chinese Dance Julie has a BA degree from SUNY at Albany She is married has 3 children and lives in Enfield Connecticut Julie taught Chinese Dance at the Chinese Language School of Greater Hartford from 1992 to 2007 Julie Lai and Stephanie Sum danced together and cofounded Asian Performing Arts in 1997 with the passion to retain and promote the Asian Cultural Arts through dance performances and educational events Julie Lai Artistic Director of Asian Performing Arts is talented in choreography and costuming in addition to accessory and prop design Julie of Asian Performing Arts is excited to collaborate with Ballet Theatre Company in the Aladdin production I support BTC s sincere interest to learn Chinese traditional dance techniques It is important to me to create opportunities to retain and promote Chinese Culture Arts through dance to inspire and connect more people to learn about the Chinese Culture Julie Poon Lai BEHIND THE CURTAIN PAGE 11

Frequently Asked Questions for Behind the Curtain School Tours 1 How long is the presentation a Whether your school class opts for an in person or virtual experience please set aside one hour for the presentation 2 How will the presentation work a BTC will run the presentation through Zoom using its professional in studio set up or in person at a location of your choice in your school building 3 What does your class need a A web camera screen video chat software if participating virtually and space to move 4 Where do presentations take place a Presentations can be in a classroom gym or auditorium 5 How many students participate a The presentation can be designed for audiences of all sizes one classroom the entire grade level or the whole school can attend 6 How many people does BTC bring a The tour will be conducted by BTC s Outreach Administrator In addition the program will showcase BTC s professional resident company through performance demonstrations and production excerpts local Kathak and Chinese Dance professionals who share the beauty and importance of these dance forms and BTC s artistic team Behind the Curtain is made possible by the generous support of Ballet Theatre Company Hartford Performs Connecticut Office of the Arts Ensworth Charitable Foundation and the George A and Grace L Long Foundation BEHIND THE CURTAIN PAGE 12

Livestream performance of Aladdin featuring Act I BTC will offer schools participating in its Behind the Curtain program an opportunity to experience the first act of Aladdin through a livestream performance The first act of Aladdin runs approximately one hour in length and will include its dynamic Marketplace Scene Aladdin traveling through the Desert and the Cave of Riches When is the Livestream Performance of Aladdin Featuring Act I scheduled Friday April 22nd at 10 00am BTC s resident professional dancers guest performers and local students will perform Aladdin at The Bushnell s stunning Maxwell M and Ruth R Belding Theater How will the livestream work Once your classroom has reserved your spot for the livestream performance and completed your payment BTC will send you the livestream link With a simple click of the link teachers will be able to access the live stream and from there the performance can be projected to allow the whole class to watch comfortably Please note live streams cannot be rewinded or paused The live stream will be available to view from 10 00am to 11 00am Livestream performances are a great way to bring the excitement of artistic and cultural performance into your school without the extra stress of organizing transportation and adhering to COVID 19 protocols and policies outside of your school s guidelines See the show in its entirety Students and teachers are also welcome to watch the full length performance after the livestream by coming to see Aladdin live at the Bushnell on April 23rd BTC also offers a Video on Demand option which will stream for a week following the performance See first hand how set design costuming s t o r y t e l l i n g c h o r e o g r a p h y d a n c e p r of e s s i o n a l s d a n c e s t u d e n t s c u l t u r a l d an c e a n d m u s i c c om e t o g e t h e r t o c r e a t e a d a n c e p r od u c t i o n BEHIND THE CURTAIN PAGE 13

Aladdin Digital Storybook Behind the Curtain also provides prepared materials that can stand alone or compliment its school tour or livestream performance Teachers have the freedom to choose how they would like to implement these materials in their classroom What is the Digital Storybook BTC has created a digital storybook to tell the story of BTC s Aladdin The digital storybook features images created by BTC student and Design Intern Sofia Brummitt These vibrant and captivating images help to bring the story to life and BTC is honored to have original artwork to pair with its ballet production Dive into the story of Aladdin with the Djinn and the Princess and learn more about the intriguing story of the Arabian nights BEHIND THE CURTAIN PAGE 14

Academic Activity Workbook What is the Academic Activity Workbook With individual BTC s Outreach Administrator has created a series of activity workbooks to compliment the digital storybook of Aladdin The Academic Activity Workbook is offered in three different versions Version 1 for Grades K 1 Version 2 for Grades 2 3 and Version 3 for Grades 4 5 With over 20 pages of worksheets and classroom activities these workbooks cover the four main academic subjects Students will practice their math skills through story related word problems explore a bit of history of the ballet utilize their reading comprehension skills and investigate how environmental settings play a role in the story In addition the Aladdin Academic Activity Workbook includes discussion pages which provide teachers topics and ideas to reflect upon after worksheets and activities are completed The workbook is a great way to practice essential school skills coupled with excitement and artistic fun worksheets class discussions art activities and more teachers have the Please Note Ballet Theatre Company s Outreach Administrator and Artistic Staff opportunity to integrate the consulted with a 3rd 4th grade teacher from the Massachusetts Public School District when creating the content for these workbooks Several drafts were Aladdin workbooks in their discussed and enhanced with the insight of an additional professional who holds a MFA in Education Theater and History classrooms how they see fit BEHIND THE CURTAIN PAGE 15

Performing Arts Activity Workbook What is the Performing Arts Activity Workbook BTC s Outreach Administrator has created a series of activity workbooks that allow students to explore ballet and the many elements that come together to stage a theater production The Aladdin Performing Arts Activity Workbooks are broken down into three different workbooks Version 1 for Grades K 1 Version 2 for Grades 2 3 and Version 3 for Grades 4 5 With over 20 pages of worksheets and classroom activities these workbooks allow students to take on the role of a costume or set designer and explore production Performing elements Arts of the Activity ballet The Workbook Aladdin includes discussion pages which provide teachers topics and ideas to reflect upon after worksheets and activities are completed The workbook is a great way to practice critical thinking be creative and share ideas coupled with excitement and artistic fun Pictured right is a behind the scenes look at the Marketplace Women costumes in progress featuring its original design sketch BEHIND THE CURTAIN PAGE 16 The possibilities in the performing arts world are endless Students will have the opportunity to explore costuming set design choreography and more through the Performing Arts Activity Workbook

About Ballet Theatre Company Ballet Theatre Company is a 501 c 3 not for profit organization Located in West Hartford CT BTC offers a dance school professional company and outreach program to enrich the community with arts opportunities and performances As BTC approaches its production of Aladdin this spring BTC s Artistic Director Stephanie Dattellas wanted to be sure that the cultures in the story were accurately represented and that the company avoided any bit of cultural appropriation in the ballet BTC is always looking for new ways to connect with the community so partnering with Julie Lai and Rachna Agrawal in order to appreciate and acknowledge authentic Chinese and Kathak dance in the production has been quite a wonderful opportunity The artistic and administrative teams at BTC believe strongly in making a safe space for people of all backgrounds and sizes in the dance world Through Behind the Curtain BTC hopes to share these cultural learning experiences with children in the area and welcome all young movers into the arts community Contact Us Email outreach dancebtc org Phone 860 570 0440 www dancebtc org BEHIND THE CURTAIN PAGE 17