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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 dance 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 i t s s t u d e n t s and develop a lifelong connection to the arts Ballet Theatre Company is a 501 c 3 not for profit organization 20 Jefferson Ave West Hartford CT 06110 www dancebtc org 860 570 0440 outreach dancebtc org

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 Nutcracker BTC will offer a livestream or in person presentation hosted by its professional dancers and artists to educate students about the many aspects of full length ballet productions These interactive presentations will 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 PROGRAMS ARE OFFERED FOR GRADES K 8 EXCLUDING THE ACTIVITY WORKBOOKS WHICH ARE SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED FOR GRADES K 5 BEHIND THE CURTAIN PAGE 2 In opening students eyes to the many wonders of a ballet production Behind the Curtain aims to share the joys of live performances 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

Share the joy of dance and the performing arts with your classroom Don t miss out on the magic of The Nutcracker this holiday season BEHIND THE CURTAIN PAGE 3 Ballet Theatre Company is thrilled to offer Behind the Curtain in affiliation with its 20th anniversary production of The Nutcracker In December 2021 Bal l et Theatre Company wi l l return to the theater wi th i ts annual producti on of The Nutcracker choreographed and di rected by Arti sti c Di rector Stephani e Dattel l as The bal l et wi l l i ntegrate the tal ents of BTC s resi dent professi onal dancers l ocal performers students of The School of Bal l et Theatre Company and nati onal l y accl ai med guest arti sts In addi ti on many other tal ented arti sts wi l l work behi nd the scenes to bui l d backdrops and sets desi gn and create costumes and determi ne l i ghti ng desi gns to create thi s magi cal hol i day performance and producti on The content i n each presentati on of Behi nd the Curtai n i s desi gned for the grade l evel of students i n attendance Pl ease note the acti vi ti es bel ow are i ntended to gi ve a general overvi ew of our program and may be adj usted sl i ghtl y based on the audi ence the school s resources and or i nterest BTC i s pl eased to offer the fol l owi ng Behi nd the Curtain program opti ons for its 23rd Season Teachers may choose one two three or al l of the fol lowing options pages 5 9

Table of Contents Introduction 2 3 Table of Contents 4 Option 1 The Nutcracker Digital Storybook and Academic Activity Workbook 5 Option 2 The Nutcracker Digital Storybook and Performing Arts Activity Workbook 6 Option 3 The Nutcracker School Tour 7 8 Option 4 The Nutcracker Abbreviated School Performance Live Stream 9 Frequently Asked Questions 10 Pricing and Scheduling 11 BEHIND THE CURTAIN PAGE 4

Option 1 The Nutcracker Digital Storybook and Academic Activity Workbook What is the Digital Storybook BTC has created a digital storybook to tell the story of BTC s The Nutcracker The Behind the Curtain Option 1 provides prepared digital digital storybook features performance pictures of BTC s 2019 The Nutcracker taken by professional photographer Thomas Giroir These vibrant and captivating photos help the magic of a dance production shine through in storybook form Readers get to explore hand crafted costumes stunning stage sets and fun props as they flip from page to page With over 75 pages of photos from The Nutcracker this materials Teachers storybook includes each step of Clara s magical journey giving readers a hint of have the freedom to what seeing the production in person is like choose how they would like to implement these materials in their classroom What is the Academic Activity Workbook BTC s Outreach complement the Administrator digital has storybook created a of Nutcracker The series of activity The workbooks Academic to 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 Please Note Ballet Theatre Company s Outreach Administrator and Artistic Staff consulted with a 3rd 4th grade teacher from the Massachusetts Public School District when creating the content for these workbooks Several drafts were discussed and enhanced with the insight of an additional professional who holds a MFA in Education Theater and History BEHIND THE CURTAIN PAGE 5 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 Nutcracker 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 magical holiday fun

Option 2 The Nutcracker Digital Storybook and Performing Arts Activity Workbook Behind the Curtain Option 2 provides prepared digital materials 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 The Nutcracker The digital storybook features performance pictures of BTC s 2019 The Nutcracker taken by professional photographer Thomas Giroir These vibrant and captivating photos help the magic of a dance production shine through in storybook form Readers get to explore hand crafted costumes stunning stage sets and fun props as they flip from page to page With over 75 pages of photos from The Nutcracker this storybook includes each step of Clara s magical journey giving readers a hint of what seeing the production in person is like 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 Nutcracker 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 Performing explore Arts production Activity Workbook elements includes of the ballet discussion pages The Nutcracker 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 magic holiday fun BEHIND THE CURTAIN PAGE 6 The future belongs to young people with an education and the imagination to create Barack Obama

Learn choreography excerpts from the show Learn ballet positions and ballet movements with BTC s Ballet Mistress Meet BTC s resident company of professional dancers and watch them perform excerpts from the performance Explore costume design lighting stage managing and more with BTC s artistic and production team Option 3 The Nutcracker School Tour Behi nd the Curtai n Opti on 3 offers an i nteracti ve experi ence between BTC staff dancers and the students i n your cl assroom The School Tour can be hel d i n person as BTC wi l l come i nto your cl assroom or hel d vi rtual l y as BTC wi l l offer the program on Zoom usi ng i ts professi onal i n studi o set up What i s The Nutcracker School Tour BTC has devel oped The Nutcracker School Tour to expose students to the j oys of dance and al l ow them to expl ore the many di fferent rol es i n the performi ng arts worl d through an i nteracti ve presentati on The program wi l l l ast for approxi matel y one hour al l owi ng ti me for students to watch l i ve performance excerpts l earn basi c el ements of bal l et techni que l earn choreography from the show and ask the professi onal s questi ons Experience the magic of ballet in an interactive setting BEHIND THE CURTAIN PAGE 7

The Nutcracker School Tour continued What does the program include 1 Li ve Interacti ve Demonstrati on 2 Learni ng Bal l et basi cs posi ti ons and movements featuri ng dancer demonstrati ons 3 Learni ng about the i mportant members of a bal l et company a Arti sti c Di rector Bal l et Mi stress Choreographer etc 4 Learni ng about the hi erarchy of the dancers i n a bal l et company a Pri nci pal Dancer Sol oi st Corps de Bal l et Apprenti ce 5 Learni ng about the i mportant members of the producti on crew a Li ghti ng Desi gner Stage Manager Producti on Manager Costume Desi gner etc 6 Learni ng about the el ements that make a bal l et producti on a Props sets l i ghti ng desi gn speci al effects etc 7 Li ve Performance a Experi ence and enj oy excerpts of The Nutcracker performed by BTC s professi onal and pre professi onal dancers 8 Learn Choreography a Students wi l l l earn excerpts of choreography from the producti on of The Nutcracker 9 Li ve Questi on and Answer Sessi on 10 Students and Teachers wi l l have an opportuni ty to i nteract wi th the Arti sti c Staff Producti on Staff and professi onal dancers from The Nutcracker 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 8 Scientific research and other studies have demonstrated that arts education can enhance American students math and language skills and improve test scores which in turn increase chances of higher education and good jobs in the future Thad Cochran

The Dew Drop Fai ry l eads vi ewers through the Land of the Sweets Option 4 The Nutcracker Abbreviated School Performance Live Stream In Option 4 BTC will offer an abbreviated performance of The Nutcracker via live stream specifically for schools in Greater Hartford Live stream performances are a great way to bring the magic of this holiday 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 This shorter version one hour of everyone s favorite holiday performance is a great length for elementary and middle school aged children BTC is looking forward to sharing the joy and excitement of The Nutcracker with students in the Greater Hartford area through this abbreviated live stream performance Watch the Nutcracker fi ght the break danci ng Mouse Ki ng i n an epi c battl e When is The Nutcracker Stream scheduled The Sugar Pl um Fai ry and her Caval i er are sure to i mpress you wi th thei r el egant pas de deux Abbreviated School Performance Live BTC will live stream its abbreviated performance of The Nutcracker for schools to view on Friday December 10th at 10 00am BTC s resident professional dancers nationally acclaimed guest artists and local students will perform The Nutcracker at The Bushnell s stunning Maxwell M and Ruth R Belding Theater How will the live stream work Drossel meyer wi l l del i ght you wi th hi s magi c tri cks BEHIND THE CURTAIN PAGE 9 Once your classroom has reserved your spot for the live stream performance and completed your payment BTC will send you the live stream 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

Frequently Asked Questions for Behind the Curtain School Tours 1 How long is the presentation a 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 you 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 BTC s costumer through a tour of BTC s costume shoppe and The Nutcracker costumes BTC s Artistic Director and a member of BTC s production 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 10

Pricing and Scheduling Option 1 The Nutcracker Digital Storybook and Academic Activity Workbook 50 class Option 2 The Nutcracker Digital Storybook and Performing Arts Activity Workbook 50 class Option 3 The Nutcracker School Tour 100 Option 4 The Nutcracker Abbreviated School Performance Live Stream 100 Bundle Deals Option 1 paired with Option 2 75 class Option 1 or Option 2 paired with Option 3 125 Option 1 or Option 2 paired with Option 4 125 Option 3 paired with Option 4 175 All 4 Options 250 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 The Nutcracker Behind the Curtain school tours are available throughout early December Available dates include December 2nd December 6th December 7th December 8th and December 9th If you are interested in bringing Behind the Curtain into your school please contact Kyleigh Olivier BTC s Outreach Administrator at outreach dancebtc org In your inquiry please indicate the following 1 School Name 2 School Address 3 Teacher s Name 4 Grade Level of Students 5 Number of Students Expected to Attend 6 Proposed Behind the Curtain School Tour Date s 7 Presentation Location classroom auditorium gymnasium BEHIND THE CURTAIN PAGE 11