Check out Wednesday night’s episode of Chronicle, in which Paulette’s Ballet Studio is featured!

The episode will air on WCVB, Channel 5 at 7:30PM on Wednesday, March 10th, 2010!

We will be inviting a guest blogger monthly. If you are interested in contributing a blog about your experiences at PBS, please let us know via our Contact page. All ages are invited: students, former students, parents, faculty etc. Thank you – and Happy Dancing!

Samantha Heesch: Studying Dance to Perform Better In Athletics

My daughter Samantha is an avid athlete. Her coaches suggested last spring that she build up her “core”. After trying numerous exercises that did not help, I found Paulette’s Ballet Studio. At Paulette’s Sam has been enrolled in both Ballet and Jazz. Although she is not “dancer” she has gained core strength, improved balance, better agility, and coordination. That has led to Sam achieving The Coaches Award in Field Hockey. – Allison Heesch

At Paulette’s Ballet Studio I have made new friends and have had a lot of fun! When I had my first Ballet class, I could not even hold a split. Now, I can do a full split on my right side. I am so glad I am at Paulette’s because I feel more graceful and lady-like when I am at party’s or doing a speech in front of my grade. Every Thursday I get excited because I get to go to dance. I am now much more flexible and can get rebounds much quicker in Basketball – Sam Heesch

Please be sure to download the following documents for some very important information: Winter 2010 Newsletter and Volunteer Form.

Download the Winter 2010 Newsletter Here
Download the Medfield Volunteer Form Here
Download the Newton Volunteer Form Here

–Over the weekend of December 13th, Paulette travelled to Chicago to see her son-in-law, Peter Gallagher, perform in his one man show, “Don’t Give Up On Me.” She said it was fabulous, and she had such a great time! She’s hoping he’ll bring his show here to Boston!!!

–On Thursday, December 17, film crews from Channel 5’s “The Chronicle” visited the Newton studio to interview Paulette, as well as Katie, Sue, and Donna. Channel 5’s J.C. Monahan is a Paulette’s Ballet Studio alumni!! The episode will air some time in January, so watch our website for more details!

Have a happy and safe holiday break! We will see you all when classes resume on January 4th!

A new session of Mom & Me will begin on Friday, January 5th, 2010. Class will be held on Fridays from 12:30PM until 1:15PM. This class is for ages 2 1/2 to 3 1/2.

Parents stay and participate in this fun and upbeat dance class! Children are exposed to the basics of dance as well as being part of a group. Children should wear comfortable clothes with ballet shoes or light sneakers. You may order dance clothes through the studio. Classes are ongoing, $100 for the first 6-week session, and $90 for each subsequent 6-week session. Call Donna at 781-455-9035 for further information.

We will be inviting a guest blogger monthly. If you are interested in contributing a blog about your experiences at PBS, please let us know via our Contact page. All ages are invited: students, former students, parents, faculty etc. Thank you – and Happy Dancing!

Andrea with her daughter, Olivia

Will she love it as much as I did? That is the question that I asked myself this past summer, as it came time to enroll my daughter in her first ballet class.

Like every good parent does, I did my due diligence trying to find a studio that would be the perfect fit for my daughter as well as fulfill my own criteria. We live in Wayland so I started my search there, and then moved on to Weston and Wellesley…and then on to Natick and Waltham. It’s sufficient to say that I was not happy with the choices available, so we moved on to Newton.

Olivia needed a studio that would foster her creativity in a nurturing environment. I wanted one that would provide formal dance training with an emphasis on classical technique. I wanted her studio to be like mine was; a magical place where she could learn some of life’s most important lessons. I wanted a studio where her hard work, tenacity and determination would be rewarded not only with beautiful lines and gorgeous pirouettes, but with grace, poise and self confidence. I wanted her to learn the meaning of pas de deux, while learning what it means to be a true friend. Lastly, but most importantly, I wanted her teachers to be mentors and role models like mine were; encouraging Olivia to strive for everything she thinks she can be.

My search led us to Paulette’s ballet studio, where I knew we would end up all along. This is the magical, nurturing studio that I grew up at. I started at age four and danced there until I graduated from high school. Paulette was like a second mother to me and the studio was my home away from home. If I wasn’t taking class, I was teaching class or helping out around the studio. Paulette’s provided me with an excellent training ground for life. Academics always came first in my house and I couldn’t spend time at the studio unless my parents could see that I was performing to the best of my ability academically. In these formative years I learned how to prioritize, multitask and achieve. The lessons that I learned there have served me well in my professional career as well as my personal life.

On a hot August day this past summer we went to register for class. I was so excited for Olivia but I was careful not to push my excitement on her. On the car ride to the studio I talked to Olivia about how special it was for me that she was going to study with Miss Paulette. I didn’t expect her to understand being only five, but she did. I walked into the studio and a flood of memories came rushing back to me. There was Paulette at the registration table with her flowing platinum hair and her beautiful blue eyes. It was like I never left.

It is Saturday morning 9:00 a.m. and I’m watching my daughter at the barre along with the rest of her class. This is one of the classes that I used to help teach and it was always my favorite. I give my daughter a reassuring wink and thumbs up from the glass window and she smiles back. Today’s lesson: Pique. Olivia watches in amazement as her teachers effortlessly perform pique turns across the length of the studio. I remember being her age and feeling that sense of wonderment. Suddenly I’m overwhelmed. My baby is doing a pique! Two months ago she didn’t know first position and now she’s learning how to pique. I see her looking at herself in the mirror and I see self confidence staring back.

Class ends and I greet her in the waiting area. Olivia asks if we can watch the next class for a few minutes. How can I refuse? I think she loves it!