Orcas Center is now overseeing local dance programming

||| FROM COLLEEN SMITH SUMMERS for ORCAS CENTER |||

Orcas Dance Collective is proud to launch its 6th season of programming under Orcas Center’s Arts Education Program. Many aspects of the program are familiar from ODC’s previous seasons with Parks and Recreation, and a few have been updated.

ODC is hosting a 10-week class series that runs from Sept. 13 through Nov. 22, with the following days off: Sept. 20, Oct. 15 (conferences), and Nov. 11 (Veterans Day). Make-up dates will be offered for both Oct. 15 and Nov. 11.

All registration for all Orcas Center classes is through Ludus, Orcas Center’s ticketing system: www.orcascenter.ludus.org. Tiered pricing options are now available for ODC classes and Performance Division opportunities. Dance class payments for our Youth Class Series are made in full for the entire 10-week session.

Class payments for the Adult Class Series will continue to use flex passes (available in packs of 5 or 10 classes), which are valid for any adult dance class for a year from purchase. Flex passes are not valid for any class underneath the Youth Class Series. We also offer unlimited dance class passes for any student who wants to take three or more weekly dance classes. This pass does not cover Performance Division programming or rehearsals.

Performance Division
Orcas Dance Collective is excited to begin rehearsals for our next Performance Division opportunity: Salish Sea Nutcracker! Featuring many wildlife themes that make our island home so magical, this full-length dream ballet will showcase an intergenerational cast of local dancers. Salish Sea Nutcracker is a nautical twist on the traditional ballet, featuring roles such as the Sea Star Fairy, Great Blue Heron, Octopus Fairy, Orca Whales, and more. All students taking regularly scheduled ballet classes are encouraged to participate in this production. Rehearsals run alongside dance classes, Sept. 13-Nov. 22, with two weeks of additional rehearsals from Nov. 29 to Dec. 9. There will be five ticketed performances from Thursday, Dec. 10 to Sunday, Dec. 13, with a double feature on Saturday, Dec. 12.

The performance division is now a separate sign-up that covers rehearsal time, teacher pay, and costumes for each show that Orcas Dance Collective does on a case-by-case basis. Pricing is based on the length of the rehearsal schedule and level of production
value needed to achieve a performance (ie: a class series showcase vs. a full-length center stage production).

ODC will release the rehearsal schedule in a few weeks. The general structure for weekly rehearsals is as follows:

• Mondays, 7:30 to 8:30 p.m.: advanced corps de ballet;
• Wednesdays, 7 to 8:30 p.m.: adults and advanced corps de ballet;
• Thursdays, 5:30 to 7 p.m.: level 4s; Fridays, 3:30 to 5:30 p.m.: select lead rehearsals, as called.;
• Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.: all cast/levels, as called.

Orcas Center is dedicated to providing accessible arts opportunities for our community and offers a pay-what-you-can class scholarship program for families needing financial assistance. To inquire about a pay-what-you-can scholarship, please contact registrar@orcascenter.org.

Orcas Center also offers a selective Volunteer Program that accepts in-kind work trade in exchange for class tuition. Volunteer submissions are approved on a case-by-case basis depending on scholarship availability and Orcas Center production needs. To inquire about volunteer trade, please contact registrar@orcascenter.org.

Orcas Center’s Arts Education Program Handbook
This manual guides all of Orcas Center’s educational programming, including all Orcas Dance Collective classes. You can read the handbook on Orcas Center’s website under the “classes” tab. This handbook outlines the policies, procedures and essential guidelines for all Orcas Center classes and performance programs.