Thanks - I think a handwritten note is great and I'm sure the teacher appreciated it and the lotion.

Regarding the presents, we gave my DD's teacher some hand lotions from aveda and my DD wrote a card. It looked like we were one of the few students that gave a present, so I don't think it's a common thing in the lower levels when they only go 1x a week.

In the upper levels there are definitely favorites that get the most attention in class (painfully obvious) and always get picked for the solo or small group roles in the various performances throughout the year as well as for Nutcracker. Some are fairly talented but others not so much from what we've observed these first few months there.

Off topic but what kinds of holiday gifts do the students give their instructors at WSB - it's our first year there.

It looks like this comment is from the admin???
You know that this is not true.
Are you telling us that there is no other talent other than the same party girls that have their roles pre-paid in whatever way?
That is the fact at this time. I can point out the never changing crew.

No not admin, just a parent whose kids have done this for years and have had good parts and "bad" ones. I noted that some are luckier than others more regularly. In some cases it may be favoritism, but I don't think it rises to the level that some PPs think and IMO isn't different from other sports my kids participate in.

I think there may be some favoritism in casting but the picture being painted here may be overblown. My daughter was in class with 3 girls who have been picked as party girls over the past few years, and all 3 were clearly more talented than their classmates. I can also see why the same girls may be picked multiple times. They are known quantities, they have a head start on the roles, and the artistic staff's top priority is to stage the best production possible within 6 weeks, not to share the wealth. This is a professional company first and a school second.

That said, I have also seen the daughters of top donors cast in plum parts. It's possible that they were the best candidates for those roles; it's possible that their parents' contributions gave them a leg up. If the latter, then, yes, it's not fair, but I also realize that the contributions made by these donors benefit all the students to some extent because we're not just talking about a couple of thousand dollars here and there. We're talking about the big donations the company needs to keep operating. That's life. And even at 8 my daughter was old enough to understand that: 1) that's the way the world works sometimes; and 2) she should not assume that any particular student has benefited in this way and should not discuss or speculate on the possibility with any of her friends.

Anonymous wrote:

Agreed, except that in the case of the Washington Ballet, the public is paying to see what is supposed to be a top-notch artistic production that is reviewed by the national press ...are you saying ticket buyers are actually paying to see the best efforts of the children of whoever happens to volunteer the most? Hope that's not true.

The students supplement the company production - any enrolled student should be able to perform the part their level typically gets after two months of rehearsing it. The quality of the overall production is not at risk because the student parts are more cute than technically difficult. The bees will get applause no matter what they do onstage!

For most kids who stick with it over the years, there will be years when the stars are aligned and they get the part/cast they want and years where they won't. Of course there are others who are consistently "lucky" and there does seem to be a pattern with Nutcracker.

It looks like this comment is from the admin???
You know that this is not true.
Are you telling us that there is no other talent other than the same party girls that have their roles pre-paid in whatever way?
That is the fact at this time. I can point out the never changing crew.

Anonymous wrote:

Agreed, except that in the case of the Washington Ballet, the public is paying to see what is supposed to be a top-notch artistic production that is reviewed by the national press ...are you saying ticket buyers are actually paying to see the best efforts of the children of whoever happens to volunteer the most? Hope that's not true.

The students supplement the company production - any enrolled student should be able to perform the part their level typically gets after two months of rehearsing it. The quality of the overall production is not at risk because the student parts are more cute than technically difficult. The bees will get applause no matter what they do onstage!

For most kids who stick with it over the years, there will be years when the stars are aligned and they get the part/cast they want and years where they won't. Of course there are others who are consistently "lucky" and there does seem to be a pattern with Nutcracker.

A bit confusing, because we had understood party children are chosen because they are technically more advanced...this conversation is not about bees. Interesting to hear that any enrolled student should be able to perform any role, including that of party child, after two months' rehearsal.

The WB admin crew is arrogant and rude. There, I said it.