Company Handbook

LBT Company Handbook 2024

Welcome to London Ballet Theatre (LBT)!

We are delighted that you are part of the LBT company and we hope this handbook will give you the information you need to feel part of the family and enjoy your time with us.

This handbook provides information about all the areas needed to make the Company work and includes guidelines of what we expect from you as part of it.

Vision and mission

The main mission of LBT is to be an inclusive ballet company #ForDancersByDancers, enabling all our members to have a chance to fulfil their passion and love of dancing and the opportunity to perform. We also want to ensure that all dancers are involved in the company and their voices are heard.

LBT’s vision is to grow larger and provide the best possible performance experience for the dancers and their audience.

Going forward, LBT will try to secure sponsorship and have more top-rated productions. LBT will always strive to recruit dancers of all levels. We do not believe in body or dancing shaming and aim to provide opportunities for all dancers to perform on stage. Whether you are a beginner or a professional, everyone has a role tailored to their style and capabilities.

Contents

Vision and mission ...................................................................................................................................

The Committee ........................................................................................................................................

LBT Committee members 2023 ...........................................................................................................

Rehearsal directors ..............................................................................................................................

Casting team ............................................................................................................................................

Casting criteria for corps roles .............................................................................................................

Casting criteria for soloists and non-corps roles .................................................................................

Casting process ....................................................................................................................................

Coaching process .................................................................................................................................

Managing rehearsals ............................................................................................................................

Narrators and guest artists ..................................................................................................................

Music and Visuals team ...........................................................................................................................

Images and lighting ..............................................................................................................................

Photography and videos ......................................................................................................................

Costumes team ........................................................................................................................................

Female costumes .................................................................................................................................

Male costumes .....................................................................................................................................

Props and scenography ........................................................................................................................

Facilities team ..........................................................................................................................................

Theatre and studio hire liaison ............................................................................................................

Additional rehearsals ...........................................................................................................................

Marketing and communications team ....................................................................................................

What we expect from you ...................................................................................................................

Charities ...............................................................................................................................................

Finance team .........................................................................................................................................

Trial class ...............................................................................................

Joining LBT .........................................................................................................................................

The Committee

LBT is run by Committee members who are responsible for different areas, such as casting, costumes, music, marketing, and finance. The Committee will make decisions by voting and consulting all company members.

The Committee will vote for future shows and choreography. The casting proposal will also be discussed with the teachers before being announced to the dancers.

The Committee will meet once a month (usually on the first Sunday of the month, after a Sunday rehearsal) to discuss matters and monitor progress. Every committee member should stay for a minimum of one year starting from the beginning of July.

LBT Committee members 2024

Chair: Debbie Flevotomou

Deputy Chair: Sian East

Casting: Debbie Flevotomou, Maria Jose, Raffaella Cuccia, Sian East

Costumes:

Female costumes: Debbie Flevotomou, Lena Sailer, Sian East

Male costumes: Dirk Van Der Merwe

Music: Maria Jose, Debbie Flevotomou, Alex

Marketing and Communications: Debbie Flevotomou Architects,

Finance director: Lena Sailer

Facilities: Debbie Flevotomou, Maria Jose, Nicola Guido

Deputy Rehearsal Director: Jessie Hsieh

Theatre and LBT Social committee: Stephanie Uwalaka, Judith Ehmer,

If you are interested in becoming a Committee member, please speak with Debbie and suggest a position that matches your skills, expertise, and passion.

Rehearsal directors

Dmitri Gruzdev

Inga George

Casting team

Hello from the Casting team! Our aim is to achieve the standards and artistic integrity of the company and fulfil our overall aims. The Committee has a clear vision of the types of work we aspire to replicate and aim to select the best-suited dancers. The art of choreography itself involves formulating sequences of movement and structuring this movement to create a beautiful dance work. Our teachers will work closely with our dancers in devising movement material, utilising the dancers' individual styles and creativity. The Casting team will have in mind role allocation for the dancers, but welcome and encourage dancers to put themselves forward. The teachers will be involved in the selection of dancers for each role, having the final say. Dancers are chosen to match with the choreography, performance style, personality, and movement ability for each role. Casting criteria for corps roles Dancers in the corps de ballet will be cast by the teacher according to their level and experience. As a member of the corps, you’ll be expected to learn the choreography set by the teacher and remain flexible if you are asked to change position where this is required to accommodate the choreography and the number of dancers required in each dance. Dancers in the corps may be split into groups to give everyone the opportunity to perform, depending on the space available on stage. There is no limit on how many roles a dancer wishes to do as part of the corps de ballet.

Casting criteria for soloists and non-corps roles If you wish to perform solos, pas de deux (pdds), pas de trois (pdts) and other non-corps roles, the following guidelines apply:

1.Dancers' preferences.

2. Dancers' ability and commitment, as verified by the teacher.

3. Fairness:

● all efforts will be made to ensure the roles (i.e. time on stage) are distributed as evenly as possible.

● sometimes there will be longer stage time for certain roles due to the need for continuity and storytelling.

● all female dancers are required to be part of the corps de ballet before they are assigned major solos/pdds.

4.Suitability - i.e. height (for pdd), personality, overall appearance and how they fit the role.

Note: All dancers are expected to commit to attending rehearsals for the full term and for learning the choreography for the roles they are performing. LBT recognises that there may be occasions where a dancer is unable to attend rehearsal; in this event please advise Debbie at the earliest opportunity.

Where too many rehearsals are missed, LBT reserves the right to change the role or position assigned the dancer and/or ask the dancer to defer to the next performance.

5. Casting process

● Once the production is decided, the Casting team will distribute the time-stamped version of the production with role distribution for dancers' consideration.

● Dancers submit their preferences, if any. If not, the roles will be assigned based on criteria 2-4.

● For roles with multiple interested parties, the Casting team will consult the teacher.

● Preliminary casting will be discussed with individual dancers before finalising it.

● Final casting will be approved by the teacher(s) before announcement.

Coaching process

Once cast, a solo dancer is responsible for learning the choreography on his/her own before coming to the rehearsals. Rehearsal time is for:

● corrections and refinement for solos

● learning complex group sequence and acting

● pdds and pdts that require partnering advice (dancers should know the steps in advance)

● dancers can request to alter choreography as approved or choreographed by the teachers

Managing rehearsals

● The Casting team will produce the rehearsal schedule ahead of time, for the weekly rehearsals, dress rehearsals and show days.

● The team is responsible for tracking dancers' attendance. We expect all dancers to attend all rehearsals, especially at the beginning and end of the season to ensure parts can be learned and adapted if needed, and places allocated. We understand that it can be difficult to attend all rehearsals, so we ask that you contact the Casting team as soon as possible when you are unavailable to attend.

● The team is responsible for making sure the rehearsal is run on schedule (as much as possible) and all the activities are covered in the time allocated.

● To assist the teacher, the team will keep records of dancers' positions in each group sequence.

● The team will also ensure that rehearsals videos are taken and shared so everyone can see progress/changes and practice in their spare time.

Narrators and guest artists

The team is also responsible for finding and briefing narrators and guest artists.

These should be contacted as soon as possible and ensure they can make dress rehearsals and show dates.

Music and Visuals team

Hi from the Music and Visuals team! We want to contribute to making the time you spend at rehearsals and during performances as enjoyable and productive as possible, therefore we have guidelines in place to endeavour to accomplish this. Contained in this section of the handbook are recommendations concerning the editing of the music for performance so you will know what to expect.

• The original music for the chosen ballet will be downloaded to Audacity or similar music editing software.

• The music will then be edited according to the company directors’ decision about modifications and adaptations.

• A first draft of the musical excerpts will be trialled during rehearsals and dancers will have the opportunity to modify the tempo or make suggestions about further cuts/additions.

• A second draft will be made and checked by the music team and the dancers involved and feedback given and acted upon.

• A final cut will be made and uploaded to Google Drive after which, no more modifications can be made.

You can contact the music team anytime if you need further information or clarification of this process. Have fun and enjoy dancing with the music! Images and lighting The Music and Visuals team is also responsible for sourcing images that can be used as a backdrop and scenography during the performance. The Sound and Lighting Engineer is responsible for testing music and lighting at technical rehearsals and for managing them during the performance. Photography and videos

Finally, the Music and Visual team is responsible for finding a photographer and videographer to take good photos and videos during the rehearsals and the performance. These photos and videos will be used by the Marketing team for promotional reasons.

Costumes team

As a company, our goal is to look the part. In the Costumes team, our job is to make that a reality, providing you, the dancers, with the best quality, affordable replicas of immersive costumes and props for the ballets we recreate.

Female costumes

Our team is responsible for:

● Pre-order measuring

● Post-order fitting

● Costumes (we will guide you on the correct way in which to wear your costume, to maintain a uniformed look)

Once the ballet has been chosen and all roles cast, we will begin the fitting process. The dancers have two weeks upon receipt of the costume to let us know of any fixable issues, whereby it may be returned or replaced.

Male costumes

The team is accountable for sourcing and creating the male dancers’ costumes for the show, in collaboration with each dancer.

Process for arranging male costumes:

1.Dancers give their ideas for the costume.

2. Dancers may provide any costumes they already have.

3. Dancers give an indication on how much they are willing to spend over and above the budget available.

4.Sizes and measurements taken.

5.First ideas will be presented to the dancers and decisions will be made together on what to buy before ordering.

This process will start at the beginning of the season to aim to have the costumes completely sorted at a minimum of 4 weeks before the show.

Props and scenography

The Costumes team is also responsible for sourcing props (e.g. parrots, flowers etc.) and furniture or decoration for the stage.

Facilities team

Theatre and studio hire liaison

The team is responsible for sorting out rehearsal spaces and booking our theatres somewhere accessible and affordable for us all.

The theatre needs to be booked a year in advance, as spaces are very limited around Christmas and in the summer.

The team will ensure that a few dates are booked with the theatre in advance, so that all company members can be consulted on the available dates to ensure they can be part of the shows.

Additional rehearsals

If extra studios or extra rehearsal dates are needed, the team will consult company members for their availability. We are also exploring the possibility of booking an extra studio once a month for those who want extra practice and are happy to share the cost of the rental.

Happy to answer any questions people may have.

Marketing and communications team

Dear LBT member, hello from the M&C team!

The Marketing and Communications team is tasked with the following:

● Raising awareness and promoting LBT

● Promoting our shows and selling tickets

● Recruiting new dancers

● Producing promotional and merchandise materials

● Producing the Programme for the shows

● Choosing and liaising with sponsors and charities (consulting dancers)

● Producing and updating this Company Handbook

The team is responsible of digital marketing channels including the LBT website and Social Media accounts.

What we expect from you

As David Packard, HP co-founder, said: “marketing is too important to be left to the marketing department.” Therefore, we need all of you to help us promote LBT!

These are some examples of what you can do to help us:

● Please ensure you tell your family and friends about LBT and invite them to the shows. Ideally, each dancer should bring at least 3 to 6 people to each show.

● Share our Social Media posts.

● Tell your dancer friends about LBT and ask them to join us at shows or in the company!

● Distribute leaflets about the company and our shows at ballet classes and dance schools, both adult and children's schools.

We want to ensure that when we perform, we have a friendly and supportive audience and this is only possible with your help!

We need as many spectators as possible to cheer us and to help cover the theatre costs (which unfortunately are substantial), and moreover, to ensure we can donate the profits to a good cause, as we always try to do that.

Charities

If you have a charity dear to you, please let us know, as we always try to give to different worthy organisations.

Finance team

The Finance team is in charge of the company’s budget and welfare and will need to approve all costs and expenses (e.g. for marketing, costumes etc.).

Joining LBT

Term fees

Once the rehearsals start, you enter into an agreement with LBT for the whole term. LBT holds the right to receive payment in full without exceptions. Term fees cover the cost of tuition and studio hire.

LBT allows the possibility to split the term fees into instalments. Each instalment (invoice) will be sent and must be settled within 7 days.

Performance fee

For each performance, LBT will ask a performance fee. This performance fee will allow us to book the theatre in advance and to cover production costs, e.g. lighting technician, music technician, etc.

In the event of any unscheduled rehearsal or class, LBT will reserve the right to claim the extra cost in one of the instalments. Any outstanding amounts must be settled before the performance date.

Costumes

Costumes will be bought in advance or rented out to the dancer by LBT. A costume invoice will be sent one month before the show. Dancers cover the cost of purchasing or renting their own costumes.

We can purchase costumes at very discounted prices and we always try to keep costs to a minimum.

Drop-ins

We do not allow drop-in classes. Dancers committed to the term but who cannot attend some classes will be still charged in full.

If you have any questions not answered in this handbook, please reach out to the Committee.

RULES

A fee is charged for each group enrolled in per term.

Dancers are expected to attend all classes, and an invoice will be raised for the whole term.

Fees will only be pro rata when a dancers starts after a term has begun.

Trial classes are only sometimes offered in the first half of term to dancers before enrolment. If the dancer should wish to enrol after the trial class, and the teacher confirms it is suitable, an invoice upon confirmation of enrolment will reflect the price of the classes remaining in the term and the trial class. There is no payment obligation for the trial class if the student does not wish to enrol after attending the trial.

An invoice for dancers who enrol during the year will be issued to enable payment immediately.

Refunds will not be given for non-attendance.

Fees are currently exempt from VAT

Invoices must be settled by the payment date stated on the invoice; or prior to starting classes following confirmation after a trial/where a dancer has enrolled during the term. Failure to pay in line with these terms will result in the dancer being excluded from classes until full payment is received.

New dancer should pay using the invoice that will be sent to the email address provided upon full enrolment after the trial session.

Payment can be made online.

Once enrolled or attending class after a trial session, the full term’s fees must be paid.

If a dancer is absent from class for four or more consecutive weeks, a refund of 90% of the fees paid for those classes not attended will be given only on the evidence of a medical certificate. This must be provided within one month of the absence, otherwise no refund will be given. Additionally, refunds can only be given from the date on the medical certificate.

Where a dancer misses a class, it is not possible for a different class to be attended as a ‘make up’ class. Students may only attend classes for which they are enrolled.

If dancers wish to withdraw from classes, they are required to give written notice by the given withdrawal deadline/ usually before the term starts. Failure to inform LBT of a written withdrawal will result in you being liable for the full term’s fees. Administrative fees and accumulated charges for classes prior to withdrawal notification will also accrue.

If a dancer attends any classes during the term, you are liable to pay for the full term’s invoice. Unpaid invoices will be forwarded to debt collection services.

Dancers who are permanently enrolled are automatically re-enrolled each term unless formal written notification of withdrawal.