Martha Mahr, ballet matriarch, passes away

Martha Mahr ballet matriarch for over 50 years slipped quitely away on Monday, June 8th 2009. Miss Mahr trained generations of dancers in her Coral Gables studio. Born and trained in Argentina, Miss Mahr was a member of the Ballet Alicia Alonso in Cuba in the 40s and 50s. After fleeing Cuba in the early 60s, Miss Mahr opened her Coral Gables studio. Her former students have gone on to perform with world reknown companies such as American Ballet Theater and New York City Ballet.

She will be missed dearly by the dance community.

Dear Parents and Students,
Welcome to the 58th season of the TAYB/Miami Conservatory! We are looking forward to a new season of ballet with each of you. The TAYB/Miami Conservatory continues to offer a carefully constructed curriculum for every level with emphasis on technique, alignment, and artistry.

Our Summer Intensive is scheduled from June 8th-July 10th. Our 5-week long program will allow younger students to refine technique and alignment skills. The Intermediate/Advanced students will take classes in Technique, Pointe, Pilates, Character, and Variations. The session will end with an in-studio performance of excerpts from the classical ballet, "La Bayadere". Please see our Summer registration form for more information.

Starting Monday, June 1st and ending on Saturday, August 22nd the evening Adult/Teen class schedule will be as follows:

Adult/Teen Beginners: Tuesdays 7pm-8:30pm, Saturdays 10:30am-12pm Adult/Teen Intermediate: Wednesdays 7pm-8:30pm, Saturdays 12pm-1:30pm

**Note: Ballet BodyWorks will be cancelled during the summer.

Please register your child this week for the 2009-10 school year. By registering early, you ensure your first choice of days, allowing you to plan your child's week around the new schedule. See Marina or Anya for registration.

Last day of Classes: Saturday, May 30th.

Registration for the 2009-10 school year begins on August 17th for new students. Present students should be registered by June to ensure placement. Classes resume on August 24th.

Note: this date has been changed from the original calendar for consistency with the Miami Dade County Calendar.

Faculty and Staff:
Director: Ruth Wiesen
Program Coordinator: Geannina Burgos
Registrar/Operations Manager: Mariana Ilinskaya
Ballet: Mariana Alvarez, Maite Diz, Jessica Shults, Crystal Karaginis and Rosario Suarez
Community Outreach teachers:
Ballet/Modern: Afua Hall, Jessica Shults, Natalie Axley, Asha Darbeau
Tap: Natasha Williams and Stephan Fons
Pianist: Jose Lopez
Student Assistants: Camila Escobar, Rony Lenis, Sharyn Richards and Shelby Buxton

Email notices: Please make sure that Ms. Marina has a current e-mail on file for your family. We are trying to send out information electronically rather than through massive amounts of paper. You may receive a call this summer to confirm. If we have not confirmed your e-mail during the summer, please give it to Marina at the front desk.