August Newsletter/2014

Charles and I have a lot of news to share with you this month. 

First and foremost, we are happy to announce that we are now designated as Company in Residence at The Grand Theatre. Our productions and end-of-session shows will be held at The Grand Theatre. We are fortunate to work with other theatre professionals at the city’s premiere venue, and we are excited to share that enriched environment with our acting students and with our pool of community performers.  Our studio space ( for classes and rehearsals) continues to be up the street from the Grand, at St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church. 

We are thrilled to announce that Amie E. Bello is joining 'The Bottle Tree Family' as Acting Instructor, and we are excited to introduce two brand-new artists to the Kingston community; Choreographer Sasha French, and Music Director Darrell Bryan.

Amie E. Bello is a familiar face on stage in Kingston. She has performed and directed with many of our local theatre and musical theatre companies. You may have seen her on stage at The Grand as Mama Rose in Gypsy, or in Les Miserables as Mme. Thenardier. Amie received her Bachelor of Arts in Theatre Performance from the University of Findlay, in Findlay, Ohio. She also earned a Bachelor of Education degree from Queen’s University in the Artist in Community Education track. We are fortunate to have someone of Amie's calibre teaching classes for us this year. We look forward to giving our students meaningful new opportunities in theatre! Read about Amie http://www.bottletreeinc.com/amie_e_bello.html

Shasha French holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Dance from the University of Florida. She has spent the last five years between dance communities in the Southern states, teaching as adjunct faculty and guest artist at two Tampa area colleges working and producing at the American Dance Festival, creating new work for her own company, HEMISPHERE dance, and performing with Moving Current Dance Collective and American Stage. We look forward to some exciting choreography in our upcoming production of A Christmas Carol!  Read about Sasha http://bottletreeinc.blogspot.ca/2014/08/sasha-french.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BottleTreeProductionsBlog+%28Bottle+Tree+Productions+Blog%29

Darrell Bryan hails from the UK and has over 15 years' experience as a performer, educator, and conductor. He has studied at Keele University (UK) and York University (Ontario), and holds  a Bachelor of Arts in Music and Music Education. He has an extensive background in musical direction for theatre, and in both orchestral and vocal conducting, that spans three continents. Darrell has recently been appointed Artistic Director of The Kingston Townsmen and Musical Director of Cookes'-Portsmouth United Church. We are very happy to have him on board!  Read about Darrell http://www.bottletreeinc.com/darrell_bryan.html

ACTING CLASSES - REGISTER NOW for Fall session http://www.bottletreeinc.com/acting_classes.html
    - session starts Sept. 20
    - end of class shows at The Baby Grand
    - classes for age 6-10, 11&12, and teens

DANCE AUDITIONS for A Christmas Carol http://www.bottletreeinc.com/auditions.html
    - looking for females, 14-24 for our dance chorus

TICKETS NOW ON SALE - The Bobby Show http://kingstongrand.ca/event/bobby-show
    - all of your favourite 'Bobby' singers of the 50's and 60's, their hits and stories 
    - Bobby Darin, Bobby Vinton, Bobby Rydell, Bobby Vee and others ("Beyond the Sea" "Blue Velvet" "Volare" many many more!)
    - one night only - sold out last time performed in Kingston! 
    - proceeds to support our Christmas community theatre production of A Christmas Carol

UPDATED website front page http://www.bottletreeinc.com
    - site renovations underway, you should not notice any disruptions in the use of our site


We hope that you have had a happy and relaxing summer, and we look forward to seeing you at our classes and events. Please forward this email to anyone who may be interested - we are always happy to make new friends!

Warm regards

Anne Marie and Charles

Sasha French

Sasha French Dancing

Bottle Tree Productions is pleased to welcome American dancer and choreographer; Sasha French to the fold. she will be the dance instructor and choreographer for our Christmas production of A Christmas Carol at The Grand Theatre December 18th to the 20th. The show has several big dance numbers that will add visual excitement to this wonderful tale of redemption. 

Sasha French is a constant work in progress.  Born and raised in the Florida Keys, she spent her formative years studying concert piano with Ignacio Diaz Gravier and others.   French  went on to receive a Bachelors of Fine Arts in Dance from the University of Florida.  From 2004-2009 she performed with the Florida MOD Project, taught/performed works by Shapiro & Smith Dance, The Neta Dance Company, T'che T'che Dance Company, and Incidents Physical Theatre, choreographed for the Florida Players, and interned at Fine Arts Magnet Schools.  In 2008 she self-produced an evening length work entitled "I Married Adventure" (excerpts of which traveled to the Joyce SoHO and other New York, Virginia, North Carolina, and Florida locations).  Hailed by Mia Leonin (Knight Arts Foundation) as "Gratifying to watch..." her work invokes a sense of intimate familiarity within the observer.  From 2009-2014, French spent time between dance communities in the Southern states, teaching as adjunct faculty and guest artist at two Tampa area colleges, working and producing at    the American Dance Festival, creating new work for her own company,    HEMISPHERE dance, and performing with Moving Current Dance     Collective and American Stage. The creation of art is her                       passionate dedication and she is deathly afraid of spiders.