Mandy Dray

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So far Mandy Dray has created 164 blog entries.

Rescheduled Observation Day: Seattle Pre Ballet II

Hello Seattle Pre Ballet II families and students,

Because your original observation day class was canceled yesterday evening due to weather, please find your student’s UPDATED observation day below in yellow and review the observation day protocols below. Thank you for your flexibility!

  • Only two guests per student will be permitted to observe the class.
  • No children under the age of 5 are permitted to observe the class.
  • Guests will be escorted into the building as a group at the start of class and will be asked to exit the building as soon as class is over.

We look forward to seeing you!

Best regards,
Mandy Dray
School Supervisor
PNB School

Rescheduled Observation Day: Seattle Pre Ballet II2025-03-27T10:05:42-07:00

Rescheduled Observation Day: Seattle Level II C Boys and Bellevue Level II A

Hello Seattle Level II C Boys and Bellevue II A families and students,

Because your original observation day class was canceled yesterday evening due to weather, please find your student’s UPDATED observation day below in yellow and review the observation day protocols below. Thank you for your flexibility!

  • Only two guests per student will be permitted to observe the class.
  • No children under the age of 5 are permitted to observe the class.
  • Guests will be escorted into the building as a group at the start of class and will be asked to exit the building as soon as class is over.

We look forward to seeing you!

Best regards,
Mandy Dray
School Supervisor
PNB School

Rescheduled Observation Day: Seattle Level II C Boys and Bellevue Level II A2025-03-27T09:17:06-07:00

Seattle and Bellevue Classes Canceled Tonight Wednesday 3/26/25

Hello PNBS families,

Due to Seattle School District as well as Bellevue School District canceling after school/evening activities due to the forecasted hazardous weather conditions, we are canceling all classes scheduled for this evening, Wednesday March 26th at both the Phelps Center and Francia Russell Center.

Everyone please stay safe!

If you have any questions please call or email the school office.

Thank you!

PNB School Staff

Seattle and Bellevue Classes Canceled Tonight Wednesday 3/26/252025-03-26T14:38:41-07:00

Schedule Update! Monday Night Pas de Deux class

Hello Level VIII and Advanced C students and families,

Starting next Monday March 31st, we will be extending Pas de Deux class on Monday nights by 15 minutes. Class will now end at 8:45pm.

If you have any questions please call or email the school office!

Thank you!

PNB School Staff

Schedule Update! Monday Night Pas de Deux class2025-03-26T12:07:16-07:00

Reminder: 2025 Class Photos Are Ready! The Early Bird Special is Almost Over!

Hello PNB Families,

Time is almost up! Don’t miss the early bird sale that is happening through March 28th!

Below you will find the links and passwords to access the class photos that were taken in February. We ask that you respect the photographer’s work and please do not screenshot the images.

Please call or email the school if you have any questions.

Click here for EASTSIDE CLASS pictures. Password: bepscbal25!!

Click here for SEATTLE CLASS pictures. Password: sebalpan25??

We are unable to schedule any make-up pictures.

Thank you!

PNB School Staff

Reminder: 2025 Class Photos Are Ready! The Early Bird Special is Almost Over!2025-03-21T12:01:03-07:00

A Message From PNB School

Dear PNB School Families,

I am writing to you today to share some important news about leadership transitions at Pacific Northwest Ballet School. We communicated this news to our faculty and staff last month, and wanted to share it with all of you as well. Denise Bolstad, PNB School Managing Director, will retire at the conclusion of Summer Course and Abbie Siegel, PNB School Principal will retire from her position after School Performance. It is hard to imagine PNB School without Denise and Abbie. 

Denise began working for PNB in 1980 and held various positions with the School including Registrar and Principal. Denise’s contribution to PNBS is beyond measure. She has seen the School through its move from the Good Shepherd Center to the Phelps Center and from the first Eastside school to the first and second Francia Russell Center. She has helped a devoted team implement and enhance DanceChance, Community Education, Dance for All, Dance for PD, New Voices, NEXT STEP, the Mentorship program, multiple Teachers’ Seminars, countless conferences, dozens of Scholarship Teas, School Celebration Dinners, Petite Finales, audition tours, faculty meetings, 42 school performances, and the first dedicated wellness team in the country for a ballet school. It has been a pleasure and an honor to work alongside her. 

Though Abbie has decided to retire from her School Principal duties in June, luckily for us, she will remain on the faculty. Throughout her 34 years at the School, Abbie has been an irreplaceable member of the faculty, teaching students at every level. Abbie has also held many important roles, including DanceChance Manager, serving as Assistant Principal, Principal of the Francia Russell Center, and, since 2012, as Principal for both schools. Her many roles are impressive, but her true strength lies in the quiet, everyday moments when she’s there to help students and families navigate life’s challenges and celebrate their accomplishments in ballet. She has always led with her heart, deeply committed to what’s best for each student, guiding them not just in dance, but in life. 

We are pleased to share Assistant Principal Marisa Albee will assume the role of School Principal at the conclusion of this school year. Marisa has been an influential faculty member for the past twenty-four years. As Assistant Principal for the past three, she worked alongside Abbie learning the myriad complexities and nuances of the role. We are excited to see Marisa’s further contribution to the School and community in her new role. 

Please join me in congratulating Denise and Abbie on their extraordinary contributions. We will honor them at this year’s School Performance. 

Sincerely, 

Peter Boal 

Director, PNB School

A Message From PNB School2025-03-24T15:05:01-07:00

Important! Warm Up Class Dress Code Reminder

Hello Level VII, VIII and Adv C students,

This is an important friendly reminder that the dress code is still in effect for warm-up classes. Please maintain a clean appearance and ensure you are prepared for class with the proper attire.

  • Your hair must be neatly pulled into a bun
  • Please wear the correct shoes throughout the entire class
  • Leotard: You may choose what color of leotard you would like to wear

Thank you for your cooperation and understanding!

PNB School Staff

Important! Warm Up Class Dress Code Reminder2025-03-21T14:59:50-07:00

Reminder: 2025 Class Photos Are Ready! Don’t miss the early bird special!

Hello PNB Families,

Time is running out! Don’t miss the early bird sale that is happening through March 28th!

Below you will find the links and passwords to access the class photos that were taken in February. We ask that you respect the photographer’s work and please do not screenshot the images.

Please call or email the school if you have any questions.

Click here for EASTSIDE CLASS pictures. Password: bepscbal25!!

Click here for SEATTLE CLASS pictures. Password: sebalpan25??

We are unable to schedule any make-up pictures.

Thank you!

PNB School Staff

Reminder: 2025 Class Photos Are Ready! Don’t miss the early bird special!2025-03-21T11:56:24-07:00

Pointe Shoes for Summer Intensives- Order Now!

Hello PNB School Families!!

Here is a message from On Pointe Dancewear:

On Pointe Dancewear  
Yes, it’s that time already! 

If you or your dancer will be participating in a ballet summer intensive this year and will need multiple pairs of pointe shoes, now is the time to communicate with us. The bulk of our summer pointe shoe orders are submitted to our vendors by mid-April since some brands/models/sizes can take up to 2-3 months to come in. 
 Please complete the Google form to get on our order list by the end of this month. Don’t worry about knowing exactly what you need – we just need a general idea to avoid a last-minute pointe shoe crisis. No one wants to settle for a less-than-ideal back-up style that they’re not used to wearing! 

How many shoes will you need? If this is your first time, summer intensive is a different ballgame. In general, you will need one pair per week.* This may seem like a lot, but remember, you will be wearing your pointe shoes for longer periods of time and you will need to rotate through multiple pairs so that each can have ample drying time between uses – ideally 24-38 hours of drying time. The last thing you need is to run out of shoes with two weeks left in your program and faced with dancing in pain on dead, mushy pointe shoes. 

 Be smart, plan ahead, and you won’t have to stress come June.  

* This is a general suggestion. If you’re wearing Freeds, order an extra pair. If you wear Gaynors, you probably only need 1-2 pairs. If you’re unsure how many to order, ask us! We’ve done this several times 😉   
————————————————————————————————————————————
Why so early? There are two main reasons: 

1. Not only are all pointe shoes made by hand, it takes up to 25 people to make a single pair (that is no exaggeration!). This means it takes more time to produce than one would think. Part of that extra time is when the shoes are “cured” in an oven with drying time ranging from overnight (think Freed) to up to 3 weeks (think Suffolk). Additionally, most manufacturers do not keep a lot of pointe shoe sizes in stock. Since pointe shoes expire, they keep their stock thin and produce based on demand. 
2. Everything comes from overseas (mostly Thailand, Russia, Europe, or the Dominican Republic) and sometimes they come by plane or sometimes by boat. These same companies most likely need to fill a shipping container or a certain number of pallets with hundreds or thousands of pairs of pointe shoes before they can ship out. This makes planning tricky and not a quick process.Also, in case you’re wondering, there are ZERO pointe shoe factories in the U.S!  
————————————————————————————————————————————–
Bulk Discount Program: 

We offer a final sale bulk discount of 15% for 3+ pairs of pointe shoes. This means, no refunds or exchanges – no exceptions. If you are concerned about your young dancer growing before summer, then we recommend just buying shoes one at a time so that you can always exchange for a different size before you leave. The reason we do this is because growing dancers require additional pointe shoe fitting appointments which add additional costs to our business. The discount program is intended for dancers who are confident in their make/model of shoe and just need to try them on without an appointment to check for possible defects

 Business WebsiteInstagram AccountFacebook PageOn Pointe Dancewear
12001 NE 12th Street #85, Bellevue, WA, 98005-2024
Pointe Shoes for Summer Intensives- Order Now!2025-03-21T10:43:19-07:00

UPDATE #2! RESCHEDULED Observation Day Pre Intermediate C

Hello Pre-Intermediate C Families,

We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience, but due to teacher availability, we must reschedule the upcoming Observation Day once again. We understand that this may cause disruptions to your plans. We appreciate your understanding and flexibility.

Please know this will be the final reschedule, and we are locking in the new date for the Observation Day. Please find the new date in yellow below.

Thank you for your patience. We look forward to seeing you on the newly scheduled date!

UPDATED 3/19/25
  • Only two guests per student will be permitted to observe the class.
  • No children under the age of 5 are permitted to observe the class.
  • Guests will be escorted into the building as a group at the start of class and will be asked to exit the building as soon as class is over.

Best regards,
Mandy Dray
School Supervisor
PNB School

UPDATE #2! RESCHEDULED Observation Day Pre Intermediate C2025-03-19T13:18:49-07:00
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