A graduate of Temple University with a B.A. in Theater, Robyn Watson hails from Philadelphia. In 2016, she served as the tap instructor for the Broadway sensation Shuffle Along, and recently collaborated with Grammy award nominee and MacArthur Genius award recipient Rhiannon Giddens. She has studied under the direction of Tony award winner Savion Glover for the past nine years, and continues to perform with him. In 2017, Robyn was a featured artist for the Grammy nominated live album American Originals: 1918 with the Cincinnati Pops. Robyn has been recognized as one of the "20 Hot Tappers, 20 and Under" by Dance Spirit Magazine. She has been a performer for more than 20 years and a tap dance educator for more than 15. Robyn is also a skilled costume designer and writer.

Nolte Academy will be a drop-off site for book and media donations (DVDs, CDs) for the annual Shelter House Book Sale.

​The sale is one of this important community organization's major fundraisers. Shelter House operates a 70-bed emergency shelter, along with four homes and a housing-first complex where they provide 47 permanent supportive housing units. Their programs and support services focus on housing, employment and mental health recovery and help hundreds of men, women and children each year.
If you have items you would like to donate, the collection area is just inside our front door to the left.

We will be accepting donations through Saturday, February 8.
The sale takes place at the Johnson County Fairgrounds on March 28 and 29. Thank you in advance for supporting this vital organization.

We are excited to celebrate John Robert Allman's new book A is for Audra! This stunning picture book was recently featured on one of BuzzFeed's gift lists and Indie Kids' Next List. Books will be available for purchase at Sidekick.
In addition to Allman reading from and signing copies of his book, vocalists from Fryvecind Voice Studio/Nolte Academy will be performing musical theatre pieces. It's going to be a fun and festive time!
See you there!

There also is an opportunity for Ballet B, Ballet 1 and Ballet 2 dancers to audition with Sarah for excerpts from a ballet called The Circus - with dances for Poodles, Acrobats and Ponies. Auditions will be Saturday, January 4 from 2-2:30 pm.
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Coppélia auditions are this Friday, December 13 at 6:30 pm at Nolte Academy. Registration with brief paperwork and number attachments begins at 5:45 pm. There is no need to register in advance. Rehearsal for some of the selected dancers will begin immediately following the audition. The rehearsal schedule for the next two weekends is below. Rehearsals for Coppélia will typically be held Fridays from 6-8:30 pm and Saturdays from 2-6 pm. Our younger age groups will have a set time scheduled each week for family convenience until we get to full run throughs beginning early April.

​Alejandro González, from Venezuela, trained at the Gustavo Franklin School there before continuing his training at Houston Ballet’s Ben Stevenson Academy. While with Houston Ballet, he performed in John Neumeier’s Yondering, and in Ben Stevenson’s Sleeping Beauty and The Nutcracker. He also danced in Stanton Welch’s Long and Winding Road, The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra, and Brigade.

González attended the Oklahoma City Ballet Summer Intensive in 2017, and was invited to join the Studio Company for the 2017/18 season. He was offered an apprenticeship for the 2018/19 season, and promoted to Corps de Ballet for the 2019/20 season. During the last two seasons he has performed in Robert Mills’ Swan Lake and The Nutcracker, August Bournonville’s La Sylphide, and has danced feature roles in Jiří Kylián’s Petite Mort, Helen Pickett’s Petal, Septime Webre’s ALICE (in wonderland), and Cayetano Soto’s Adam.


The Nolte Nutcracker will have five shows at the Englert Theatre December 6-8. Click below to secure your tickets! 

Just a quick note to wish you all a wonderful holiday with friends and family next week! And to remind you that there will be classes held through Monday, November 25 (this scheduling is intentional and where Mondays "get caught up" with our Tuesday after Labor Day start) and the studio and office will be closed Tuesday-Saturday, November 26-30. We'll see you for Sunday classes on December 1!

There's still time to attend one of our Nutcracker productions on December 6-8. Don't miss this timeless classic! Iowa City is magical at this time of year, and our Nutcracker at The Englert lends to that charm!

This week's Nutcracker Insider is a behind-the-scenes look at the battle scene! As always, our Ballet Director, Mauro Villanueva, has given us a peak into how this year's battle scene will look a bit different.


​The audience can look forward to seeing an increase in the difficulty of the steps, in order to challenge the dancers and showcase their talent. 

​"We are also changing the formations throughout the scene this year, giving more opportunity for dancers to be seen." Said Mauro, "And, adding some things that might make the audience smile or even chuckle." IN preparation of the early December performances, Mauro thought it'd be fun to have the two battle scene teams interact with each other. 

To give you a first-hand look at the creative process of this year's battle scene, take a look at Mauro's notes below!

We are thrilled to announce the dates and important information for our Spring Recitals! There is a wealth of information in this blog post, so please read it carefully and let us know if you have any questions!

Saturday, May 23 at Nolte Academy
Afternoon times for each class TBD

Tuesday, May 26 at Coralville Center for the Performing Arts 
7:00pm

Friday, May 29 - 31 at Hancher Auditorium
*times listed below