Solstice 2024
Join La Boheme for the 2024 Santa Barbara Solstice Parade and Festival. ALL are welcome! NO EXPERIENCE necessary!
La Boheme is always one of the premiere entries in the parade, and this year we will be celebrating our 10 year anniversary. Once again, we are creating a fabulous SURPRISE interpretation of the Solstice theme: "Flights of Fancy” and we are excited to have high energy music from DJ Darla Bea, a spectacular float, and possibly various surprise performers from the community, and, of course, our core group of La Boheme Dancers!
Read this ENTIRE PAGE And find our REGISTRATION and PAYMENT link under “HOW to REGISTER and JOIN LA BOHEME for Solstice 2024”!
See this link to the Santa Barbara Solstice Festival website, for more info about the Solstice Event.
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Meet the La Boheme Solstice 2024 DREAM TEAM
Director - Teresa Kuskey
Board of Directors - Karen Lehman, Susie Subject, Judith Smith Meyer, and Gretchen Graham
Solstice Accountant - Mary Stark
Solstice Merch and Apparel - Gretchen Graham
Lead Photographer and Videographer - Gilbert Cruz
Float Music - Dj Darla Bea
Sound Design - Jeremy Cable, owner of Islay Events
Float Construction Team Leads - Jed Hirsch Construction, Jeffrey Woolever
IMPORTANT DATES AND INFO
The Solstice Parade is Saturday, June 22, at noon (but as a performer you will "start" much earlier).
Our first rehearsal is Tuesday, May 7 at 7:30pm at State Street Ballet Academy, 2285 Las Positas Road.
Rehearsals:
May 7 thru June 20, 2024 - we get busy! 2 weekly rehearsals!
Tuesdays and Thursdays through Parade every week, 7:30-9pm at State Street Ballet Academy.
TBA - possible other locations in June at Carrillo Rec Center, watch for details
Also, one mandatory parading rehearsal on Saturday, June 15 - a multi-hour rehearsal - time and location TBA.
We consider ALL rehearsals to be MANDATORY. As a performer and dancer, you will be most prepared and confident with consistent attendance of all rehearsals. We recommend that you not miss more than 2 rehearsals (and try not to miss any during the last 2 weeks). However, if you know that you must miss a rehearsal, please speak with one of the board members ASAP.
Registration Info:
Registration fee includes the Costume Packets (but not the simple base layer pieces, which you will purchase yourself, more details below). Besides your fabulous costume packets, the Registration package will include all hours of mandatory rehearsals and numerous optional/extra rehearsals (times TBA). Registration does NOT include a few base layer costume pieces, like shoes and bras, or the separate $15 per person Solstice Festival fee (this goes directly to Santa Barbara Solstice Festival, and is required for every single parade participant).
We are offering 2 Payment Options:
1) One Regular Full Price Payment: $550
2) Payment Plan Option - 2 Payments of $285
(see below for more details on payments and the payment plan)
This year, we are excited to again offer a “Bring-Your-Friends Discount”: Take $50 off your cost for EVERY NEW DANCER you refer to La Boheme Solstice. They need to have never performed with the group before, and your discount only applies after they have paid their registration fees. Therefore, you must first pay your registration fee, and we will refund you, after your friends have paid in full. If you bring in 7 new dancers, you can get $350 off! Please confirm this with a Board Member to receive your discount. Again, go to a Board Member, not Teresa.
Think of people you’d love to see have the transformative, joy-filled, challenging experience La Boheme Solstice offers and recruit them to join. We love newbies and all of your friends are welcome to join us!!!
Costume Considerations:
Costume packets are included in the total cost this year! Teresa and the La Boheme Board work hard to keep these costs as low as possible. Packets are provided at cost and the board puts in hours and miles to shop for costume pieces and prepare packets for all dancers. All dancers are also responsible for creating their costumes, by following our simple sewing/gluing/safety-pinning directions. But don’t let this stop you - La Boheme even makes costume construction FUN. Can we say “costume-making-party?”
Base layers: Specified foundation items, such as bra (cost up to you), shorts ($7-$25), corset ($8-$25), shoes (up to you), fishnets (approx $20-25) need to be purchased separately and will not be included in your costume packet. Way more details will be provided later.
To ensure that costume creation is maximally enjoyable, we’ll be sending out instructions, videos, and having sewing parties as early as possible.
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Commitment:
To participate as a Dancer with La Boheme, you must register and pay by Tuesday, May 7 (the first class/rehearsal) - no late joiners. ALSO - everyone must be registered and paid before entering for the 1st rehearsal - NO exceptions! To keep the space sacred for our dance group, we do NOT allow anyone to “just try it out” before deciding whether or not to commit.
Dancers are recommended to only miss 2 rehearsals, and you must communicate your absences with us at least 24 hours ahead of time to a La Boheme Board Member - Karen, Susie, Judith, or Gretchen. Do not communicate this to Teresa.
Dancers must pay and complete paperwork for La Boheme, which includes:
1) La Boheme Liability Waiver and Dancer’s Agreement, and
2) Solstice Parade Registration all DUE BEFORE THE FIRST REHEARSAL - BEFORE YOU WALK IN THE DOOR. No registrations accepted after the first rehearsal on May 7. (see LINKS BELOW for these items)
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HOW to REGISTER/PAY and JOIN LA BOHEME for Solstice 2024
STEP 1 - PAYMENT (same price as last year)
PAYMENT OPTION 1 - PAY in Full. Regular Full Price package: $550 (includes costume packets this year) is DUE BEFORE or AT FIRST REHEARSAL on May 7 - BEFORE YOU WALK ONTO THE DANCE FLOOR. No registrations accepted after the first rehearsal.
1) Pay ONLINE at our website Here $550 (+7.25% vendor processing fee).
2) Bring your credit card or check (to Teresa Nowak) or cash to first rehearsal, Tuesday, May 7.
PAYMENT OPTION 2 - Payment Plan WITH 2 Payments ($285 each) - LINK FOR PAYMENT PLAN CONTRACT HERE
1st $285 Payment is due before May 7, 2024
2nd $285 Payment is due by May 31, 2024
—> Anyone utilizing the Payment Plan option will need to complete a contract before class - LINK HERE
Bring credit card, check (to Teresa Kuskey) or cash to 1st rehearsal, May 7, and the May 31st rehearsal.
STEP 2 - LA BOHEME EGISTRATION
All dancers must complete the REGISTRATION form each year - LINK HERE
STEP 3 - SOLSTICE ORG REGISTRATION ONLINE. Solstice Organization Parade Registration Form and $15 Participation Entry Fee.
—> This is completely separate from La Boheme’s Registration and must be completed and paid by every single Solstice parade participant! On parade day, you will check-in with Solstice Organization and receive a wristband to participate ONLY if you have completed this online registration and $15 payment. It is fast and easy and we actually REQUIRE it to be complete before your 1st rehearsal.
SB Solstice Organization - LINK HERE (coming soon) 2 steps:
1) register and 2) pay. We are still waiting for them to update the form for 2024.
FYI - the Solstice Organization’s registration asks a number of questions, unfortunately, as they have designed it more for smaller ensembles or for the group leader. Go ahead and leave anything blank that is not mandatory. Just be sure to list the ensemble as “La Boheme Dance”, and Lead Contact as “Teresa Kuskey” - all else can be left blank. We actually prefer you don’t provide details about the float and sound system!
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Don't want to dance or perform in the parade? LA BOHEME IS LOOKING FOR VOLUNTEERS TO HELP ON PARADE DAY! Be a part of this fun and fabulous community and event, by joining La Boheme as a Parade-Day Volunteer! There are so many ways to help out! We need people to help distribute water during the parade and to help push the float, among other tasks. You are guaranteed to have fun! Email us, to find out more!
Any questions left? Email us!!!
2018 Solstice Parade
2016 Practices at Shoreline Park
2016 Solstice