Service Learning Linked Credit

BOSTON BALLET

Outline of Topics• About Me• History of Boston Ballet• How I Found Myself With the Internship• Description of Internship Duties• Communication Skills I Learned• Leadership Roles I Played•What I Learned About the Boston Ballet •What I Learned About Myself• How This Relates to Hospitality Management (HEM101) Course• Presentation Summary• Questions and Comments

About Me• Carol Stateham• Major - Event Management, Minor -

Entrepreneurship• Class of 2019 (Freshman)• Live in Oxford, MA.• Danced for 11 years total,

competitively for 6 years.• Jazz, Tap, Lyrical, Hip Hop, Modern, Ballet,

Pointe, Theatrical, Production, etc.• Left the dance scene and played

volleyball and basketball all 4 years of high school to be more involved.

• As a high school Sophomore I knew I wanted to plan and organize events of some sort.

• Lasell College was the only school I applied to – they have the best program for my major!

• Now I focus solely on my career, doing whatever I can to enrich myself for the future.

2011 – taken during one of my competition performances

2015 – taken after a basketball workshop my team did with

younger players

History of Boston Ballet• Boston Ballet, founded in 1963 by E. Virginia Williams, was the first professional repertory ballet company in New England. • Under the leadership of Artistic Directors Violette Verdy

(1980-1984), Bruce Marks (1985-1997), and Anna-Marie Holmes (1997-2000), the Ballet’s national and international reputation has grown.

• The Company is now one of the major ballet companies in North America and among the top companies in the world. • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQ4q042BSrc• Current Artistic Director Mikko Nissinen was selected to lead Boston Ballet in September 2001. • Under his exceptional artistic direction, Boston Ballet

presents choreography of the highest caliber and offers great variety in repertoire, allowing dancers to grow in new directions.

How the Internship Began• In late September of 2015, I received an email about a volunteer opportunity that consisted of handing out programs at Boston Ballet’s performance, Leonid Yakobson’s Pas de Quatre.• A few nights later, I was on my way to 19 Clarendon Street in

Boston, MA to help pass out the programs.• Once I got there I found myself loving the ambiance and never

wanting to leave!• So shortly after that night, I applied for an internship with the Development Department as an Events Intern.• I had to go for an interview and at the end, they told me I had

been given the position. I was absolutely thrilled.

Internship Duties• Beverage rundown costs• I would have to tally up all types of drinks that were purchased

on each night of the performances in the Donor parties. Costs of labor for servers were also tallied as well.

• Learning a new software – Tessitura• Tessitura is the software the Ballet employees use in order to

keep track of each contact they work with. Whether it be a high platform donor or a family of four just seeing a show because they are in the area.

• Double checking the Master Calendar every week• All departments use the Master Calendar and it was my job to

watch out for small details that could be missing based on the hard copy provided from my boss, Gabby.

Internship Duties (Continued)• Creation of inspiration boards for event themes• Ex. Ball theme – Moulin Rouge (see next slide)• 2016 Ballet Ball guest list critiques and Silent Auction preparations• All guests were sent a chart in which they were to fill out the seating

arrangement for their 10 or 12 table assignments. Once they sent it back, it was my job to look over and enter all names into a spreadsheet for place cards.

• Organizing of files into corresponding binders for future reference• Set up and breakdown of several events in Boston Ballet building and the Opera House• Ex. Nutcracker Rehearsal Viewing in Board Room – catered event• Creating and constantly adding to multiple Excel spreadsheets for various things• Ex. Celebrity Series of Boston – works in co-ordinance with BB to help

with auctions online• Holiday and Invitation send-outs and follow up

Moulin Rouge Theme

Communication Skills Learned•While interning at Boston Ballet I learned to communicate effectively through:1. Asking Questions • This is something I have always done

ever since I had my first job 3 years ago.

• Asking about something, even if you know the answer or not is very important to you and the person you’re asking.

• It shows the person that you are interested in the topic and that you care about doing the task correctly.

• Asking questions also gives you a solidified answer in response to the question of topic, even if you know the answer or not.

Communication Skills I Learned (Continued)• Continued communication skills I learned:

2. Listening• Listening to others before speaking is something that I also have

noticed that I often do a lot. • I would rather listen to everything the other person has to say

before I speak up to make a point. • Their words are just as important as mine are.• If you listen and process what the person said before you make

your case, you may have a better response than if you didn’t listen to them at all.

3. Organizing and Reporting on Projects• While at the Boston Ballet, I was given multiple tasks that

consisted of putting together information or pictures and then having to present them to my boss.

• Organizing all of my ideas and then reporting them to her became second nature to me and so did constructive criticism.

• I always welcomed her opinions because two brains are far better than just one.

Leadership Roles Played• I was given the freedom to set up spreadsheets and documents in the way that I saw best fit for the situation.• Ex. Beverage Rundown Cost Sheets – I used Excel and entered

in different equations so the columns and rows would automatically and mathematically add together.

• Although I was not of a high position in the department, I did have some free reign when it came to setting up events.• I would have the freedom to organize the different rooms how I saw most fit for the events.• Ex. Placement of tables, chairs, food and drink area, etc.

What I Learned About Boston Ballet•Working at the Boston Ballet has taught me multiple things :• Yes, there are other people who love the ballet as much as I

do.• There are jobs out there that don’t consist of sitting at a desk

all day. This internship was very hands on.• This is a non-profit company, which I love, and the amount of

donors the Ballet has standing behind them in full support is astonishing.• There are many departments needed to make the company

exist. All types of job roles need to be filled for total success.• The dancers truly love what they do. They would always have

smiles on their faces, you could tell that this is where they wanted to be.• The ambiance of the Boston Ballet is what kept me coming

back. People treat you with the utmost respect and gratitude, and that is what is most important to me.

What I Learned About Myself• From working at the Boston Ballet, I have learned that:• I do, in fact, still want to work as an event planner because I

love playing the role of the stage manager, problem solver, and leader.• Not all problems can be solved, but offering an alternative is

the next best thing.• I ask many questions, but only because I feel the need to get

things right the first time.• I appreciate it when others treat me with the same respect

that I treat them with – and I work harder and more efficiently because of that.• I love to organize things, from files and documents, to tables

and chairs in an event space. It’s all meaningful and fun in my opinion!

In Relation to HEM101 Course• These skills have added and contributed to my success at the Boston Ballet. Each piece of new knowledge that I learn at school, I bring to the Ballet, and vice-versa. • My Boston Ballet events internship related to my current Hospitality Management (HEM101) course in the following ways:• Food and Beverage• Customer Satisfaction• Management Contracts and Structures• Revenue Management• Security• Catering• Kitchen and Bar Setup Systems• Current Trends• Staffing and Scheduling

Questions or Comments?

Thank You!