René Bibaud failed to make her elementary school’s Hot Dogs jump rope team as a 10-year old.
Today, decades later, René has: won five world championships; toured the world as a coach and featured performer for the renowned Cirque du Soleil; appeared on television, in feature films, and on thousands of stages; is a commentator for ESPN; and, created her own business with a mission of youth motivation and fitness.

Now René shares the wonderful lessons she learned as a 10-year old that transformed defeat into determination and a passion to always give her best.

René delivers a powerful 45-minute program combining dazzling performances with fun interactive audience participation.
While the entertainment grabs the kids’ attention, René masterfully anchors essential messages about best effort, determination and fitness.

 

 

Students are enthralled and motivated. Faculty and staff are equally moved and leave with a persuasive tool for the classroom. As one teacher said in 2005, “For the remainder of the school year, every time I needed to give a child a boost, I just said, ‘Remember René.’” In the 40 minute Action-Oriented Fitness Based Program, students are Captivated by Solo Performances, Excited to Participate, and Inspired by meaningful messages.

During the assembly Rene combines her skills as a professional rope jumper, educator, entertainer and role-model while demonstrating dazzling moves that students can learn to incorporate into a lifetime of fitness.

 

“We have many different assemblies come to Russell throughout each school year, but I have never heard so many compliments before… from the students, our staff, and the administrators.”—Krissa Baylor, Milpitas, CA

 

 

 

“ I have never seen 600 students so attentive and engaged in an assembly. Their enthusiasm was very touching. Teachers were very impressed—“Best assembly in 30 years.” The entire school was motivated to continue discussions, write essays, and do projects on achieving your personal best. Kids are jump roping at recess.” Mary Jo Stacks, East Lansing, MI

 

 

 

 

 

 

Booking:

The most frequently asked question René receives is: “How do we get you to visit our school?”

That’s a great question and it often leads to more questions about fees, travel expenses, options for performances, services, etc.

So…the following set of questions and answers is intended to help with the entire process of bringing René to your school.

What are the fees and other costs, such as travel expenses, to bring René to our school?

Let’s break that question down into two parts – performance fees and other expenses:

Performance fees: Most schools schedule René for one show and the cost is $695. Some schools with larger enrollment prefer multiple assemblies. For 2 assemblies in the same location, the fee is $995; for 3 assemblies in the same location, the fee is $1400. René also offers an all-day appearance fee of $1500 and that may be the best value of all. She starts the morning with her inspiring assembly for students and faculty, then works with each PE class throughout the balance of the day, emphasizing not only the great fitness benefits of rope jumping, but also reinforcing the wonderful motivational messages from her assembly that apply to the classroom and academics as well. Some schools request after-school workshops or even “family nights.” Please see the end of this section for a complete list of fees for René’s services.

Travel and other expenses: René is very sensitive to the budget constraints many schools face. Yet airfare, lodging, and car rental can be significant expenses on any given trip. Occasionally, a school may want René to appear on a specific date and is willing to cover all travel expenses. But in most cases, schools need to economize. That’s why René offers the option of waiving all travel expenses if six or more bookings can be arranged on one trip.

Because René is on the road so much, she tries to schedule as many schools in a given area as possible to avoid duplicate trips. Frequently we find that after René has visited an area, several schools are disappointed that they did not have the opportunity to host her and try to schedule a return trip. That’s a large part of why we ask school officials to network with surrounding schools – to assure an economical and productive trip for all, as well as the opportunity for the maximum number of schools to benefit from René’s visit on a particular trip.

How do we network with other schools in order to have travel expenses waived?

This usually isn’t a difficult task. We find that schools receive a large volume of solicitations, so most principals and teachers welcome recommendations from a trusted local contact. If you’re willing to make a quick call to nearby schools to state your confidence in René’s program, then that’s frequently all the assistance we need. We expect to do most of the “leg work” in setting up a visit to your area. If you can provide names of schools or contacts within schools who might like to host René, then that’s greatly appreciated. And of course we’re grateful for advice on the most sensible sequence for scheduling schools because you better understand the logistics of your area.

How do most schools pay for René’s appearance fee?

Some schools have “school enrichment program” budgets that pay for an appearance by René. Others count on their PTOs or PTAs to fund special programs. René is often invited to appear as the result of grant monies being available for specific services. Arts and dance grants have paid for René to work at schools. Fitness related funding from the Federal Government or private foundations has also been used to bring René to an area. Even businesses with a special connection to a school or a cause have been known to fund her appearances. So even if funding seems tight, think creatively!

Because René’s business is not a nonprofit, she cannot apply directly to most grant sources for funding. But if we can be of assistance in providing information for a grant application, we will certainly help in any way we can. If your PTO or PTA is considering nonprofit status, that may make it easier for you to apply for foundation funding. Usually the grant process takes considerable advanced planning.

When should we attempt to schedule René?

René does her very best to accommodate all requests. But there are a limited number of schools that she can visit in a year, so we ask for as much notice as possible to guarantee availability. Spring (for the upcoming school year) and fall seem to be the two best times but always feel free to contact us to check for availability.

“Frankly, I was a little worried whether the program would be considered a deserving expenditure of precious funds. All fears were dashed…the reviews were rave! René Bibaud certainly made me look good.”
-Gail Frederick, Grosse Pointe, MI