THE BEAT STUDIO NEWSLETTER
APRIL 2022
TAKE A PEEK! OPEN LOBBY/DRESS CODE/GIVEAWAY page 2 DANCE PATHWAYS pages 3-10 COMPETITION TEAM NEWS page 11 22-23 REGISTRATION/SUMMER CLASSES page 12 PARENT EDUCATION page 13 CHARACTER FOCUS: Gratitude page 14 PRE-BALLET POP-UP, Session 3 page 15 CAR DECAL CONTEST page 16 SPRING SHOW FAQ's pages 17-18 SPRING SHOW CALENDAR pages 19-20 SPRING SHOW TIMELINE page 21 DID YOU KNOW? page 22 UPCOMING EVENTS page 23
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Gratitude is our Culture Card for April, and from the bottom of my heart I cannot express my personal gratitude to all of our dance families, as well as my own faculty, for pushing through these last 2 years of constant changes, do-overs, and unknowns. To say it has been a stressful journey is an understatement, but the trust and support continually given to myself and Backstage has been overwhelming and humbling. Many thanks to everyone for keeping the faith and making it happen! We make a positive difference in the lives of our dancers and we are proud to be in this community!
- Marty
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Open Lobby Beginning in April, we will open our lobby for parents to remain inside and observe their dancer(s) during classes. We are planning to start by welcoming those parents of dancers in our Basics level classes, particularly those who may need parent support going to the restroom, putting on dance shoes, etc. Your dancers have done a remarkable job of being responsible and wellbehaved during the past two years of limited parent supervision in the lobby-kudos to them!!
Tutu Giveaway!! Is your dancer between the ages of 2 and 5? The first 20 dancers in this age group that register for Terrific Twos, Creative Movement or Pre-Ballet during our Summer Session will receive a FREE tutu from Stage Left Dancewear! You will be notified by our studio staff when your dancer's tutu is ready for pick-up!
Dress Code Parents, please make sure your dancer is coming to class prepared to succeed. They need proper shoes, proper dance attire per dress code, and their hair pulled back and away from their face. There have been far too many dancers coming to class without dance bags, shoes, or hair ties over the past month. Please help your dancer remember these important details in order to have the best experience possible.
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dance pat We teach dance to not only create strong, passionate dancers, but to support and nurture amazing, well-rounded human beings with life skills taught through the art and discipline of dance. While promoting teamwork and community, we expect and encourage accountability, and a strong work ethic; contributing to growing confident, creative individuals that are sure to succeed throughout life. Working together with their classmates, regular attendance, and practicing at home will assure success in these classes. Every child's dance journey is personal, and our instructors are adept at pushing and challenging the students who are ready to take on more responsibility within the class. The assessments within the Parent Portal or the personal email sent to you are meant for your benefit, to see how your child is progressing within their dance class, as well as to assist in future class placement decisions. Please call or email if you have questions. As our teachers share your child's progress this past year, please take a moment to look over the "Dance Pathways" information on the following pages. We offer classes for every age and ability and love having our dancers with us for growth, life lessons, learning and fun for many, many years. This guide should help in your decisions regarding your child's continued involvement with dance.
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thways Basics ProgramPrimarily geared toward developmental and social expectations and encompasses: Terrific Twos, Ages 2-3 Creative Movement, Ages 3-4 Pre-Ballet, Ages 4-5 Pre-Ballet/Tap, Ages 4-5 Hip Hop, Ages 4-5 Ballet Basics, Ages 5-6 Ballet/Tap, Ages 5-6 Ballet/Jazz, Ages 5-6 Hip Hop/Flip Flop, Ages 5-6 Hip Hop Basics, Ages 5-6 Broadway Bound, Ages 6-8
Graded ProgramGeared toward skill developmental and social/emotional growth. Most of our students can expect to stay in a level for a minimum of 2-3 years. It is helpful to understand that even professionals do the SAME exercises and drills that our dancers are doing, but the level of execution is at a greater proficiency. Our Graded Program encompasses Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Hip Hop, Acro, Cirque and Contemporary for ages 7 and up, and levels 1-4.
Ballet Levels 1-4, Ages 7-18 Tap Levels 1-4, Ages 7-18 Jazz Levels 1-4, Ages 7-18 Hip Hop Levels 1-4, Ages 7-18 Acro Levels 1-4, Ages 7-18 C o n t e m p o r a r y L e v e l s 1 - 4 , A g e s 7 -1 8 Cirque Levels 1-4, Ages 10-18
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dance pat Intensive ProgramDesigned specifically for students that have chosen to take their dance training to a higher level. While still promoting teamwork and community, we expect a proficiency in skill growth and development, specific to the extended hours our dancers are committing to their practice. Focus, determination and a strong drive to excel will assure success in these classes. Most of our students can expect to stay in a level for a minimum of 2 years. It is helpful to understand that even professionals do the SAME exercises and drills that our dancers are doing, but the level of execution is at a greater proficiency. Our Intensive Program encompasses Ballet, Tap, Jazz, and Hip Hop for ages 5 and up.
B a l l e t L e v e l s 1 0 1 - 1 0 4 , 2 0 2 - 2 0 8 , A g e s 5 -1 8 T a p L e v e l s 1 0 1 - 1 0 3 , 2 0 2 - 2 0 8 , A g e s 5 -1 8 J a z z L e v e l s 1 0 1 - 1 0 4 , 2 0 2 - 2 0 8 , A g e s 5 -1 8 H i p H o p L e v e l s 1 0 1 - 1 0 3 , 2 0 2 -2 0 8 , A g e s 5 -1 8
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thways Quick Reference Dance Genres Take TAP if you like music, rhythms and sounds -
Tap develops a strong sense of musicality, coordination and agility by creating sounds with the feet.
Take BALLET if you like feeling elegant and poised -
Ballet develops discipline and technique that is essential to ALL forms of dance, as well as proper posture, placement, and alignment.
Take JAZZ if you like to move and groove -
Jazz is stylized dancing that is energetic and fun. It focuses on developing proper t e c h n i q u e , f l e x i b i l i t y , l e a p s a n d t u r n s, a n d o f t e n i n c o r p o r a t e s B r o a d w a y st y l e choreography.
Take CONTEMPORARY if you like to dance from your soul -
Contemporary combines the technical elements of ballet and jazz with feelings and emotions. It tells a story through smooth movement.
Take ACRO if you like to flip and tumble -
Acro focuses on stretching, strength, flexibility, balance and agility, and you are quite often upside down!
Take HIP HOP if you like current music and dances -
Hip Hop is a freestyle form of dance that stems from the roots of jazz, but incorporates modern urban movements a n d i s p e r f o r m e d t o c u r r e n t m u si c .
Take CIRQUE & SILKS if you like twirling in space -
Cirque & Silks builds incredible strength and flexibility. Students a c q u i r e s k i l l s o n t h e l y r a , h o o p a n d si l k s that incorporates spins, flips, and excitement!
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Grow wi
Basics Pr Ages
Pre-Ballet Pre-Ballet/Tap Pre-Hip Hop (age 4/5)
Creative Movement (age 3/4)
Terrific Twos (age 2/3) 7
ith Us!
rogram2-8
Broadway Bound (age 6/7/8) Ballet Basics Ballet/Tap Ballet/Jazz HipHop/FlipFlop Hip Hop Basics (age 5/6)
Geared toward developmental and social expectations. 8
Graded ProgramBallet, Tap, Jazz, Hip Hop, Acro, Contemporary, Cirque Levels 1-4 Ages 7-18
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Intensive ProgramBallet, Tap, Jazz, Hip Hop, Contemporary, Pointe, Progressive Ballet Technique Levels 101-208 Ages 5-18
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COMPEtition TEAM NEWS Our Signature Team has been REPRESENTING all over the Pacific Northwest! We are so proud of our dancers for their growth and accomplishments. The next competition for them will be April 22-24, and our STARS Team will be competing at their first competition EVER that same weekend! We can't wait to see their debut performance!
TEAM invites & AUditions Do you absolutely LOVE to dance? Are you moving all the time? You may be a perfect fit for one of our teams! We have a team handbook that answers all your questions regarding all of our teams, including time and financial commitment, summer and school year requirements, schedules and expectations. Please check it out HERE if you are passionate about dance, music and movement! We would love to have you on our team!
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2022-2023 Rollover Registration We are excitedly preparing for the 2022-2023 school-year session, with lots of your favorite classes on the schedule! We are hoping to make your lives easier and help take the guesswork out of registering your dancer for classes next year by offering rollover registration for 2022-2023! If your family's plan is to continue taking class(es) at Backstage during the upcoming school year (and we certainly hope you do!), we will charge the annual family registration fee ($40) on June 1st and provide you with priority access to the schedule to register your dancer(s) in classes. Look for an email with all the details, which will include a form for you to complete to let us know your family's plans for next year.
Register for Summer! While we work on the schedule for the 2022-2023 school year, we hope you continue to dance with us this summer during our seven-week summer session! We are offering half-day performing arts camps for children ages 3 to 6 and fullday 2-in-1 dance/gymnastics camps to children ages 6 to 11. We are also offering classes in all dance styles and for all ages, June 13 through July 30. Registration opened on March 1 and spaces are still available in most of our classes. We can't wait to dance with you this summer!
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A p r il t n e r Pa n o i t a E d uc
Backstage would like to partner with you on your parenting journey! We will inform you of parenting workshops and speaker series that may be of interest to you, and hope to bring you some of our own events throughout the year.
How to Win at Parenting Without Losing Yourself FREE webinar from @ParentMap Live Tuesday, April 19 at 1:00pm There is no way to sugarcoat it: Being a working parent is tough. It often feels impossible to find the right balance when the priorities of parenthood always seem to compete with the priorities of a professional career. Dr. Whitney Casares, aka "Modern Mommy Doc", will share her blueprint for what it means to be a successful working mother, finding balance and personal satisfaction in both our roles as parents and professionals. It’s all about setting priorities, shifting focus to our own health and well-being, establishing an equal parenting partnership and delegating appropriately. Sounds nice, right? Dr. Casares will offer practical and actionable tips to help break the cycle of guilt and burnout that comes with being a working parent. Register for the free talk HERE.
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Our Character Focus for April is
Gratitude!
From from the Latin word gratus meaning "pleasing" or "thankful", gratitude is regarded as a feeling of appreciation by a recipient of another's kindness, gifts, help, favors, or other forms of generosity to the giver of such gifts. Look for a culture card coming home with your child when we notice them displaying GRATITUDE in class or the studio lobby! Remember, gratitude is the best attitude!
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Pop Up Class 6 Week Session Preballet
Session 3: April 19 - May 24 Tuesday 4:00-4:45 4-5 year olds welcome! $140.00 no registration fee required
Short Sessions Back by popular demand! Offering a short 6 week session to test the waters in dance for our 4 and 5 year old kiddos! No long term commitment and lots of fun, movement and socialization for our youngest dancers!
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Show Your Studio Pride & Win a Free Month of Classes!! CONGRATULATIONS to our March contest winner, the lovely Chenoweth Family!!
If you don't have your Backstage Dance car decal yet, be sure to pick one up on the table just inside the studio's main doors. Our March contest was so popular we're doing it again in April! If we spot your car sporting the Backstage Dance Family decal around town, you can receive a FREE month of lessons! (up to $88 value) Follow us @backstagebellevue and check our Facebook page every Friday to see if your car is listed as a possible winner!! Drawing will be May 1st for our next winner!!
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It's Show Season! It will be here before you know it! Backstage Dance Studio's annual Spring Show, A Whole New World, takes place Saturday, May 21 and Sunday, May 22 at Renton High School's IKEA Performing Arts Center. There are lots of important details to be aware of, so please make sure to mark your calendars for your child's picture day, dress rehearsal day, show color/date and time. ALL the details are on the Backstage website, HERE. And, many of your questions may be answered below or on the other pages of this newsletter!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT OUR SHOWS! When will my child receive their costume? Most all costumes will be handed out in classes during the month of April. Please note that this has been a super challenging year for costume vendors, with supply chain and staffing issues, and we have had to change course a few times on certain costume orders that have been delayed past our original delivery window. There are a few costumes that will not be received until the very end of April, but please know we are doing our best to get them in your hands as soon as we can (and definitely before class pictures begin on May 7th!)
Will my child have an opportunity to have a professional photo taken in costume? Individual spring show photos are optional, however, students who are not ordering photos are still required to come to class in their costume for a group class photo during photo week. Photos are taken by Nigel Cooper Photography and take place during class (May 7 through May 14). Photo ordering details will be emailed to all families later this month.
How do I purchase tickets for my child's show? Tickets for our shows will go on sale on April 20th at 11:00 am. We are using a ticket vendor, Dance Recital Ticketing (DRT), to handle ticket sales again this year. A link to purchase tickets will be sent to you via email (as well as available on our website) in mid-April. Tickets are $20 each (plus DRT service fee) if purchased online, $25 at the door. You DO NOT need to purchase a ticket for your dancer for the show he/she is participating in. As far as we know, there will be no limits on the number of tickets each family will be able to purchase this year.
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Will there be a video of the show available for purchase? Yes! Our shows will be recorded by a professional videographer and an edited version of all shows will be available via digital download a week or so after the show. A $25 video download fee will be charged to each family with a dancer participating in a show on May 1st (only one charge per family, not per dancer).
Do Dress Rehearsals happen outside of normal class time? Yes! Dress rehearsals will take place the week of May 16th and are based on the show COLOR your child's class has been assigned to. Your dancer will NOT attend their regular class the week of May 16th, instead, they will attend a dress rehearsal with other classes in their show, where they will run their dances in order. Your dancer must wear their full costume to their dress rehearsal. Dress rehearsal color/dates/times can be found in the calendar in this newsletter, as well as on the Backstage website.
Is it okay for my child to miss a class in April or May? Can they make it up? As we prepare for our spring shows, attendance is vital as teachers are finalizing choreography, and dancers are learning their grand finale bow and other important details about how the shows work. Because each class has a unique dance/formations, make-ups cannot be easily accommodated as show dates approach. Please make every effort to have your child attend all classes between now and our shows in May!
Will my child be required to wear a particular hairstyle for their dance? Make-up? Any other requirements? Yes! Included in each costume bag, with your child's costume, is an instructions sheet that lists the hairstyle requirements (usually a bun, ponytail, or a half-up/half-down hairstyle), tights you will need to provide (usually pink, tan, or no tights required), dress code shoes, and make-up (usually just blush and a little pink lip color at a minimum, additional make-up is optional). A fresh pair of tights should be purchased for use at dress rehearsals and the show, as required, and if your dancer does not already have their dress code shoes or a pair that fits well, now is the time to get them!
For more helpful information regarding Spring Show costumes, refer to our April Blog HERE! 18
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April Costumes begin to arrive and are passed out in class (after Spring Break) Dancers continue to rehearse their show piece, as well as the Grande Finale Bow!
Spring Show Timeline May The Final Countdown! Class pictures in costumes, May 7-13. Dress Rehearsals at the studio, May 16-19. SHOWTIME: May 21-22 !
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Attendance is VITAL for your child to feel successful on the stage! Show tickets go on sale April 20!
Did You Know? “Much of what young children do as play - singing, drawing, dancing - are natural forms of art. These activities engage all the senses and wire the brain for successful learning.” (https://www.aasa.org/SchoolAdministratorArticle.aspx?id=7378)
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Upcoming Events April 1
Lobby Reopen!
April 11-16
SPRING BREAK: Studio Closed/No Classes
April 19
Pre-Ballet Pop-Up, Session 3 begins
April 19
Parent Map Live Webinar, 1:00pm
April 20
Spring Show Ticket Sales Open
April 23-24
First Competition for STARS!
Contact Us
email - dancewithus@backstagedance.org phone - 425.747.5070