Backstage Dance Studio-October 2025 Newsletter

OCT 2025

ISSUE 02

the beat BACKSTAGE DANCE STUDIO

D W A IT NC H U E S!

BUILDING CONFIDENCE, CHARACTER, AND COMMUNITY SINCE 1984!

THE BEAT

PAIGE DENNETT

01

TAKE A PEEK IN THIS MONTH’S ISSUE OF THE BEAT TO KEEP UP WITH ALL THINGS GOING ON AT BACKSTAGE DANCE STUDIO IN OCTOBER!

ISSUE 02

table of

contents 03-04 Studio Etiquette 05 Dress Code Reminders 06 Dress Code Contest!

C

CHA

NC E D I F ON

RAC

TER

07 Passport Books 08 Halloween Spirit Week/Schedule 09-10 Spring Show - Coming Soon!

11 October Birthdays!

12 Character Focus 13 Teacher Spotlight 14 Parent Education 15 Dancer of the Month - Details 16-18 Skills of the Month 19 Make-Up Classes 20 Upcoming Events

COMMUNITY

E

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studio ETIQUETTE LOBBY

etiquette Parents/guardians may wait in the lobby while students are in class, but may not enter the class to observe unless expressly invited by a teacher.

All students and parents/guardians are expected to be respectful, supportive and encouraging to each other and to the studio’s instructors and staff. Keep conversations family friendly and mindful of our youngest dancers.

Do not leave children under the age of 7 unattended at the studio. Please plan to stay at the studio with your child until the start of class and to arrive promptly at the end of class to pick them up.

Respect the building and supplies by keeping it neat, clean, and in good condition. Dancers who eat meals/snacks at the studio should ensure that trash, crumbs, etc. are cleared away after eating.

Dancers should store their personal belongings in a cubby (it is also helpful to have a designated dance bag to store all belongings in, to minimize items getting lost).

THE BEAT

STUDIO AND CLASS

etiquette

Dancers are expected to arrive for class on time in dress code clothing, dance shoes, and with other class equipment. Please allow enough time for your child to dress and be prepared before class begins. Dancers should go to the bathroom before class and not during class unless there is an emergency.

Jewelry must be removed before class. Wristwatches, necklaces, large rings on ears or fingers, and bracelets on wrists or ankles are a potential hazard should they come off while dancing and catch on clothing, hair, or other dancers. Small non-dangling earrings are allowed.

Spill-proof water bottles are recommended for students in all classes.

Dance shoes must be worn for classroom and performance use only. Street shoes or dance shoes worn as street shoes are not allowed since dirt, gravel, or grease can cause damage to the Marley floors. Please arrive to the studio in your street shoes and then change into ballet, jazz, tap, hip hop shoes, etc.

Silence and stow your cell phone in your dance bag so that it will not disrupt class or anyone in the lobby.

At the barre, dancers should make sure they have enough room between them and the people in front of and behind them so that they can do a grand battement in each position and not touch each other. Don’t hang on the barres.

Choreography created at our studio cannot be performed at a talent show or any other performance without permission from the choreographer and/or studio owner.

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DRESS CODE REMINDERS Is your dancer dressed appropriately for class?

We will be enforcing our dress code this year, so make sure your dancer comes to class with the required dancewear! Proper dress code allows our instructors to see body lines and correct technique, keeps our dance floors clean and dirt free, and helps your child to focus on classroom instruction.

Please see our Dress Code HERE. In addition to proper dancewear, your child should come to class with the required dance shoes! Dancers may dance barefoot if they forget their shoes, but please make every effort to remember to bring this important dress code item every time you come to the studio!

Still need to purchase shoes? Check out Stage Left Dancewear (open daily, 3:30 to 7:30 and Saturdays, 10:00-2:00) for ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop and contemporary shoe options!

Finally, make sure your dancer’s hair is styled for class as well. Your dancer should come to class with hair in a bun (ballet classes) or pulled back in a ponytail/away from the face for all other classes.

ISSUE 01

DRESS CODE

contest!

Coming next month…

BACKSTAGE DRESS CODE CONTEST! We’ve done this contest for the past several years and have had such phenomenal participation! From November 3rd through November 15th, teachers will be entering their classes into a raffle to win an Ice Cream Social whenever they have perfect dress code from ALL students in their class! Three classes will win an Ice Cream Social that will take place at the end of class the week of November 17th. Make sure your dancer comes to class in proper dress for a chance to win!

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THE BEAT

Isabelle Ballet Basics Passport 2025-2026

backstagedance.org | 425.747.5070

Passport Books are coming home starting in October for our younger students.

This includes dancers in our Creative Movement, Pre-Ballet, Pre-Hip Hop, Ballet Basics/2, Ballet/Tap, Hip Hop Basics/2, Hip Hop/Flip Flop/2 and Broadway Bound classes. Passport Booklets highlight skills the dancers are working on in class and teachers recognize students' diligence toward completing the skills by placing stickers in their booklets. These have been a big hit with our young dancers in the past! Please help us in teaching your child about responsibility by assuring they bring the Passport Booklet to class every week to earn recognition stickers. Please note that each child will receive only ONE passport book, so please make sure your dancer takes good care of theirs!

passport books

08

HALLOWEEN SPIRIT WEEK/ HALLOWEEN DAY SCHEDULE

Celebrate the Season! Dancers, wear your costumes to class beginning Monday, October 27th through Saturday, November 1st. We'll do the monster mash and boo-gie the week away as we celebrate the season!

Please no scary costumes, and make sure your dancer can move, groove and dance freely in it!

HALLOWEEN IS FRIDAY, OCTOBER 31st! We are modifying our FRIDAY class schedule on Halloween day so that kiddos can get home to trick-or-treat! Therefore, we are combining Friday classes on October 31st to take place between 4:00 and 6:00. Join us in costume for spooky dances and Halloween fun! Our modified class schedule for Halloween follows (and we'll send reminders the week before!) We hope your child will join us!

Halloween Day Schedule 4:15-5:00, Hip Hop 2 AND Jazz 2/3 with Miss Kellsie, Room 1 4:15-5:00, Hip Hop Basics 2 AND Acro Basics 2 with Miss Chisako, Room 2 4:15-5:00, Acrobatic Arts 3/4/5 with Miss Tomoko, Room 4 4:30-5:15, STARS 103 Dancer Development with Miss Madison, Room 3 4:30-5:15, STARS 102 Red AND Purple Tap (+ STARS 103 Tap), Miss Lauren, Room 5 5:00-6:00, Hip Hop 3 AND Hip Hop 1 with Miss Chisako, Room 2 5:00-5:45, Ballet Basics 2 with Miss Tomoko, Room 4 5:15-6:00, STARS 103 Hip Hop with Miss Kellsie, Room 1 5:15-6:00, STARS 102 Red AND Purple Dancer Development with Miss Madison, Room 5

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THE BEAT

GET READY, DANCER THE COUNTDOWN TO ANNOUNCING Starting this month, we’ll be dropping myster together. Can you guess what th

The big reveal happens on Halloween Day (Octob join in the fun as we unveil another ex

spring sho

coming

ISSUE 02

RS AND FAMILIES — G OUR SPRING SHOW THEME IS ON! ious clues on our social media for you to piece his year’s magical theme will be?

ber 31). Keep your eyes peeled, start guessing, and xciting theme for our year-end shows!

ow theme

g soon!

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THE BEAT

DANCER

birthdays!

Claire K. October 1 Ella S. October 2 Bailey P. October 3 Nanita T. October 3 Annabel Z. October 4 Ranim K. October 5 Hikaru Y. October 5 Fiona B. October 6 Ella J. October 6 Adelaide M. October 6 Evan M. October 7 Clover D. October 10 Thalya F. October 10 Julia S. October 12 Miriam O. October 14 Talia O. October 14 Mahek A. October 15 Zoe L. October 15 Micah N. October 15 Luna P. October 15

HAPPIEST OF BIRTHDAYS TO EVERYONE CELEBRATING THIS MONTH!

Bailey D. October 16 Pippa F. October 16 Rina L. October 17 Zoe Z. October 17 Charlize M. October 18 Amber S. October 21 Nicole C. October 22 Adelina M. October 22 Harper N. October 24 Elodie W. October 24 Bryson Y. October 24 Chloe Z. October 25 Nora H. October 26 Avery C. October 27 Jinran L. October 27 Shivali D. October 29 Egan I. October 30 Kayla K. October 30 Winter D. October 31

STAFF

birthdays!

Miss Alyssa October 17

ISSUE 02

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This month, dancers will focus on being accountable, which can include: taking responsibility for their actions being on time and ready to dance collaborating with classmates owning their feelings receiving and applying feedback practicing at home If your dancer demonstrates accountability in the classroom or at the studio, they will be recognized with an ACCOUNTABILITY card!

accountability OCTOBER

character FOCUS

THE BEAT

TEACHER SPOTLIGHT Miss Rebecca joined the Backstage faculty last March, having just moved to Washington from New York.

She is originally from Seattle, so she is excited to be back in the area! Growing up, she studied at the Pacific Northwest Ballet School in the Balanchine technique, and later completed her higher education in dance at The Joffrey Ballet School in New York City in the Vaganova and Balanchine Techniques. Miss Rebecca spent her summers training with the American Ballet Theatre, Ballet Chicago, The Joffrey Ballet School, The Rock School for Dance Education, the American Academy of Ballet, and the Kirov Academy of Ballet. After her studies, she continued her ballet career, performing mostly contemporary works. Rebecca has performed works by George Balanchine, Marius Petipa, Robert Joffrey, Gerald Arpino, Frederick Ashton, Dionna Pridgeon, Merce Cunningham, José Limón, and Martha Graham, amongst many other choreographers.

For the 25-26 dance season, Miss Rebecca is teaching Ballet Basics, Ballet Basics 2, Ballet 202, STARS 102 Ballet (Red), STARS 102 Ballet (Purple), Contemporary 1, Contemporary 2/3 and Pointe Beginning.

She is enjoying getting to know her new dancers this season!

miss

rebecca

fun facts!

Miss Rebecca lived in NYC for 13 years.

She has been dancing since she was just 3 years old and started her pre-professional training at age 7. Other than dancing, she enjoys hiking, camping, hosting events, making art and cooking!

ISSUE 02

PARENT EDUCATION

talks!

AGAIN THIS YEAR, 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. For October, Parent Map has invited pediatric psychologist and parent coach Dr. Ann-Louise Lockhart to conduct a talk about building relationships with your teen.

Cracking the Teen Code: Spot Trouble, Build Trust and Stay Connected With Dr. Ann-Louise Lockhart, pediatric psychologist and parent coach Oct. 23, 2025, noon–1 p.m. PT Is your teen just being a teen, or is it something more? Pediatric psychologist Dr. Ann-Louise Lockhart will help you learn to distinguish typical adolescent behavior from early signs of mental health concerns. She’ll share practical communication tools to support your child while strengthening your bond.

Parent Map talks are $10 each and go on sale one month before the event date.

Register here and you’ll also receive access to the event recording to watch anytime.

Note that Parent Map has partnered with over 200 Pacific Northwest schools and districts to provide families free access to their talks! Check here to see if your child’s school or district is on the list, then reach out for your exclusive discount code.

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THE BEAT

dancer OF THE MONTH -

details

WILL YOU BE OUR FIRST DANCER OF THE MONTH FOR 2025-2026? TEACHERS WILL NOMINATE STUDENTS WHO: Received a WOW card during the month Have attended class regularly Arrive on time and in proper dress code Focus and work hard during class Have a good attitude and contribute to the class in a positive way

EMMA SUN

BRYNN BRIGHT

HAYDEN HOLT

Three students will be selected each month and will receive a special prize. October’s Dancers of the Month will be announced at the beginning of November. We can’t wait to recognize our first dancers of the month soon!

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Each month of our school-year session, dancers in Acro, Ballet, Hip Hop, Jazz and Tap classes will be working on particular skills. We will list these skills, along with a description (and sometimes links to additional information about the skills) in the newsletter. Practicing these skills outside of class is beneficial, so we encourage you to ask your dancers for demonstrations at home!

acro ballet hip hop jazz tap

october FORWARD ROLL RELEVÉ KICK-CROSS-STEP JAZZ SQUARE SHUFFLE

See the next page for more >>>

skills of the

month!

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skills of th

mon

acro

ballet

Definition: An acro movement in which the body is turned heels over head with the back of the neck resting on the ground.

Straight legs and stretched feet at push off, snap to a tucked position, push hands into the floor on roll (rolling on shoulders, not head), clean standing position in jazz first to end, posture at start and end, balance.

More advanced students can work on variations like dive forward roll, needle to forward roll, handstand forward roll, etc.

VIDEO: How to forward roll!

Translation: To rise.

Definition: To rise up on the pointe or demi-pointe from flat feet often using a little spring from a demi-plié during which both feet are swiftly drawn up.

Technique: Start with the feet together, keep the knees straight and lift the heels high enough so all of your body weight is on the balls of the feet – NOT the tips of your toes.

Muscles: The gastrocnemius is the main muscle that lifts dancers into relevé, but it needs to work in balance with the other foot muscles in order to not sickle or pronate.

Relevé vs. elevé: A relevé comes from plié, enabling jumps to happen as the progression, whereas elevé rises from straight legs and would not be a place to progress a jump from.

VIDEO: How to relevé!

FORWARD ROLL

RELEVÉ

hip ho

KICK-CRO

Definition: A dyn move that combi kicking, crossing adding flair to yo routine.

Start with a loose with your right fo make sure to do While you're doin to your left. Your crossing in front and you'll natura yourself with tha Step to the left a your left leg, unc legs. Repeat star left foot.

Add arm movem crossing your rig your left wrist in stomach, then op out to the sides a fingers or punch.

VIDEO: How to ki

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he

nth!

october

op

jazz

tap

amic hip hop ines elements of g, and a step, our dance

Definition: A fundamental step in jazz that involves a sequence of four steps that form a square pattern on the floor.

You can do jazz squares rapidly or slowly depending on how the dancer wants to exaggerate and shape the movement.

Dancers can add their own style to the jazz square as they become more comfortable with it. They can also try adding jazz hands, which involves spreading all five fingers out.

VIDEO: How to jazz square!

Definition: A basic step that involves two brush taps, one forward and one backward, in less than two counts.

It's a building block of tap dance that's used in many other steps and combinations.

A shuffle does not change weight.

Variations include crossing in front and crossing in back.

VIDEO: How to shuffle!

OSS-STEP

e kick forward oot. As you kick, a slight bounce. ng the kick, lean r kick will go left, of your left leg, ally catch at right foot. nd forward with crossing your ting with your

ents in by ht wrist over front of your pen your arms and snap your . ick-cross-step!

JAZZ SQUARE

SHUFFLE

THE BEAT

WARI JUNYA

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Dancers who are making up a class should check in at the front desk when they come for the make-up class to receive a name tag and instructions on which studio room the make-up class is in.

Want a refresher on our class make-up and other related policies?

Please review them HERE.

MAKE-UP CLASSES

SYDNEY CHENOWETH

It is in the best interest of your child to come to their registered class, as they are familiar with their classmates, their teacher and the class structure, and we encourage consistent attendance for optimal growth. That said, any dancer who has missed his/her class due to illness or schedule conflict may make up that class with an appropriate class based on age, ability and discipline within four weeks of the absence. Make-up classes for the 2025-2026 session will be available beginning in October through the month of December.

There will be no make-up classes available after December as dancers will begin focusing on choreography for our spring show performances at that time.

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UPCOMING

CAMILLA DU

events!

Class Dress Code Contest

November 3-15

Dress Code Class Winners Ice Cream Parties

week of November 17 (at the end of class)

Thanksgiving Break Enrollment closes for 25-26 Session

November 25-29 November 30

STAY CONNECTED! @backstage.dance.studio @backstagebellevue @backstagedancestudio

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the beat

FT. JULIA SUN

SIGNATURE TEAM