the beat
BACKSTAGE DANCE STUDIO
BUILDING CONFIDENCE, CHARACTER, AND COMMUNITY SINCE 1984!
a welcome FROM STUDIO OWNER
marty roberts
WE ARE CELEBRATING 42-RIFIC YEARS AT BACKSTAGE! “
We can’t wait for another fantastic year of dance as we kick off our 2025-2026 season.
A huge WELCOME to those of you who are joining us for the first time this year, and we are grateful to those of you who are returning for year two, three, ten or more!! Please take a moment to read through this and our upcoming monthly newsletters to familiarize yourself with what’s going on at the studio and in classrooms.
We’ve included photos of our teachers on the staff page of this newsletter, and also be sure to check out our staff wall in the studio, which includes photos and fun facts about all our teachers! Both our new and returning staff have been diligently preparing for classes this year, participating in trainings, working toward certifications, and earning their CPR/First Aid credentials. They can’t wait to meet your dancers soon!
We look forward to partnering with you this year, as we strive to provide the best experience for you and your family and make year 42 another terrific year!
As always, thanks so much for dancing with us!
Marty Roberts Owner/Director
FIRST WEEK OF CLASS checklist
Check your child’s c Login to Jackrabbit
Arrive earlier than th child’s class to chec set up outside the m will check in, receive out which studio ro
Does your child have the dress code clothing requirements for their class? Please make every effort to ensure your dancer comes to class in the appropriate clothing. Check the dress code requirements on our website for any questions. If you need a dress code item, check our dancewear store, Stage Left Dancewear! Stage Left has an online store where you can order items and pick them up when you bring your child to class.
We are so happy to have parents, grandparents and assorted caregivers take time out of their busy schedules to bring their children to the studio for dance classes! For the first class of the session, we invite you INTO the classroom to meet your child’s instructor during the last 5 to 10 minutes of class. We hope to partner with you in your child’s dance education and social-emotional development!
There are benches and other seating areas in the studio lobby for parents to stay and watch their child, however, many parents drop off and pick up their children at the end of class. Interested in running an errand or grabbing a cup of coffee? The Factoria area has lots of options nearby where you can check a few items off your list while your child dances!
PREPARING FOR CLASS
Make sure your child arrives on time and ready to dance (this might include a snack in the car, and a visit to the restroom before class starts)
If your child comes to the studio with a jack dance bag, water bottle, etc, they can keep these items in a cubby (most are located jus outside the studio rooms) during class
Make sure your child is wearing the proper dance attire, including shoes, and that hair i styled accordingly
Your child should come to class every week so they don't fall behind and so they continue to build community within their class We will offer make-up classes through December, however, it benefits your child, your child’s classmates and the teacher when they attend their scheduled class each week
If you have any questions or concerns about your child’s class, please reach out to us! If it is a question for your child’s teacher, we can put you in touch with them to answer your question or resolve your issue. Please email dancewithus@backstagedance.org and we’ll be happy to help!
NAVIGATING THE studio
Backstageisalargefacilityandwewantyoutofeelcomfortableandknowwhatis happeningwithinourwalls.Wehave6rooms,locatedin2differentbuildings.Ourmain studiobuildinghasfourdancerooms,ourcustomercarestation,andmainadministrative offices.Oursatellitebuildingisacrosstheparkinglotfromthemainbuilding,andhouses2 additionaldancerooms(Rooms5and6),smallwaitingareasoutsideeachroom,andour dancewearstore,StageLeftDancewear.
Yourdancerwilltakeclassinthesamedanceroomeveryweek.Thereissometimesaneedto changerooms,andifthatisthecase,wewillpostsignsandnotifystudentsastheyarriveof thechange.Pleasealsocheckthechalkboardanddryeraseboardsinthemainbuildingfor teacher/classlocation.
Parentsarewelcometowatchfromthelobbythroughwindowsintothestudiorooms.Please donottaponthewindowsorcausedistractionstothedancersintheclassroom,however.
PleasebetimelywhendroppingoffdancersANDwhenpickingthemup.Pleasealsonote thatwehaveanopenlobbyareawithmultipleofficespacesbehindourreceptionarea.Our officeisstaffeduntil9:00eachnight,andstaffaretherenotonlytohelpyouandyour dancers,butalsotocompleteprojectsandtasksforthestudio.Pleasetalktoyourdancer aboutbehaviorinthestudiolobby:usingindoorvoices,norunningortumbling,no rowdiness.Weknowyourdancersareoftenexcitedtoseetheirdancefriends,however, pleasenotethatourlobbyisalsoabusinessspaceandremindyourdancersthatitisnota playspace.
OurparkinglotcanbeCRAZY.Pleasedriveslowlyandcarefullythroughthelotatalltimes, andteachyourchildtowatchformovingcarsintheparkinglot,aswellasrecognizebackup lights.Donotallowyourchildtoplayintheparkinglot.
We LOVE our BDS teachers! They are so excited to addition to having years of experience, education staff are all CPR/First Aid certi
t o teach
SHANDIE KELLSIE
MARTY KE BAILEY
o start a new dance season with your children! In n, and special certifications in all dance styles, our fied to keep your dancer safe!
ALYSSA
CHISAKO
MADISON TOMOKO REBECCA
ELISE
JENAE
DANCER birthdays!
HAPPIEST OF BIRTHDAYS TO EVERYONE CELEBRATING THIS MONTH!
Ella F. Sept 1
Mira R. Sept 1
Isabelle Z. Sept 1
Leahnora M. Sept 3
Tina Z. Sept 3
Julia Z. Sept 4
Brixton L. Sept 5
Mila S. Sept 5
Valentina A. Sept 6
Cyrielle T. Sept 7
Olivia F. Sept 8
Chloe C. Sept 10
Daryn D. Sept 10
Emma S. Sept 13
Nora T. Sept 13
Mabel H. Sept 15
Mandy L. Sept 18
Leila L. Sept 19
Elizabeth N. Sept 19
Soleil W. Sept 21
Giulia Y. Sept 22
Fiona N. Sept 22
Karin S. Sept 22
Natalie Z. Sept 22
Chloe D. Sept 23
Kaylee H. Sept 23
Reese L. Sept 24
Heidi L. Sept 24
Amelia W. Sept 24
Daniel C. Sept 26
Kai E. Sept 26
Melody L. Sept 27
Haidee S. Sept 27
Serena W. Sept 27
Kimberly L. Sept 28
Lois E. Sept 29
bravery
This month, we will help our dancers focus on being Brave. BRAVERY can be demonstrated in a variety of ways:
raising your hand to answer a question being first in line to demonstrate a skill helping a classmate attending to your first dance class trying when you can't YET do a skill falling and getting back up asking a question
Look for your child to bring home a culture card this month when they demonstrate bravery in class or at the studio!
Each month, Backstage chooses a character-building skill for dancers to focus on When a teacher sees a dancer demonstrating the month’s character focus, they will give the dancer a character card, recognizing their efforts!
Our character focus for ea
B-Bravery(September)
A-Accountability(Octobe
C-Courage(November)
K-Kindness(December)
S-Self-Discipline(January
T-Tenacity(February)
A-Acceptance(March)
G-Gratitude(April)
E-Excellence(May)
character FOCUS
school-year se OVERVIEW
SEPTEMBER: DANCE SEASON BEGINS!
We are so excited to welcome dancers to Backstage to kick off the new school-year session! Since we operate on the school-year calendar, classes continue month-to-month from September through May. Billing takes place on the first business day of each month. If you need to withdraw your child from their class during the school-year session, we ask that you let us know 2 weeks prior to the end of the month and we will withdraw them for the following month.
NOVEMBER: ENROLLMENT CLOSES/SPRING SHOW PREPARATIONS BEGIN!
Backstage has a Spring Show toward the end of the session that most of our classes (with the exception of Creative Movement a d A ) ti i t i ! W l ll t t th end of November, ask families to com costumes for dancers. Students learn performed on stage during our show Arts Center at Renton High School ea Saturday, May 30 and Sunday, May 31.
DECEMBER: WINTER BREA
Backstage follows the Bellevue Schoo calendar and we match our dance cla with many of the school district break longest break takes place in Decembe studio will be closed for classes Decem through January 4th. Make-up class o end before winter break, so if your chi make up a missed class, make sure th before the end of December!
essio
JANUARY/FEBRUARY/ SPRING SHOW CHORE
After winter break, dancers contin They also practice the choreograp
APRIL: COSTUME DIST
Spring show costumes are usually distributed during classes just before Spring Break. In addition, information about Spring Show ticket sales and our Spring Show media fee (which covers class/individual pictures in costume, as well as show videos) are made available in April.
MAY: SHOW MONTH!
Spring Show Picture Week and Spring Show Dress Rehearsal Week take place during the month of May! See the calendar on pages 13 & 14 of this newsletter for dates. Our Spring Shows are the weekend of May 30-31, 2026.
JUNE: TEAM AUDITIONS AND SUMMER SESSION!
Our session ends with our Spring Shows, but stay tuned for information about “try it free”/make-up class opportunities that may be available after our shows at the beginning of June.
Also in the early part of June, we hold audition preparation classes for those interested in auditioning for our Signature and STARS competition teams. Details on our competition team audition process and dates will come out later this year!
Our summer session begins in mid to late June, and usually runs between six and seven weeks. We offer classes for all ages, as well as camps for ages 3 through 10.
We’dliketogiveaspecialshout-out tothefamilieswhohavereferredmultiple newdancerstoBackstageovertheyears!
THANK YOU FOR HELPING US CONTINUE TO SHARE the joy of dance! A BIG THANK YOU TO
Yourenthusiasmmeansthe worldtous,andwecouldn’tdo itwithoutyou!
THANK YOU TO THE FAMILIES OF THE FOLLOWING DANCERS WHO HAVE REFERRED CURRENT FAMILIES TO BACKSTAGE: KaibrieAbrahamowicz,IzzyAngriawan,BrooklynBelcher,BrynnBright,AmyCai,Ciana Calderon,NicoleChen,OwynChinn,JulietaCamposDomiguez,MadelineChung,Leila Denisova,MeredithDroker,PippaFan,Natalya&SashaFajardo,Sophie&CocoGuattare,Eva Guerrero,NoraHaight,Juliet&LenoraHoward,HannahHsu,EliaIp,SienaMJohnson,Lily Kwon,QuinnLau,Allison&MelodyLin,AriaMacKenzie,Adelina&EmilyMaimas,GigiMeyer, LeenaMozden,GabrielaMuntean,EllieNakano,InaayaNarang,LucyOlberg,PenelopeOldag, ClaireOshima,BrynnPearson,AndrewPhan,MilliePartin,VioletPorter,MackinleyPolzin, Iris&SylviaScherpelz,AmberShen,MuyanSong,SakuraStearns,SelahThomas,Rive&Sky Talada-Shao,LanaSun,Elise,Nathalie&PhilipTrescases,MilaTodunter,BeatriceUngur, ErinWong,Ava&EllaYeh,BrysonYen,Ava&AdalynZeng,HermioneZhang,ChloeZhu, LisaZhou,Alice,Julia&NatalieZwiegincew
When you registered your child for classes at Backstage, you set up a portal account and signed off on our policies and guidelines Important information about monthly payments, extra fees, absences, make-up classes, etc are included in our policies Want a refresher?
Please review our policies HERE
studio POLICIES
Trial classes begin Halloween Spirit week Class Dress Code contest September 22 October 27-November 1 November 3-15
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THANK YOU FOR DANCING WITH US!
