Backstage Dance Studio-March 2024 Newsletter

THE BEAT

BACKSTAGE DANCE STUDIO

NEWS! SPRING SHOW

We can't wait to share our Spring Show with you in May! As a reminder, our Spring Shows will take place on Saturday, May 18 and Sunday, May 19 at Renton High School's IKEA Performing Arts Center. Show photos (in costume) will take place during regular classes from Monday, April 29 through Saturday, May 4. The following week, we'll hold regular classes (no costumes) and then dress rehearsals (in costume) will take place at the studio May 13 through 15. The dress rehearsal schedule for the week of May 13th will be shared soon.

Show pictures are taken by Nigel Cooper Photography, and all shows will also be professionally video-recorded by Shotwell Productions. Families with dancers participating in the shows will be charged a Spring Show Media Fee of $80.00 on April 15 (this covers all digital downloads of dancer pictures and video recordings of all 6 shows). This fee will be charged per family, NOT per dancer, and will only be charged to families with dancer(s) participating in our shows. More Spring Show information will be shared in the coming weeks!

Do you need to double check which show your dancer is in? This information is listed in the class descriptions in Jackrabbit and will be posted on our website soon!

SHAMROCK SPIRIT WEEK & BRING YOUR STUFFY TO CLASS WEEK

Wear your green, gold, or special St. Patrick’s-themed spirit wear to class!! Make sure you can still move freely in it and dance it out! Monday, March 11th through Saturday, March 16th.

ALSO, if you have a stuffed animal you’d like to join you in class that week, bring them along for the spirit week fun!

SUMMER SESSION RAFFLE

It is our privilege to have your family as part of the Backstage Dance community! And we'd love to see you continue with us for future sessions! Summer registration just opened up, and current Backstage families who register for a class, camp or intensive workshop before April 15th will be entered into a raffle for $50 off summer tuition. There will be 3 winners--we hope YOU are one of our LUCKY dance families!

Did you know that Backstage is part of a dance studio collaborative called More Than Just Great Dancing? Marty, our studio owner, Bailey, our team director, and Tara, our business operations director, attended More Than Just Great Dancing’s Studio Owner University in San Diego, California just before midwinter break. As part of this group of like-minded studio owners with a heart to elevate industry standards in the dance world, we hope you feel the effects of our participation through an enhanced studio experience! Investing in our studio means

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ACCEPTANCE

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BACKSTAGE!

Miss Sofia started her dance education at Southwest Washington Dance Center in Chehalis, WA She earned her Bachelor of Science in Apparel, Textiles, and Merchandising at Central Washington University. While attending Central, Sofia attended comprehensive dance courses and joined their dance company, Orchesis. Recently, Sofia has been dancing with a dance collective, DITO, and attending classes around the Seattle area Miss Sofia hopes to inspire creativity and confidence in her classroom As a driven and energetic person, she loves to plan her classes with intention and ensure every child feels seen, heard, and appreciated. In addition to teaching, Miss Sofia enjoys managing our dancewear store, Stage Left Dancewear You can find her there on Tuesdays and Thursdays, where she'll be happy to help you find what you need!

Sofia joined the Backstage team last

ight

SOFIA

FUN FACTS:

When she’s not dancing, Miss Sofia enjoys being out in nature. Her favorite food is tacos and her favorite animal is a cat!

UPDATES!

S I G N A T U R E T E A M

in both Revive and Dancemakers competitions in the greater Seattle area.

At Revive, the team came away with too many awards to list! Some of the highlights were:

Baseline Tap “Puddles”: 1st Place Spark Small Group and Spark “All Heart” Award

Reckless Contemporary “Ooh Child”: 2nd Place Mini Small Group

Reckless/Custom Cut Modern “The Heroic Weather Conditions of the Universe”: 1st Place Mini Large Group

Reckless/Custom Cut Hip Hop “How We Do”: 1st Place Mini Line

Guys & Dolls “My Girls”: 6th Place Junior Small Group

Mezzo/Avant Garde Modern “Hands & Feet”: 1st Place Junior Large Group

Avant Garde/Elite Contemporary “Strange”: 4th Place Teen Small Group

Mezzo/Avant Garde/Elite Musical Theater “Bueller…Bueller”: 1st Place Teen Line

Special shoutouts to those who made the Seattle City Crew:

Mini: Camilla and Ava

Junior: Isabelle, Emma, Erin and Julia

Teen: Chloe, Edie and Ella

Senior: Emily

At Dancemakers, the Signature Team had a fantastic showing as well! Special shoutouts to:

Courage Scholarship winners: Chloe and Amber

Regional Audition Scholarship winner: Camilla

Dance Again Routine: Mezzo/Avant Garde Small Group “Meditation”

Up next, Encore and Celebrity competitions in March! Congratulations to our Signature Team for your hard work and dedication and good luck with your upcoming performances!

Our STARS Teams are busily preparing for their first competition at Just Dance on Saturday, March 2nd! Dancers had their dress rehearsals during class the last week of February and put the finishing touches on their costuming and choreography Performing on March 2nd are STARS 101 Tap and Hip Hop classes, STARS 102 Tap and Hip Hop classes and STARS 103 Contemporary and Hip Hop classes. GOOD LUCK STARS DANCERS!

STARS UPDATES

INFORMATION SUMMER CAMP

Join our team of dancing detectives to discover clues through super sleuthy ballet moves and jazzy grooves to solve the mystery mission! Dancers will fill their spy kit with spy tools as they prepare to crack the case before their final performance!

Tiny dancers will be transported through rainbows and clouds as unicorns to a whole new world in this sweet dance camp! This enchanting camp is full of all things unicorn, ballet, jazz, glittery crafts and even Rainbow Rewards (aka FUN PRIZES)! It’s sure to be a magical time!

Ever wanted to have a slumber party in Barbie’s Dreamhouse with your favorite doll? This dazzling jazz, creative movement and ballet dance camp offers just that! From exciting games, cute choreography and pink crafts, tiny dancers will make memories with their doll friends doing all things slumber party!

Session 1

June 24 - 28, 9:00 am - 5:00 pm, ages 6-11. Early Bird

Pricing: $780 if registered by June 1, $800 after June 1. Non-refundable deposit of $75 due upon registration

Session 2

July 15 - 19, 9:00 am - 5:00 pm, ages 6-11 Early Bird

Pricing: $780 if registered by June 1, $800 after June 1. Non-refundable deposit of $75 due upon registration.

Session 3

July 29 - August 2, 9:00 am - 5:00 pm, ages 6-11.

Early Bird Pricing: $780 if registered by June 1, $800 after June 1 Non-refundable deposit of $75 due upon registration

CREATIVE MOVEMENT FOR 2 TO 3 YEAR OLDS!

Join Miss Danielle for a fun-filled introduction to music and movement! Creative movement classes are designed to encourage a child’s imagination and exploration through guided movement exercises. We hope your tiny dancer will join Miss Danielle for this playful pathway to dance!

6-week session, Tuesdays from 3:30 to 4:15pm

Tuesday, February 27th through Tuesday, April 2nd

COST: $180 for the 6-week session

PRE-BALLET FOR 4 TO 5 YEAR OLDS!

duce your little dancer to the beautiful art of ballet! This will enhance your child's coordination, balance and flexibility the teaching of basic ballet positions, steps, and terminology. Shandie will also incorporate fun exercises in creative dance music exploration in this pre-ballet class. eek session, Fridays from 4:15 to 5:00pm ay, March 1st through Friday, April 5th

T: $180 for the 6-week session

POP-UP

CLASSES

COMING SOON!

REGISTRATION/INFORMATION SUMMER CLASS

We are excited to announce that our summer class schedule is open for registration!! BACKSTAGE is offering 7 weeks of classes and 6 weeks of camps, June 24 through August 9. There are also three weeks of intensive workshops for experienced dancers (June 17-21, August 12-16 and August 20-23). REGISTER TODAY ON THROUGH YOUR JACKRABBIT PORTAL ACCOUNT!

DANCER

B I R T H D A Y S !

Nikolas B. March 1

Gabrielle S. March 1

Kaylee W. March 1

Brynn B. March 2

David L. March 3

Leila S. March 3

Irene R. March 4

Adriene B. March 5

Kaylee F. March 5

Sophie G. March 7

Elise T. March 8

Mindy L. March 9

Ella H. March 10

Natalie L. March 10

Lillian L. March 10

Claire D. March 11

Charlie J. March 11

Roslyn W. March 12

River T. March 13

Evelyn B. March 14

Dylan S. March 14

Avery W. March 14

Sofie E. March 15

Isabelle G. March 16

Hebe H. March 16

Chloe L. March 16

Steven L. March 17

TEACHER BIRTHDAYS!

Miss Lauren March 11

Aidree R. March 17

Charlotte S. March 17

Zeynep B. March 18

Adrian H. March 18

Sky T. March 18

Elanor S. March 19

Rohan S. March 20

Adalyn T. March 20

Niah B. March 21

Makayla D. March 23

Emily P. March 23

Zari R. March 23

Laina C. March 24

Zoe E. March 24

Alani S. March 24

Leonie C. March 25

Julia F. March 25

Jacqueline Y. March 25

Dorothy K. March 27

Sophia L. March 27

Irene T. March 27

Helena F. March 28

Torben F. March 28

Emma S. March 30

Noelle E. March 31

Nolan Y. March 31

PARENT EDUCATION

Technology’s Child: Empowered Parenting in the Digital Age

March 5, 2024, 1 p.m. PT

REGISTER NOW

One thing’s for sure: Technology is here to stay. As parents, helping our children navigate the digital landscape can be tricky if not outright scary at times. Join ParentMap for "Empowering Parents: Navigating the Digital Age with your Child," a free virtual ParentEd Talk with author Katie Davis, Ph.D. Learn strategies for keeping your child healthy and safe online without losing your mind.

With years of experience in digital learning and technology, Davis will guide you through the most pressing issues facing parents today, and help you develop a plan to navigate them with ease. Don't miss out on this opportunity to connect with other parents, share experiences and learn from each other, all while gaining invaluable insights from a leading expert in the field.

Parenting SOS: Expert Answers to Your Burning Questions

March 27, 2024, 1 p.m. PT

REGISTER NOW

Our kids are constantly changing. Advice for parents is, too. So, we’re phoning friends and calling in an expert. Join ParentMap for an intimate hour of conversation with Dr. Laura Kastner, an internationally recognized clinical psychologist, author, researcher and veteran parent. We’ve selected a diverse group of parents to ask some of our most burning parenting questions and then we'll open up Q&A to our live audience.

Ask us anything. No, really. From bullying, conflict with peers and/or classmates, temperament, behavioral problems, neurodiversity, LGBTQIA issues, racism, religious bias, political partisanship, school policies, homework, social exclusion and cell phone/media usage.

march

When will my child receive their show costume? We are still receiving costumes from our vendors and hope to have all costumes in hand after spring break For classes where we have received all costumes, we will begin to have students try on in class in March to ensure proper fit. Costumes will not be sent home with students, however, until after Spring Break in April.

What is the process for taking photos for the Spring Show? All students who are participating in the Spring Shows will come to class in costume during the week of May 29 through May 4. Students will take individual and group photos in their Spring Show costume during class time. Nigel Cooper Photography is taking all photos and will distribute a link to digitally download your child's photos approximately two weeks after the Spring Shows The cost of the digital download is included in the Spring Show Media Fee that will be charged in April (this fee will only be charged to families with students participating in the Spring Shows)

If my child misses class, can they still make it up? Because we are focused on learning choreography for our Spring Shows in all participating classes, attendance at this time of year is SO IMPORTANT. Therefore, we are no longer offering make-ups for classes missed. Please encourage your child to attend class regularly and practice their dance at home! Students in Creative Movement and Acro classes WILL be permitted to do class make-ups after March since those classes are not participating in our Spring Shows. Contact our customer care team in the studio with any questions

When is the last day of class for the 23-24 session? As we enter the second half of the 20232024 school-year session, we wanted to pass along a few details about our post-Spring Show timeline Dancers will return to regular classes after our Spring Show (on Monday, May 20th) and continue through Friday, June 14. These last weeks of classes will include assessments/evaluations, end-of-year celebrations and recognitions, and a week of “try-it” classes to explore new dance styles. Watch for an email in the coming months with more details about the schedule for the final weeks of our session.

Is the last day different for classes not participating in our Spring Shows (Creative Movement and Acro classes?) Students who do not participate in our Spring Shows (those in Creative Movement or Acro classes only) will continue with classes under the same schedule as those who participate in our Spring Shows (with a session end date of June 14th) Students in Creative Movement and Acro classes, however, will NOT have classes the week of May 13th, which is the week of our Dress Rehearsals and Spring Shows. Families with students in Creative Movement and Acro classes will receive a credit for one class on their May tuition billing. Creative Movement classes will have a performance for their families in the studio (during class) the week of June 3rd, and Acro classes will invite families in during the last 10 minutes of class that week to show parents the skills they learned during the session! More details about our end-of-session schedule will be shared in the coming months.

OF THE MONTHDancers

Congratulations to our March Dancers of the Month! These dancers will receive a certificate of recognition and a gift card to Stage Left Dancewear! Please stop by the front desk to pick up your prize!

Andy was nominated by his Creative Movement teacher, Miss Sofia Andy always comes to class with a willing, can-do attitude and Miss Sofia says he is a joy to have in class! Awesome job, Andy!

feet going first and the rest of the body and the head following.

Push hands into ground to create space for head (does not roll on head), round back, head tucked, lands on feet with feet and knees together, balance, posture at beginning and end, knees do not touch the floor

https://www.youtube.com/wat ch?v=nGU0ltWTWDo

Definition: A body position in which the weight of the body is supported on one leg, while the other leg is extended in back with the knee straight.

Definiti step th often u in front bounce

THE MONTH

(2-STEP)

ion: A transitional

break dancers se. You cross one foot

of the other and back.

JAZZ PAS DE BOURRÉE

Definition: A sequence of footsteps used to transition from one dance move to the next. Completing a full pas de bourrée begins by stepping

Definition: A tap step adapted from the Irish Clog consisting of a shuffle, hop, and step.

Shuffle crossing front, hop step in front of supporting

https://www.youtube.com/w atch?v=kjbheuhoOSw

PARENT MAP PARENT EDUCATION SESSION (TECHNOLOGY’S CHILD), 1:00PM

SHAMROCK SPIRIT WEEK & BRING YOUR STUFFY TO CLASS WEEK

PARENT MAP PARENT EDUCATION SESSION (PARENTING SOS), 1:00PM

SPRING BREAK – NO CLASSES

SPRING BREAK CAMP -- STAY TUNED

THANK YOU FOR CHOOSING