November 2022 Backstage Dance Studio Newsletter

NOVEMBER 2022 THE BEAT

THANKFUL

BY MARTY ROBERTS, STUDIO OWNER

November is the perfect month to reflect on what we are thankful for and let everybody know! This month, count your blessings and share them on the turkey feathers we will pass out during class (and will also have available at the front desk) and we will add them to our "Thankful Turkeys" which will be on display in the studio this month.

As a studio, we are thankful for our dance families for choosing us to and to our dancers for bringing us such joy each day!

This month we will continue to promote proper dress code, and our Ice Cream Social winners will be announced on November 14th! We also have exciting news to share about our Spring Shows in the month ahead. Keep up the great work dancers (and parents) and be the best you can be!

Coloring Contest!

We are having a coloring/art contest for the month of November! Dancers can take a coloring sheet (located at the front desk), decorate it, and submit their masterpieces by November 15th to win a prize! Three age group winners (6 and under, 7 to 12, 13 and up). Creativity & originality celebrated!!!

DRESS CODE CONTEST!

Our dress code contest is in full swing! Students have been coming to class in full dress code clothing and their classes have been entered into our drawing for an ICE CREAM SOCIAL PARTY!

90 entries have been received so far! That means that classes have had perfect dress code 90 times since the contest began! SO GREAT!

There are several classes that have been nominated multiple times! Our contest runs for two more weeks, it's anyone's game! The three winning classes will be announced on November 14th.

DANCER OF THE MONTH STARTING IN NOVEMBER!

Will you be our first Dancer of the Month for 2022-2023?

Teachers will be nominating 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

Three students will be selected each month and will receive a special prize. November's dancers of the month will be announced on December 5th!

Teacher Spotlight

MARGAUX

DID YOU KNOW???

Margaux has been dancing most of her life! She grew up in Switzerland and studied ballet at Ecole de Danse Julie Duruisseau from age 7 to 19, dancing as much as 15 to 20 hours each week!

Margaux moved to the United States from Switzerland to attend Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle where she received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance. She was was honored with the Outstanding Dance Major Award at Cornish from 2018 to 2021.

Margaux has trained at ballet conservatories across the United States and in Israel, London and Switzerland. She has also performed with a variety of professional dance groups in the Seattle area during her time at Cornish and still enjoys participating in performances as her schedule allows.

Margaux teaches Ballet Basics, Ballet 2, Ballet 103 and Beginning Pointe. We are so thrilled to have her join the Backstage teaching team!

ADULT

For 7-9 year olds. Join Miss Shay for a highenergy jazz class!

What is Jazz Funk? It is a dance style that has emerged as a result of the popularization of hip hop and jazz musicians widening the arena of jazz. It has also been called "Street Jazz" and is comprised of a number of other dance styles like modern, hip hop and lyrical. Class is on Mondays, 4:15-5:00pm and runs six weeks. $150 for the six week session.

Adam

PARENT EDUCATION

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.

ParentMap Presents: Curious Children, Wise Elders: How Childhood and Elderhood Shape Intelligence and Learning Thursday, November 17, 2022 1–2 p.m. PT REGISTER HERE

Both the ongoing child-care crisis and the pandemic have highlighted our failings to protect and care for the young and the old, two groups that are critical to our success and evolution as humans. In this ParentEd Talks event, developmental psychologist Alison Gopnik, Ph.D., will share how these two vulnerable and long life stages — childhood and elderhood — play important roles in helping humans flourish.

Drawing on her own cutting-edge scientific research, Gopnik will reveal fascinating insights into how caregiving relationships in childhood and old age evolve distinctive capacities for cognition. Gopnik will explain how these two developmental life stages are related, and how the relationship between children and grandparents is so valuable, from strengthening our intelligence and adaptability to preserving culture and traditions.

OUR CHARACTER FOCUS FOR NOVEMBER IS...

COMMUNITY

Look for a culture card coming home with your dancer. This month we will talk about building community!

Why is building community important?

Strong communities are critical because they're often an important source of social connection and a sense of belonging. Participating in a community bonded by attitudes, values, and goals is an essential ingredient to enjoying a fulfilling life!

BACKSTAGE DANCE STUDIO SPRING SHOWS!!!

JUNE 3, 2023 RED SHOW, 11:00 am ORANGE SHOW, 2:30 PM YELLOW SHOW, 6:00 PM JUNE 4, 2023 GREEN SHOW, 11:00 AM BLUE SHOW, 2:30 PM PURPLE SHOW, 6:00 pm

We are excitedly preparing for our Spring Shows, which will take place Saturday, June 3 and Sunday, June 4 at IKEA Performing Arts Center in Renton!

This month, we will reveal our SHOW THEME and provide additional details about our shows. Performing in our Spring Shows gives students the opportunity to showcase their skills, their confidence, and all the hard work they have put in month after month! It is the culmination of so many things that students learn all year long in dance class and it is our hope that all our dancers will participate!

Our six shows are designated by a COLOR of the rainbow. We have updated the show color for each class in the Jackrabbit portal, where you can check to see which show your child's class is participating in We'll provide additional details in the month ahead!

Costume ordering will begin soon, so watch for your dancer to bring home a COSTUME NOTICE/SHOW PARTICIPATION FORM this month, which should be turned in by December 5th!

DID YOU KNOW?

Persistence is a key ingredient to success; it is a talent multiplier. Without persistence, it doesn't matter how talented you are, because your full potential will never be achieved. It's not easy to continue when things are going badly, and there is no guarantee that your efforts will end in success. Backstage Dance Studio Owner/Director Marty Roberts elaborates on this key ingredient to success in her most recent blog, Quitting Isn't the Answer.

Dancing can improve a lot of things. For instance, it can increase strength, flexibility, balance, and reading of rhythm. It can also work your memory and boost your energy and serotonin levels. On top of all these things, dancing from a young age can also give a boost to your child's self-confidence.