THE BEAT
O B E R !
A Y H E L L O
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!
DRESS CODE REMINDERS
Is yo c d cor I re d 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
COMING NEXT MONTH
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 4th through November 16th, 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 18th. Make sure your dancer comes to class in proper dress for a chance to win!
THE BEAT 05
LOBBY ETIQUETTE
Please be mindful of classes in session and those working in the studio and keep noise to a minimum while in the lobby
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).
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
ed before class s, large rings on ears or n wrists or ankles are a they come off while dancing lothing, hair, or other gling earrings are allowed
s are recommended for worn for classroom and Street shoes or dance shoes e not allowed since dirt, use damage to the Marley he studio in your street shoes allet, jazz, tap, hip hop
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, make sure you’ve got enough room between you and the people in front of and behind you so that you 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.
Coming home soon!
Isabelle
Ballet Basics
Passport 2024-2025
PASSPORT BOOKLETS
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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 make sure your dancer takes good care of theirs!
Celebrate the Season! Dancers, wear your costumes to class beginning Friday, October 25 through Thursday, October 31st. We'll do the monster mash and boogie the week away as we celebrate the season! Please no scary costumes, and make sure you can move, groove and dance freely in it!
HALLOWEEN IS THURSDAY, OCTOBER
31st! We are modifying our THURSDAY class schedule on Halloween day so that kiddos can get home to trick-or-treat!
Therefore, we are combining Thursday 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! H A L L O W E E N S P I R I T W E E K
HALLOWEEN DAY SCHEDULE
4:15-5:15 • Ballet 205-206.5 (Leta) & Ballet 207/208 (Jenae)
4:15-5:15 • Ballet 203.5/204 (Elise) & Ballet 104 (Leta)
4:15-5:15 • Ballet 202/203 (Danielle) & Ballet 2/3 (Tomoko)
4:15-5:00 • Debut Ballet (Tomoko) & Ballet Basics 2 (Tomoko)
4:15-5:00 • Pre-Ballet (Shandie) & Pre-Ballet (Lauren)
4:15-5:00 • Hip Hop 1 (Shandie) & Hip Hop 2 (Shandie)
5:00-6:00 • Debut Tap (Lauren ) & Tap 1 (Lauren)
5:00-6:00 • Jazz 2 (Lauren)
5:15-6:00 • Contemporary 104 (Danielle) & Contemporary 4/5 (Lauren)
5:15-6:00 • ALL POINTE (Jenae/Leta/Tomoko)
5:15-6:00 • Hip Hop Tech 202/203 (Shandie)
Adult Tap Beginning and Acro 5/6 check your emails for information on your classes for Halloween night Thank you!
THE BEAT
CHARACTERFOCUS ACCOUNTABILITY
Our character focus for OCTOBER is...
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!
DANCER BIRTHDAYS
Claire K. October 1
Rishane A. October 2
Ella S. October 2
Nanita T. October 3
Myndy L. October 5
Hikaru Y. October 5
Fiona B. October 6
Ella J. October 6
Adelaide M. October 6
Samyra P. October 6
Yami H. October 7
Jacqueline L. October 7
Evan M. October 7
Elizabeth Y. October 8
Olivia Z. October 9
Clover D. October 10
Tobey L. October 10
Erin E. October 11
Angelica Y. October 11
Julia S. October 12
Talia O. October 14
Mahek A. October 15
Zoe L. October 15
Micah N. October 15
Luna P. October 15
Pippa F. October 16
Farrah L. October 17
Zach Y. October 18
Charlotte P. October 20
Kyra K. October 21
Amber S. October 21
Elina L. October 22
Adelina M. October 22
Nicole C. October 24
Ava T. October 24
Bryson Y. October 24
Isabel W. October 25
Chloe Z. October 25
Nora H. October 26
James P. October 26
Avery C. October 27
Jinran L. October 27
Shivali D. October 29
Egan I. October 30
Kayla K. October 30
STAFF BIRTHDAYS
Miss Riley October 7
Miss Alyssa October 17
THE BEAT 11 TEACHERSPOTLIGHT
FAITH
Faith began her dance journey at the age of five at Momentum Dance Academy in Burien, where she first discovered her passion for movement. At twelve, she continued to develop her skills at Pacific Northwest Ballet (PNB) School, gaining valuable classical ballet training. Though her time at PNB was brief, it solidified her love for dance, leading her to pursue further education. In June 2024, she graduated from Western Washington University with a Bachelors of Fine Arts in Dance, and during her time there, she had the opportunity to travel to Italy to take dance classes for two weeks, broadening her global perspective on the art form
As a dance teacher, she has enjoyed sharing her knowledge and experience with students of all ages, from young children to teenagers She's passionate about helping dancers find confidence and self-expression through movement, whether they’re just beginning or refining their technique Currently, she's working towards becoming a certified dietitian for dancers, aiming to provide holistic support to young performers by combining her knowledge of dance with nutrition, ensuring they have the tools to thrive both in and out of the studio.
Faith joined the Backstage team in August and has enjoyed getting to know you and your dancers! She teaches Ballet/Tap, Hip Hop Basics, Ballet Basics 2, Pre-Pointe, STARS 103 Contemporary, STARS 102 Ballet, Contemporary 2/3, and assists in various intensive-level classes. We are thrilled to welcome Faith to our community!
FUN FACTS:
Faith’s favorite food is homemade mac & cheese. Her favorite animal? A sugar glider!
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.
For October, Parent Map has invited Jonathan Haidt, Ph.D., social psychologist and author of “The Anxious Generation” to conduct a Q&A-style webinar with strategies for limiting technology in the lives of children.
Essential Strategies for Rewiring Childhood with Jonathan Haidt, Ph.D. Tuesday, October 15, 2024 • Noon-1:00pm PT
Childhood itself has gone missing As childhood migrated online in the early 2010s, rates of mental illness among US adolescents surged, and kids' daily opportunities to learn and play independently disappeared. But it's not too late to change.
Parent Map Q&A-style webinars are now $10. Register here and you’ll also receive access to the event recording to watch anytime
O F T H E M O N T H
THE BEAT 13
D A N C E
R
DANCER OF THE MONTH DETAILS
Will you be our first Dancer of the Month for 20242025? 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
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!
MUYAN SONG
PHILIP TRESCASES
ORLI KALMAN
SKILLS OF THE MONTH
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!
OCTOBER SKILLS OF THE MONTH
See the next page for
SKILLS OF T
O C T O B E R
ACRO FORWARD ROLL
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!
BALLET RELEVÉ
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!
Definiti move th of kicki adding routine. Start wi with yo kick, ma bounce kick, lea will go l your lef naturall that rig and forw uncross starting Add arm crossing your lef stomac out to t fingers
VIDEO:
THE MONTH 16
HOP
CROSS-STEP
on: A dynamic hip hop hat combines elements ng, crossing, and a step, flair to your dance . ith a loose kick forward ur right foot. As you ake sure to do a slight . While you're doing the an to your left. Your kick left, crossing in front of t leg, and you'll ly catch yourself with ht foot. Step to the left ward with your left leg, sing your legs. Repeat g with your left foot. m movements in by g your right wrist over t wrist in front of your h, then open your arms he sides and snap your or punch.
How to kick-cross-step!
JAZZ
JAZZ SQUARE
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!
TAP SHUFFLE
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!
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optimal growth Any dancer who has mis his/her class due to illness or schedule conflict make up that class with an appropriate class ba on age, ability and discipline within four week the absence. Make-up classes for the 2024-2 session will be available through the mont December. There will be no make-up cla available after December as dancers will b focusing on choreography for our spring s performances at that t
Dancers who are making up a class should ch in at the front desk when they come for the m up class to receive a nametag and instruction which studio room the make-up class
AKE-UP ASSES
FT. LEENA HUANG SIGNATURE TEAM
BACKSTAGE DANCE STUDIO THE
BUILDING CONFIDENCE, CHARACTER, AND COMMUNITY SINCE 1984. THANK YOU FOR DANCING WITH US!