THE BEAT
W E L C O M E
WELCOME FROM STUDIO OWNER
MARTY ROBERTS!
We are celebrating 41-derful years at Backstage! We can’t wait for another fantastic year of dance as we kick off our 2024-2025 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, or twenty!! 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 are welcoming four new dance instructors this year: Chisako, Faith, Tomoko and Madison We’ve included their photos in the staff page of this newsletter, and 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 it another wonderful (41-derful!) year!
As always, thanks so much for dancing with us!
Marty Roberts Owner/Director
FIRST WEEK OF CLASS CHECKLIST
Check your child’s class day and time Login to Jackrabbit HERE
Arrive earlier than the start time of your child’s class to check-in. We will have a tent set up outside the main studio doors, where you will check in, receive a nametag for your child, and find out which studio room your child’s class is in.
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 socialemotional 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 THE BEAT 05
One of the best ways to ensure your child’s success in their dance class is by helping them prepare! Make sure you pay close attention to the following to set your child up for a great experience!
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 jacket, dance bag, water bottle, etc, they can keep these items in a cubby (most are located just outside the studio rooms) during class
Make sure your child is wearing the proper dance attire, including shoes, and that hair is 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@backstagedanceorg and we’ll be happy to help!
Backstage is a large facility and we want you to feel comfortable and know what is happening within our walls We have 6 rooms, located in 2 different buildings Our main studio building has four dance rooms, our customer care station, and main administrative offices. Our satellite building is across the parking lot from the main building, and houses 2 additional dance rooms (Rooms 5 and 6), small waiting areas outside each room, and our dancewear store, Stage Left Dancewear.
Your dancer will take class in the same dance room every week There is sometimes a need to change rooms, and if that is the case, we will post signs and notify students as they arrive of the change. Please also check the chalkboard and dry erase boards in the main building for teacher/class location.
Parents are welcome to watch from the lobby through windows into the studio rooms Please do not tap on the windows or cause distractions to the dancers in the classroom, ho
Please be timely when dropping off dancer when picking them up. Please also note th have an open lobby area with multiple spaces behind our reception area. Our o staffed until 9:00 each night, and staff are the only to help you and your dancers, but complete projects and tasks for the studio P talk to your dancer about behavior in the lobby: using indoor voices, no running or tum no rowdiness. We know your dancers are excited to see their dance friends, however, note that our lobby is also a business spac remind your dancers that it is not a play
Our parking lot can be CRAZY Please drive and carefully through the lot at all times, and your child to watch for moving cars in the p lot, as well as recognize backup lights Do not your child to play in the parki
N A V I G A T I N G T H E S T U D I O
MEET OUR FAB TEACHER
We LOVE our BDS teachers! They are so excited to start a new dance season with your child experience, education, and special certifications in all dance styles, our staff are all CPR/Firs
KELLSIE SHANDIE LAUREN MADDIE
MARTY BAILEY
RHONDA KELLY
ULOUS RS!
dren! In addition to having years of st Aid certified to keep your dancer safe!
ELISE LETA JENAE ALYSSA
MADISON FAITH TOMOKO CHISAKO
DANCER BIRTHDAYS
Ella J. 1-Sep
Nikki M. 1-Sep
Mira R. 1-Sep
Hannah W. 1-Sep
Isabelle Z. 1-Sep
Charlie K. 3-Sep
Leahnora M. 3-Sep
Julia Z. 4-Sep
Brixton L. 5-Sep
Valentina A. 6-Sep
Olivia F. 8-Sep
Lauren R. 8-Sep
Chloe C. 10-Sep
Daryn D. 10-Sep
Sammie R. 10-Sep
Evelyn Y. 11-Sep
Melanie W. 12-Sep
Leila K. 19-Sep
Elizabeth N. 19-Sep
Mia C. 20-Sep
Sofia G-V. 21-Sep
Karin S. 22-Sep
Chloe D. 23-Sep
Kaylee H. 23-Sep
HAPPIEST OF BIRTHDAYS TO OUR DANCERS
CELEBRATING THIS MONTH!!
Reese L. 24-Sep
Amelia W. 24-Sep
Maya K. 25-Sep
Kai E. 26-Sep
Melody L. 27-Sep
Miles R. 27-Sep
Haidee S. 27-Sep
Allison W. 27-Sep
Kimberly L. 28-Sep
Lois E. 29-Sep
Riley H. 29-Sep
STAFF BIRTHDAY
Miss Danielle 23-Sep
CHARACTERFOCUS
Each month, Backsta on. When a teacher s they will give the dan
Our character focus
B-Bravery (Septemb
A-Accountability (Oc
C-Courage (Novemb
K-Kindness (Decemb
S-Self-Discipline (Jan
T-Tenacity (February
A-Acceptance (Marc
G-Gratitude (April)
E-Excellence (May)
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!
S E S S I O N O
V E R V I
THE BEAT 11
S
C H O
O L
Y E A R
September: Dance season begins!
We operate on the school-year calendar, with classes continuing month-to-month from September through June. 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 and Acro) participate in! We close enrollment at the end of November, ask families to complete a show participation form, and begin to order costumes for dancers. Students learn choreography January through May that is performed on stage during our show performances. Shows take place at IKEA Performing Arts Center at Renton High School each year. This year, our Spring Shows will be on Saturday, May 31 and Sunday, June 1
December: Winter Break!
Backstage follows the Bellevue School District calendar nd we match our dance class breaks with many of the chool district breaks. Our longest break takes place in ecember, when the studio will be closed for classes ecember 22nd through January 5th Make-up class pportunities end before winter break, so if your child eeds to make up a missed class, make sure they do it efore the end of December!
January/February/March: Spring Show choreography!
After winter break, dancers continue to learn new skills and technique in their classes They also practice the choreography that they will perform at our Spring Shows!
April: Costume distribution!
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 31/June 1, 2024.
June: Winding down the dance season!
Classes resume after our Spring Shows, where we have the opportunity for dancers to receive awards from their teachers as well as try other classes for free The session end date is Saturday, June 14
Our Signature and STARS teams have their auditions in June as well. Stay tuned for those details late this year!
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.
UDIO OLICIES
@backstagedancestudio
@backstagebellevue
@backstagedancestudio
BUILDING CONFIDENCE, CHARACTER, AND COMMUNITY SINCE 1984. THANK YOU FOR DANCING WITH US!