September
newsletter, 2012:
WOW! Summer flew by, at least for me! It’s time to get back to dance!
J Every month you will
receive a newsletter that will let you know what’s coming up. Please read it
and know what’s coming up. If you happen to lose it, you can find it on our
website:
www.divasdancestudio.com
under the blog tab. Every month a calendar will be posted as well.
Packet contents: In this
packet is your newsletter, the “Student Oath and Commitment” page (which just
explains the qualities I believe a dancer should have and the commitments I ask
of the students), a “Rules of the Dance Room” page (which gives guidelines on
proper etiquette in the dance room as well as dance wear), and the registration
form to fill out and return. The only paper form this packet that I need returned
is the registration form. Please fill it out and return by the end of
September.
What do I owe right now?:
Everyone will owe September tuition. If you have a referral, your
free/discounted months will start in October. If you referred someone, please
make sure that I have that down to give you proper credit. Your registration
fee is also due this month: $25 for one dancer, $40 for more than one dancer. A
costume security fee of $25 per dancer is also due this month ($50 per dancer
for
Stars team
members). If you need to split up payments, you can pay half the first half of
the month, and the remainder the 2
nd half of the month. Tuition is
due the first class of the month, no later than the 10
th of the
month. After the 10
th, a late fee of $10 per week will be added to
your account. If your account is past due after 2 months, your student may not
be allowed to attend class until account is made current. Return checks are
subject to a $25 fee per check. After 2 returned checks, you will be required
to bring cash for the rest of the dance year. If you have a problem one month,
please talk to me ahead of time to work out a payment schedule. Also, you are
welcome to make extra payments towards costume. Tuition will always be taken
from your payments first, and then any additional payments will be put towards
costumes or other payments to your account. When writing a check, please make
payable to
Andrea Olsen and write your dancers name on the memo
line. Many times there are dancers with the same last name, or last name of the
dancer is different from the name on the check and I want to be sure that I
credit the correct payments. If bringing in cash, either put it in an envelope
with your dancers name on it or paperclip it together with a little note with
your dancers name on it. This will ensure proper credit. (Sorry, at this time I
do not accept credit cards.)
Attendance: I cannot stress
how important attendance is. Your dancer needs to be to every possible class.
If your dancer is going to miss, please let me know. It truly makes a difference
in the materials that we teach. Even when one student misses, it changes the
materials we teach. We understand that there will be times when dancers are
ill, or other things come up. Please try to keep these at a minimum. Just a
courtesy phone call, text, or email will be great to let us know if your
student will be missing a class.
Stars
team members, please refer to the attendance policy. Thank you for
understanding.
Parent observation days: This
policy has worked out very well the past few years, so we are doing it again. I
am asking that parents not stay for the entire class of their dancer. I feel
that your dancer does better when she has to rely on herself and does not have
a parent there to distract her. Many times a dancer will be paying more attention
to their parent to see if they are watching than paying attention to what is
going on in class. So that’s why the parent observation days were implemented.
This will be held every other month generally on the last day of the month of
your dancer’s class. I will allow parents to come and watch for the entire
class to see the progress your dancer has made. The first observation day is
October 29
th for Monday classes, October 30
th Tuesday
classes, October 31
st for Wednesday classes, the 1
st of
September for Thursday classes and the 2
nd of September for Friday
classes. If your child is really struggling, you may be asked to come more
often, but this is not open to everyone. This is only if I notify you about
your dancers struggle with separation. I appreciate your cooperation with this.
Pick-up and drop-off: Since
we are located in a residential area, please be courteous to the houses around
the studio. Do not park in or block other driveways; be courteous to others
that may be picking up or dropping off their dancer; watch for children, as
there will be quite a few around.
Please
do not speed down the street. Often times there are children at play, so
please be considerate and courteous and watch for children at play. I know
parking can be crazy, but be courteous to each other, and things will go
smoothly. Also, please be prompt when picking up your dancer. I and the other
teachers cannot be responsible for watching your dancer after her class is
over. We have many classes and students, and will be busy with all of them.
ALL Mini’s will need to be picked up from
class by a parent or older sibling. Parents, you will need to come inside
to get them, or send in an older brother or sister to get them. They will be
seated along the back wall of the studio. All other classes will be excused to
wait for you either outside or in the entry way. It is especially important to
be prompt in picking up your dancer, especially as the weather turns cold.
Thanks for your cooperation with this.
Referrals: Thanks to all those
who have referred new students this year! We continue to grow and get better
every year, mostly because of the amazing parents we have! Registration will be
open until the 1st of October, but many classes are near capacity so
have your referrals call quickly! Remember that you receive free and discounted
months for referring someone.
What dance clothes does my dancer need?
This is a question that many of you may have. Dance wear can be anything from a
tank top and dance pants to a leotard and tights. We just need to be able to
see the alignment of the dancers’ body. All dancers need to either have bare
feet or dance shoes. NO socks or tights
without shoes will be allowed. It is just too dangerous. Your dancer may be
asked to sit and watch if she does not have correct footwear. I would recommend
for the Mini’s class to get the pink leather dance shoes from Payless. As far
as other classes, we will have specific shoes for competition, but any shoes
are acceptable for class. (Nude Foot undeez are GREAT for dancers in Express
and up!) If you have any questions concerning dance wear or shoes, please talk
to me. You may be asked to buy certain shoes and tights for competition, for
those in the pre-show and show teams. We also have t-shirts, warm-ups, but they
will be completely optional. Tees range from $10 - $20, Warm-ups are $65 for
the pants and jacket, and $5 for each name embroidered on it. We also have
duffle bags available for $40, $45 with name. These make great gifts for
birthdays, Christmas, and rewards for your dancer. If you are interested, feel
free to ask me. I have most sizes available on hand to try on and take home
now.
Hip hop master class: We have
been invited to participate in a hip hop master class. It is open to any
dancers interested in learning from professional hip hop instructors. The date
will be October 13th, from 8 am – 5 pm. The cost is $80 for the day,
$100 if paid after October 1st. Any dancer interested in
participating needs to get a registration form from me. I will be sending out
more info via email within the next week or so.
Teachers: We have a great
line-up of teachers this year. I am very excited to welcome two new teachers:
Claudia Olivia and Emily Roberts! Claudia will be teaching our technique
classes and Emily will be teacher our Express, Juniors, and Seniors pre-show
classes. Check out our website for our bios on our website. We are excited to
have these two wonderfully talented dancers on our team! We know they will add
a lot to those classes. Please welcome them into the studio.
SHOW routine: Last year our
show routine was exciting! Thanks for all the parents (and especially my
husband) that helped put it together and make it a success. If you are new, a
show routine is one big, and sometimes long, dance that the nearly the whole
studio dances in. (Mini’s will not be performing in the show routine.) Our
theme this year for pre-show is… “??????”!
Our Stars Show Team show
production is… “Bring On The Rain”! While this is not the official name (yet),
we will be doing a compilation of songs that have to do with rain. You will
LOVE it!
Music: I will be sending home
cd’s with their music next month. There will be 1 cd per family. If a
replacement cd is needed, you will be charged $2 per cd. It is so very
important to have the music at home to practice. You are welcome to make as
many cd’s as you need.
This year is
going to be great, and we are looking forward to working with your dancers. If
you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me via email or
phone or talk to us after class. That about wraps up your first newsletter and
you can look forward to receiving one at the beginning of every month. Thanks
for the opportunity to teach your dancer.
Emily
Roberts, Claudia Olivia
September Stars newsletter 2012:
This is dedicated for our Stars Show Team. All the
information in this section is important for the team members.
* Proper dance
wear: Please remember to wear proper dance attire to class. Technique
days you can wear anything, but make sure it is appropriate and they you are
able to dance and move in what you are wearing. Company days, Monday’s or
Tuesday’s, you MUST wear your red top with your black shorts with zebra trim.
If you do not wear your company uniform it will count as a tardy towards your
attendance. If you would like to order a 2nd company outfit to have,
just in case, they can be purchased for $30 from me. Please let me know ASAP if
you would like a 2nd outfit so I can get them ordered. You are
welcome to wear your warm-ups while you are warming up, but you will need to
take them off after, so make sure you have your correct clothing on. You are
welcome to wear tights as well, but it is not required. You must also have
proper footwear. Socks or tights only are NOT allowed. You must wear a dance
shoe of some sort. Foot undeez are always acceptable. As soon as I finalize
costumes, I will send home the info on their dance shoes as well.
* Travel packages: Those who
ordered travel packages, the items will take 2 – 4 weeks to get here. Company
outfits should be done within the next week or so. Until then, just wear
regular dance clothes to company classes. We will also have the back sacks, or
drawstring bags, available now! Many people asked for them, and now we will
have them! I will send an email when they are available and the price.
* Hip hop class: As mentioned
in the email we will be attending the hip hop master class. It will be October
13th. ALL Stars team members are required to go. You will need to
wear your company outfit. You can wear tights, and suggest wearing tennis shoes
or hip hop shoes. You will need to bring a sack lunch as well, and a water
bottle. I will send more info soon. Payments of $80 must be made before October
1st. Any payments not received will be $100 after the 1st
of October.
* Costumes: I am finalizing
our costumes. As soon as I do I will let you know what the cost will be.
* Music cd’s: I will have music
cd’s in a few weeks. As soon as they are finished, I’ll send them home.
* Attendance: Remember to
keep your absences and tardies to a minimum. I do not want to release anyone
from the team this year. I know it’s going to be a great year, but we need
everyone to give 100% in every class. Remember that YOU are the only one that
can improve yourself. If you’re not as flexible as you want to be, then YOU
need to be working outside of class to make yourself better. Let’s work hard to
make this year GREAT!
If you have any questions, please let me know. Thanks!
Andrea Olsen
