Dear Parents and Students,
Happy November! Here is the latest news from the Academy of Dance.
Food Focus Month. This month, we are going to focus on developing a healthy attitude toward the food we eat. Many young people struggle with their body image, and in a discipline that requires spending a lot of time in front of a mirror, dancers are especially susceptible to this. At the Academy of Dance, we believe that we should be less concerned about what our bodies look like and more concerned with what they can do. The human body is a miracle of design, and it is capable of incredible feats of athleticism and artistry. Our responsibility is to care for our bodies by fueling them with nutrient-rich foods that will keep us healthy and strong.
Holidays. As noted on class information pages, we will have classes on Monday, November 11 (Veterans Day). If you plan to be absent, you can make up the class by attending one level down from your normal class (Creative Movement can come to Elementary 1 on Tuesday from 4:15-5:00). There are quite a few holidays on Mondays this year, and I don’t think it’s fair to the Monday classes not to give them an equal amount of class time. We will be closed November 27-28 for Thanksgiving, however. Again, students whose classes normally meet those days are welcome to attend one level lower than their regular class either earlier that week, the previous week, or the following week.
Attendance and making up absences. Attendance was an issue in several classes last month. Please remember to inform the studio by phone or email if your child is going to be absent for any reason. If your child does miss a class, they can always make up their absence. Please contact the office or email me to schedule a make-up.
School closure reminder. Since it’s already snowed three times as of this writing, I thought it would be good to remind everyone that when Central Valley School District cancels school due to inclement weather, the Academy of Dance will also be closed that day. We will not close for two-hour delays. If schools close due to extremely low temperatures but the roads are clear, we will still have class. Since there’s no school on Saturday, I will send an email, robo-text, and robo-call by 8:00 am to students enrolled in Saturday classes if we need to cancel for the day.
Dress code reminder & new policy. Please remember to cover up outside the studio! As the weather gets colder, this is increasingly important; however, it is a good idea to wear clothing over your dance attire year-round. Additionally, beginning in January, we will be asking students not to wear false nails to class. This is a potential safety issue, especially in the upstairs studio which has a low ceiling. For the ballet aesthetic, fingernails should be bare or painted with clear or natural color.
AOD Apparel order! We will be working with Happy Dance in Post Falls to get some Academy of Dance T-shirts and sweatshirts. Unlike last year’s store, the choices of apparel will be much more limited this time around, but the shirts are high quality and relatively low in price. We will have an order form for you to fill out if you would like to make a purchase. I’ll send more information when that’s ready.
Upcoming SYB concert! In case you haven’t heard, our junior company, Spokane Youth Ballet, will be performing in January! We are doing a production of “Peter and the Wolf” followed by some student-choreographed pieces. I highly encourage everyone to come – it’s a great ballet for children! The performance will be January 11 at 2:00 pm at the Bing Crosby Theater.
Conferences. Remember to contact the office if you would like to schedule a parent/teacher conference regarding your child.