Dear Parents and Students,
Happy October! We have a lot going on this month as well as some reminders and announcements, so please read and save this letter for reference.
October tuition is due now for those who are paying monthly. If you are enrolled in auto-pay, your card has been charged.
By now everyone should have had a chance to get the correct leotard for their child’s dress code: pink short-sleeve for Creative Movement, lavender short-sleeve for Elementary 1, light blue short-sleeve for Elementary 2, burgundy tank for Ballet 1, plum tank for Ballet 2, teal any style for Ballet 3, and black any style for Ballet 4-5. Please do not purchase the leotards that have attached skirts or tutus (although these can be worn during special days - see below). Please also be sure to put your dancer’s hair in a neat bun before taking them to the studio. A secure bun requires bobby pins and sometimes a hairnet to keep everything tidy. If you’re not sure how to do a ballet bun, I have a few videos on this YouTube playlist.
I don’t yet have a video for doing short hair, but if anyone wants to volunteer their child, I can make a video with them to post.
Related to dress code, please remember to have your dancer cover up outside the studio. This is for two reasons: first, the weather is turning cold and it’s not good for our muscles to go through rapid temperature changes. Secondly, we are located near a gym and two sports bars and while we’ve never had a problem with passersby, we feel it’s safest when our dancers are wearing more than just a leotard and tights outdoors. Also, make sure your dancer does not wear ballet shoes outside. This will track dirt and oils onto our special dance floor that can damage its surface.
Now for the fun and exciting stuff!
Our first parent observation week is October 11-16. During this week, parents are encouraged to come into the studio during any or all of your child’s classes to observe in person. Due to our space limitations, we ask for no more than two family members of each student to be present. Additional family members, as always, can watch via Zoom. Feel free to take pictures or video during parent observation classes. Parents will also have the opportunity to ask questions after class. Female students may wear a matching skirt or tutu to class on parent observation days.
Another special dress event that is coming up is our first costume week! Students will be allowed to wear costumes during class October 25-30. We do have a few stipulations on costumes, however: first, absolutely no capes, scarves, necklaces, or anything else that wraps around the neck, as these are potential choking hazards while dancing. Secondly, do not wear anything that impedes the free movement of the body, especially the legs (no tight skirts, etc.). Dresses should be worn with something underneath, such as a leotard or shorts. Any hats, wigs, or other headwear will need to be removed during class or be small enough to be secured to the head with bobby pins. Finally, please keep in mind that many of our dancers are young children who understandably may be frightened of scary or gory images, so use your best judgment in selecting a costume.
Merch is coming! We have partnerships with two different companies to bring you Academy of Dance branded apparel. First, Corps Dancewear has a line of leotards, skirts, masks, and more that come in our class colors and are very high quality. You can purchase any of these items at a discount with the AOD logo on it using the code KD_AD509 at checkout. However, be aware that all sales are final since they contain our logo. I’m waiting for the company to send me samples of the leotards so students can try them on at the studio. Second, we have an online shop now through Printify. I will be getting in samples of some of these items as well, but we will carry a limited inventory due to our small space. Printify has a huge selection of products, only a fraction of which are in our studio online store. If you browse Printify.com and see a type of product you’d like to slap an Academy logo on, let me know!
Lastly, I am working on starting a new dance buddy system. I’ll explain more about this in a future email, but in short, it’s a way for older dancers to connect with younger ones by attending their classes about once a month. Be on the lookout for more information about this!
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