Happy Friday, PSD Families!

This Friday FYI email is our primary method of communication to studio families - please save it for a time when you can read through it thoroughly and bookmark it for reference!

New & Urgent this week:

• Registration is CLOSED for The Nutcracker 2025! Weekly updates will be shared here as we continue preparing for performance day! Please see all new updates below.

• Our first Parent Appreciation Week of the year is NEXT WEEK! Come and join your dancer in class and enjoy a week of perks just for you! See details below.

• Recital Costume Sizing begins at the studio NEXT WEEK! See details below and bring your dancer in to get sized!

• Wiggle Wednesdays at The Pointe are back! See below for all information and registration for our free dance & story time program. Our next event is next Wednesday 10/8!

• We are starting up some Mini Acro Private Lessons for the first semester - see details below!

• The Great Gatsby Ballet is coming to The Paramount in October - and PSD Families have access to discounted tickets! See details below.

• Stay tuned to these regular email updates - this is your primary source for all studio news!

Find all of the important dates for the year here: www.thepointeschool.com/policies - we list upcoming dates within the next few weeks in the Friday FYI as well for your convenience!

• October 6-11 - Parent Appreciation Week #1

• October 6-18 - Recital Costume Sizing

• October 8 - Wiggle Wednesday - 11:15-11:45 AM

• October 21-23 - Fall Inter-Sessional Break; CLOSED

• October 22 - Nutcracker Act 1 In-Studio Rehearsals (exact times listed in Performance Handbook)

• October 23 - Nutcracker Act 2 In-Studio Rehearsals (exact times listed in Performance Handbook)

• October 24-30 - Costume Week

• October 25 - PSD Trunk or Treat (1:00-3:00 PM)

• October 25 - November Tuition and Costume Payments Process

• October 31 - Nutcracker & Holiday Merchandise Orders CLOSE (theturningpointeboutique.com)

• October 31 - Halloween; CLOSED

It's time to start planning for winter and our 3rd Annual Performance of The Nutcracker! Our Nutcracker webpage is now LIVE! You will find everything you need to prepare you and your dancer for a successful Nutcracker season. Check out thepointeschool.com/nutcracker regularly for updates.

Here are new updates to the website this week:

Music & Practice Video Folders: Your dancer should have started learning their Nutcracker choreography this week! Dancers can practice at home with access to the music and practice videos of the choreography made by their teachers. Practice videos should be available to use starting in the beginning of October. You will find links to the music and practice videos folders on the Nutcracker webpage: thepointeschool.com/nutcracker

Act 1 & Act 2 In-Studio Rehearsal Schedules - October 22nd & 23rd: Students will primarily focus on learning their group choreography in class. However, there are a couple sections that include several classes. We want to run through both Acts of the show all together BEFORE dress rehearsal. That way we can get an idea for how a section will operate and to give the dancers a better idea of their placement on stage. These rehearsals will take place during our Fall Inter-sessional Break, and will replace the dancers regular classes. Please plan on attending the following rehearsals based on your dancer’s routine assignment. Full schedule details are in our Performance Handbook, on the Nutcracker webpage: thepointeschool.com/nutcracker

Nutcracker & Holiday Merchandise Orders are OPEN!: This includes a variety of Nutcracker merchandise AND Holiday clothing items to have your dancers ringing in the season in style! This special pre-order is open until October 31st and will NOT be available after that date. All orders will be available for pick up the week of November 17th so dancers can wear their gear all season long :) If you selected the Add-On Performance package for your dancer and wanted to order a cast T-Shirt separately for your dancer - this is the opportunity to do so! Place your orders here: https://theturningpointeboutique.com/

Parents, we are excited to celebrate YOU during Parent Appreciation Week - NEXT WEEK October 6-11! During this week, we're excited to offer:

• Parent Participation in class! (One grown-up per dancer and no siblings/other children, please - this is our first parent participation opportunity for the year, so if another parent wants to participate, they should wait and come to our second parent participation in January!)

• A special 15% discount on Parent-specific gear in the boutique (in-store and online - no code needed)!

• A special keepsake photo of you and your dancer!

• Opportunity to try ANY adult class for free! Join us for Adult Jazz Monday from 7:30-8:15 in Studio C, Adult Tap Monday from 8:15-9:00 in Studio C, and/or Adult Ballet on Thursday from 7:45-8:45 in Studio A.

Our instructors are cooking up some FUN plans for their classes this week - you won't want to miss it!

We're already preparing for our June Recital, and that means it's time to get costumes ready! Costume prep starts early - just like planning a wedding, there are lots of moving parts! Please bring your dancer in to get sized for a costume beginning October 6th.

Costume Measuring Station:
📍 In the studio lobby
📅 October 6-18
🕔 Hours:

• Mon-Thurs: 5:00-7:30 PM

• Wed. morning: 10:00-11:30 AM

• Sat. morning: 10:00-12:00 PM

Here’s how it works:
Your dancer will try on sizing samples (over their dance clothes) to help us choose the best size for their recital costume. Our awesome sizing helpers will be there to walk you through it!

Parents, we’d love for you to come with your dancer - especially if you want to help with sizing decisions. We aim to pick the size that’ll fit best by June, allowing room for growth!

A few fun costume facts:

• Dance costume sizes may not match street clothes - totally normal!

• Brands vary, so dancers might need different sizes for different costumes.

• If your dancer is between sizes, we go with the larger one (a little big = fixable, too small = not so much).

• Costumes ship months after we order - some arrive early, others as late as April!

📅 Important Deadline:
November 1 is the last day to make class changes or adjust sizing before orders go in.

Wiggle Wednesday is a free monthly story time and dance demo at The Pointe School of Dance! Children aged 1-5 are welcome to visit the studio for a short story, dance activities, and movement games. Wiggle Wednesdays are active, creative FUN for your little one! Parents are invited to come into the studio room to participate with their child, or wait in our comfortable lobby. Spaces are limited and registration is required - sign up today at thepointeschool.com/wiggle

Our next event of the year is THIS Wednesday, October 8th from 11:15-11:45 AM!

NEW! We are now offering monthly Mini Acro Private Lessons with Miss Laura throughout the fall semester! These are great for students looking for individual feedback for a specific skill or working towards a specific goal. These lessons are only offered on the specific dates below - giving the benefits of a private lesson at a great value.

These lesson dates are:

Saturday, October 4th - 9:00 AM-12:00 PM (FULL)

Saturday, November 1st - 2:00 PM - 5:00 PM (UPDATED TIME SLOTS)

Saturday, December 6th - 9:00 AM-12:00 PM

• These will be 20 minute private lessons offered once a month and will focus in on 1-2 specific skills of your choice. **With teacher discretion - for example, we will not have your dancer work on aerials if they cannot do a cartwheel.

• All lessons are $25 + tax, due with this form at sign up.

• All time slots are first come, first serve.

• If you cannot make these dates or want more frequent lessons - please reach out to request a standard private lesson.

• Please fill out one form for each lesson if you are signing up for multiple dates.

If these lessons are successful, we will look into adding spring dates and options for multiple mediums (ex. hip hop skills, turns and leaps, etc.) in the future.

Grab a lesson spot today by filling out this form!

The Great Gatsby Ballet is coming to The Paramount - and All PSD Families have access to a ticket discount to this performance! 

WBC Website: https://worldballetcompany.com/cedarrapids

Code: WBC15 (use at checkout here https://www.creventslive.com/events/2025/greatgatsbyballet or mention at the box office)

Discount: 15% discount on all zones

Did you know that we offer free trial classes for new-to-The-Pointe families - and we have a sweet deal for you if you refer a friend to our program? Families can schedule a trial class easily - just have them send us an email and we'll take care of it!

When a family you've referred signs up, please have them list your name in the "Where did you hear about us?" form in online registration. We will send them a $20 gift card to our boutique to help them get the gear their dancer needs for class - and as a thank you, we'll send one to you, too! Trial classes are easy to schedule online, and are FREE for a limited time!

• Contact Us: [email protected], (319) 302-3880

• Boutique & Front Desk Hours: Monday-Thursday, 4:30-8:30 PM. Saturdays: 9:00 AM-12:00 PM

• View our Studio Policies and Full Calendar

• Get Connected: Join our Studio-wide BAND App and our Family Facebook Community

• View our Dress Code requirements for all classes.

• Absences: Report you dancer’s absence through your parent portal with these instructions

Have a wonderful weekend!
- Miss Vanessa & your PSD Staff