Message from Miss Vanessa:
November is one of my favorite months of the year! Our fall classes have had enough time together to be in a great routine, the weather is (usually and hopefully!) my favorite – cool but not freezing, and we get to start preparing for performances in classes. My husband and I usually host Thanksgiving and we get to have both of our families over, which we really treasure.
This Newsletter is filled to the brim with important information about the upcoming Holiday Show (an optional, smaller-scale performance than our Recital in June that is a great opportunity for dancers to gain performing experience!) and recital costume ordering that will begin at the front desk next week.
In this month where thankfulness is the focus, please know that I am so thankful for each and every dancer that comes through our doors each week for class. Our faculty is so fortunate to get to do what we love, and we are so grateful to get to share our love and passion for the art of dance with incredible kids and awesome families every week!
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The Pointe School of Dance Holiday Show – Sunday, December 16!
Our Holiday Show is an optional, smaller-scale performance than our recital in June and a great opportunity for dancers to gain valuable performing experience. We use dancewear-based costumes and work to keep the costs for costumes and tickets as low as we can while providing a great performance experience.
To keep the show a reasonable length, we select one core class from each level to perform in the holiday show (for example, the Level 1 class in the show will be Ballet 1). We offer over 100 classes per week – if all classes were to perform, we would have a full-scale production on our hands! We save the big, full performance for our June recital and try to include as many dancers as we can in the Holiday Show. If your dancer’s class was not selected from their level and they want to perform, we would love to have your dancer add that class (dancers progress best through our curriculum when enrolled in ballet, tap, and jazz – it isn’t too late to add a class if there are spaces open!)
All of the details about which classes are performing, the costume for each class, tickets, show times, and more are on the registration form here and will also be on our special 2018 Holiday Show Page (coming soon): www.thepointeschool.com/holiday2018
Our students in the National Honors Society for Dance Arts are also working to organize a holiday performance of the same holiday show routines at a local nursing home (or two). Stay tuned for more details for this additional performance and great community service opportunity!
If you have a question about the Holiday Show, please email our office: [email protected] – we are here to help!
The registration and costume order form are due no later than November 15, 2018, to ensure that we receive all of the costume pieces on time for the performance.
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Recital Costume Measuring
It’s costume season at the studio, and we couldn’t be more excited! Miss Beth has been working her spreadsheet magic and we will be ready to start sizing dancers for their June recital costumes starting Monday, November 5 through Saturday, November 17 during office hours. We’re in the office 4-7 PM Monday through Thursday and 9-12 Saturday mornings.
We’re doing costume sizing a little differently this year based on feedback from families.
We have invested in costume sizing kits from each company that we order recital costumes from – they are leotards that match the size of the costumes for each manufacturer. Instead of collecting measurements and trying to find the right size based on those numbers, we will have dancers try on the sizing sample from the companies their costumes will come from so they’ll know exactly how they will fit. This gives parents the opportunity to decide the size we order for their child.
To be sized, dancers should be prepared to put on the sizing leotard on over their leotard that they wear to class (another benefit of being in dress code!) 🙂 If a dancer is in hip hop and does not need to wear a leotard, they will be able to take the sizing sample to try on in the dressing room or bathroom (please leave on all undergarments).
Male dancers will be measured at the front desk – since more male costumes are two pieces, we will measure and size for pants and tops separately.
Any dancers who are not sized at the front desk by November 17 will be sized during their class time the week after Thanksgiving break. We are placing our costume orders for the entire studio on November 30 – it is imperative that dancers are sized before this time.
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Reminders – Attendance, Makeup Classes, and Weather-Related Cancellations
Dancers with excellent attendance progress faster through the levels and perform more confidently throughout the season. We know sometimes illnesses or conflicts come up, and have a generous makeup policy. If your dancer needs to miss their class, we appreciate a heads up (email is best) so our teachers can plan accordingly if they have several dancers out one week for a school concert and dancers are invited to make up any class they miss by simply attending another class at the same level or one level below theirs within two weeks of the absence. There’s no need to ask the office beforehand – just come to the class and let the instructor know you’re there for a makeup 🙂 While it’s ideal to make up a ballet class missed with a ballet class, any genre the dancer participates in will work for make up classes.
We certainly hope not to see snow for a little while longer… but when we do, we may need to cancel classes due to weather and road conditions. We will make our decision about morning classes by 8 AM and afternoon/evening classes by 2 PM. If we need to cancel, we will let families know by emailing the entire studio and posting in our private Facebook group (if you haven’t joined yet, please click here to request membership). If we must cancel a class due to weather, we do not schedule additional makeups – we encourage families to attend an alternate class as a makeup.
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See dancers from The Pointe perform with Ballet Quad Cities in the Nutcracker!
Dancers in our upper-level ballet classes have been invited to perform with Ballet Quad Cities as the Angels in the Nutcracker this year! We are so thrilled to be the dance studio that our local professional company calls when they have opportunities for student performers! We would love to have our studio family come cheer on these dancers who have worked hard in ballet classes for years – and getting to rehearse and perform with a professional company is a very special opportunity!
Our group ticket order is for the 7:30 PM show on Saturday, December 1.
Order tickets with our group discount rate for the 7:30 PM show here – orders due by November 15.
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October’s Dancers of the Month, Senior Feature, and Staff Feature
Did you see our Dancers of the Month for October? Read about these awesome dancers here. We’re also doing a fun Senior Feature & Staff Feature each month to help our growing studio learn more about the students who have made The Pointe their home away from home throughout high school and the staff who really makes our studio the special place that it is.
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Important Dates – Complete School Year Calendar
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How to stay in the loop with everything happening at The Pointe:
We primarily communicate through email – please add [email protected] to your “safe senders” list, check emails regularly, and read them thoroughly.
Follow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/thepointeschoolofdance
Join our private Facebook group just for PSD Families: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1921735994748769
Follow us on Instagram: @thepointeschoolofdance
Coming soon: text message updates (stay tuned – we’re working on our system now!)
Call or email our office (we’ll always get back to you within one business day during our office hours): [email protected] and 319-377-5292
View our policy page for makeup class policies, tution and costume payment breakdowns, and more here.
Thank you again for your support of our studio and community. We are having a great year, and are so thankful that you’re a part of it!