The Pointe’s Friday FYI – 3/29/24

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:

• The Studio, Boutique, and Front Desk are CLOSED March 29-April 4 for Easter Break. We will be OPEN on Tuesday, April 2nd for a pipe burst makeup day.
• Class Evaluations & Recommendations for Graded Technique classes will be coming to your emails today! Learn more about these below.
• We are gearing up for Rollover Registration for the 2024-2025 School year! See below all your options for this program. below.
• The Recital 2024 webpage is LIVE! Find new information regarding our Tights & Foundations sale below!
• Summer Dance Class Registration is now OPEN! Sign up today to save your spot before they fill up!
• Recital Costumes will continue to go home this week! Please read below for details on how to best take care of your costumes until the June Recital.
• Our Classical Ballet Variation Clinics continue! – 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!

• March 29 – Spring Evaluations Sent Home
• March 29-April 4 – Easter Break; Closed
• April 1 – 2024-2025 Rollover & Automatic Registration Begins
• April 2 – Pipe Burst Makeup Day – Studio is OPEN!
• April 20 – Last Day to Opt-Out of 2024-2025 School Year Registration
• April 25 – May Tuition & Costume Payment Processed
• April 25 – 2024-2025 Membership Payments Processed
• May 3 – Parent Meeting (Zoom): Performing Group Pre-Audition Meeting (5:15-6:00 PM)
• May 3 –  Deadline for Recital merchandise, dancer shout-out, and business program ad orders
• May 5-9 – Recital Picture & In-Studio Dress Rehearsals
• May 5-7 – Recital Ticket Sales Begin

The studio and boutique will be CLOSED for Easter Break from March 29-April 4.

**The studio will be OPEN for regular classes, front desk and boutique hours on Tuesday, April 2nd. This is a makeup day for the pipe burst closure back in January.

Our staff works primarily nights and weekend, so we want to take this time to really allow them to spend time with their friends and family during Easter Break. If you need to get in contact with us during this time, please do so via email at [email protected]. We may not respond back at our normal speed, but we will be checking for messages infrequently throughout break.

Graded Technique classes will have evaluation and recommendation forms emailed home today, Friday, March 29! Read everything you need to know about our detailed recommendation and evaluation process, and our suggestions for making this a positive experience for your dancer below.

• Our instructors are dedicated to helping every student be successful, reach their unique goals, and help them get the most out of their dance journey. Teachers spend hours preparing these evaluations and do so with a heart for helping dancers be placed in the right classes.
• While our spring evaluations are the most detailed written feedback that goes home, they include pieces of feedback that have been given throughout classes and in those earlier evaluations this year.
• Every instructor fills out an evaluation form for each class using our syllabus for each level.  The evaluation forms have three sections: Attitude/Attendance, General Technique, and level-specific Key Skills.  Each item receives a 1 for a new skill/needs work, 2 for developing skill, and 3 for a mastered or completed skill.
• Technical details make dance so beautiful and breathtaking to watch – and difficult to achieve mastery! Professional dancers still consider themselves “working on” the basics – plié, tendu, etc.
• One goal of our instructors is for students to know objectively how they are progressing. Students take written feedback to heart when it’s sometimes easy to forget feedback given during classes.
• Parents, please remember that most students spend at least two years in every Graded Technique level.  Sometimes, dancers who have progressed quickly through the early levels catch up to that average of two years in levels later on.  Every dancer’s journey is completely unique. Your dancer may not progress at the same rate as their friends or classmates, and that’s OK!
• We email recommendations home because we know that dancers (and, therefore, their parents) may have an emotional reaction. We know that channeling your emotions (and your dancer’s emotions) into a fiery email can be a first instinct – and we kindly ask parents to step back, remember that your dance teachers are people who love your kids and want the best for them, and wait until emotions have cooled down before sending any communication.
• We can work together to make this evaluation process a positive one!  Instructors would be happy to make a plan with your dancer to help them reach their goals, and will be there to help after we return from Easter break.

We can’t believe it’s already time to start thinking about next year – we’re working hard behind the scenes to build our schedule for an incredible 2024-2025 season. To make things easy for our families and to optimize our schedule based on our community’s needs, we utilize an automatic registration process called “Rollover Registration”. Everything happens in April – we’re sharing early so families have lots of time to think about their plans for next year and choose the best registration path for them! Here are the three next year registration options – forms will be available beginning April 1.

1. Automatic Enrollment – You won’t need to do ANYTHING! Your dancer(s) will be automatically enrolled in the class(es) they are recommended for (we’ll match your current schedule as closely as possible). Your annual membership will process on April 25 with the final tuition and costume installment for the school year unless we receive the membership change form from you by April 20. We can add or change classes easily at any time (pending availability).
2. Choose Your Own Classes – To choose your classes and guarantee a spot in your preferred time slots, use our convenient Class Choice Form (coming in April). Your annual membership will process April 25, and we’ll take care of getting you set up and registered in our software system!
3. Opt-Out – We’d hate to see you go! If you are not planning on continuing in dance next year, use the membership change form to opt-out. This must be received by 10 PM on April 20 to avoid the annual membership payment processing on April 25.

POLICY UPDATES: For the 2024-2025 School Year, Membership Payments will change from $75 to $85 for the first dancer in a family. This is due to increased prices at The Paramount Theatre – which hosts our annual June Recital. Any additional dancer to a family will still be a $15 payment, as it has been in past years. Your membership at The Pointe will still include 4 complimentary tickets to our June Recital and priority registration to future seasons before our enrollment is open to the public. As always, you membership payment is due at the time of registration for the 2024-2025 School Year. If you are planning on using our Automatic Enrollment or our Easy Enrollment Selection form, that will process on April 25th.

It’s time to start preparing for Recital 2024! Our Recital webpage is now LIVE! You will find everything you need to prepare you and your dancer for a successful Recital season. Check out thepointeschool.com/recital-2024 regularly for updates.

Here are new updates to the website this week:

• NEW: Tights & Foundations Sale: Get all your tights and undergarments needed for Recital at a discounted price! All tight purchases will be buy one pair, get one 50% off! This is the best way to ensure you have all of the tights your family needs for the recital. Not sure what kind of tights your dancer need for Recital? Check out our Tights and Shoes Guide where you can find the style and color of tights needed for each class. All undergarment purchase will be 20% off! We recommend that dancers with a costume change wear a skin-tone leotard underneath their costumes to make costume changes simple and easy. Please complete this form by Friday, April 12th to place your order.
• Recital Merchandise is on sale NOW: You can now order Recital T-Shirts, Programs, Flowers, DVD’s, and more on our boutique website theturningpointeboutique.com Get your orders in early and check out our unique Recital bundles to get everything you need to celebrate a great year of dance! Orders will close on Friday, May 3rd.
• Dancer Shout Outs & Recital Program Ads are available for purchase: Every year for Recital we create a beautiful full color keepsake program for our families. Within this program you can include a special shout out for your dancer or an ad for your local business. Submit your shout outs or program ads today on our Recital webpage thepointeschool.com/recital-2024 Orders will close on Friday, May 3rd.

Let’s start the Spring off with great dress code in all of our classes! From March 4 – May 4, every class with perfect dress code (clothes, shoes, & hair) gets one entry for a CLASS ICE CREAM PARTY – and other surprises – in May! Winners will be drawn during Picture Week (May 5-9) You can find our dress code details online here: www.thepointeschool.com/attire

Regular class registration for Summer 2024 is OPEN for current families! Visit thepointeschool.com/summerdance for access to all of the class schedules and to get your dancer signed up before spots fill up!

A few important things to know:

• Priority class registration for current PSD students is open now! Class registration will open to the community on February 19th.  See below for more information on class selection.
• Over the summer, we fit classes into just 4 days per week as opposed to 7 days a week during the school year – so we have some combined-level classes.  These allow us to offer more schedule options for families.  A Level 3/4 class, for example, is suitable for dancers recommended for either Level 3 or Level 4.  These are not new levels (Level 3/4 is not “in between Level 3 and Level 4” – it is a mix of dancers in both levels). 
• We are still offering packages for classes (this is the best way for your dancer to get the most out of their time at the studio – and the best value for tuition).  To keep things simpler and cleaner on the administrative end, register for all of the classes in the package you want – then our team will adjust your tuition right before tuition is added to your accounts so you get the package pricing. 
• At registration, there is a $20 deposit due per dancer.  This holds your spot in classes and will be credited back to you when tuition is processed before summer classes begin. 
• Questions about summer registration?  We can help you by email, over the phone, or at the front desk.

Class Selection:

• If your dancer is 1 or 2, register for My First Dance Class
• If your dancer is currently in Mini Movers or My First Dance Class and will be 3 by July 1, enroll in Dance & Discover 1/2 and/or Hippity Hop.
• If your dancer is currently in Dance & Discover 1, enroll in Dance & Discover 1/2 OR Dance & Discover 2/3 and/or Hippity Hop.
• If your dancer is currently in Dance & Discover 2, enroll in Dance & Discover 1/2 OR Dance & Discover 2/3 and/or Hippity Hop.
• If your dancer is currently in Dance & Discover 3, enroll in Level 1 classes (we recommend the Level 1 Core Class Package + any specialty classes)

If your dancer is in a Graded Technique class, they may want to wait to register until class recommendations and evaluations come out April 1.  Here’s a tip – if they are in a level now, they could register for that level (ex: a dancer in Ballet/Tap/Jazz 1 this year should register for Ballet/Tap/Jazz 1/2 – they will either be in Level 1 or 2). 

SUMMER CAMPS

Summer Dance Camps are active and creative fun for kids – and we are thrilled to have several brand new camp themes for this year!

Bluey, Barbie, Swifties, Skill Sessions, Intensives, and more – registration is open NOW and you secure your spot in camp and save by registering early!

Don’t miss out on the camps your dancer will want to be a part of this summer – register today.
Check out all things Summer Dance & Camps and register by visiting www.thepointeschool.com/summerdance

Looking forward to an awesome summer – we can’t wait to see your dancer in camps and classes!

Recital costumes will begin to go home this week and throughout the next few months as they arrive. Families will be notified by email when costumes for their class(es) are in and ready to go home. We do a quick costume try-on in class, then dancers take their costumes home that day. We have a handy guide to keep your costumes recital-ready & some information about the timeline for recital costumes below.

Experience the magic of some of the most world-renowned classical ballets! We are offering a unique opportunity for your dancers to immerse themselves into the story, technique, and choreography just like a professional ballet dancer! We have clinic options appropriate for every dancer in Level 1 and up spread out throughout the year!

Clinic Dates:

• Friday, May 17th — Don Quixote

Click here to get registered today!

Clinic Schedule (these times and prices will remain consistent throughout all dates)

• Storytime: 4:45-5:15 PM (This portion is FREE, and available to all dancers age 6+ to learn the story behind each of these famous ballets)
• Ballet 1/2: 5:15-5:45 PM ($12)
• Ballet 3/4: 5:45-6:30 PM ($15)
• Ballet 5+ (pointe shoes optional for Intermediate Pointe and up): 6:30-7:30 PM ($18)

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!

• Click the links on your phone to download the BAND app and join these groups 🙂 
• Please join the Studio-wide BAND here: https://band.us/n/a7aa9b43OcwbP
• If your dancer is in COMPANY, please join the Company BAND here: https://band.us/n/a1ae9741O1XbO (dancers can and should join, too!)
• If your dancer is in COMMUNITY TEAM, please join the CT BAND here: https://band.us/n/a7ab9544OeY4B (dancers can and should join, too!) 
• Families have received an email with a unique link to join the BAND group for each class – if you’ve joined us after that message went out, please find your dancer’s instructor after class to get access or shoot us an email ([email protected]) and we’ll get you added!

We’ve added another easy method of communication to get relevant information directly to families – right on your phone!

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