Happy Monday!
Thank you all for an amazing first official week back-to-dance!
Now that we have made it through the first week, I wanted to touch on a few things that I realize need to be addressed from this first week. As most of you know, the first few weeks of each new season, we have to work out a few kinks and I very much appreciate all of your understanding and cooperation during this process!
Please no photo or video of class though the windows or doors.
There will be occasional Parent Observation Days where we invite the parents into the room to observe class and on those days, any pictures and videos can be taken. This is for comfort, safety, and legal rights of the teachers and most importantly other students and parents. If you have taken any photos or videos of class with other children visible, please do not post on social media and if you already posted, please take them down as soon as possible. The week before Winter Break, we will actually have an observation week and showcase some fun little Christmas/Winter performances for the parents. Since these are scheduled ahead of time, all parents will be prepared for their children to be videoed and posted by other parents on social medias. All the parents have already agreed in their registration forms for myself and my staff to use our videos and photos from class and performances on social media platforms, as well our website and for any marketing usage.
Door Code
We didn’t send the code out via email or text for safety but if you haven’t learned it yet, please make sure to ask someone once you are in the studio this coming week so you know it. I won’t be changing it for a little while and it may possibly stay the same until after Christmas.
Schedule changes FOR THURSDAY classes:
We need to make a few changes to make the classes more efficient for the students and teachers.
NEW THURSDAY CLASS SCHEDULE:
| Room A | Room B | ||
| Mini/Jr TEAM Ballet | 4:30-6:00 | Tap ½ | 4:00-5:00 |
| Mini/Jr TEAM Contemporary | 6:00-7:00 | Lyrical 1/2 | 5:00-6:00 |
| Teen/Sr TEAM Jazz | 7:00-7:45(room b at 6:45 for warmup/stretch) | Turns/Leaps 1/2 | 6:00-6:45 |
| Teen/Sr TEAM Tap | 7:45-8:45 | Teen/Sr Team Stretch | 6:45-7:00 |
| Turns/Leaps 2/3 | 8:45-9:45 | Jr Team Tap | 7:00-7:45 |
IF ANY OF THESE CHANGES AFFECT YOUR ABILITY TO STAY ENROLLED IN ANY OF THESE CLASSES, PLEASE LET US KNOW AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
Combining Pointe Classes
We will be combining all levels of Pointe into Room A with Ms. Caitlin on Friday nights 7:15-8:15. I understand Friday nights are hard, so this is specifically why I placed pointe on Friday nights being that it is our least in demand style and we have such a small number of dancers applicable to be accepted into pointe class. It is also very much an “extra” style that is not a make it or break it deal into becoming a top dancer or even a professional dancer. Please let me know if you plan on being in pointe class this season only after you have either received an invite or if you have previously been en pointe. All pointe students should be attending the ballet 3 class immediately before the pointe classes, and especially if they have no other ballet class during the week.
Friday Class Cancellations
Due to our traveling to dance conventions on various weekends throughout the season, Our Friday classes have a few weekends out of the year where they will be cancelled with makeups scheduled either on Wednesdays or weekends. We will let everyone know at least a few weeks ahead of time. We may have subs come in so to avoid cancelling, we may combine classes, or We may schedule makeup classes specific to the styles that we cancelling or we will give you some options of other classes to attend in place of those cancelled Fridays.
Text If Your Child Will Be Absent
PLEASE always shoot me a quick text at 863-585-7861 (studio number) if you are running late. I don’t like to wonder where any child is at anytime. I really dwell on it all class about the whereabouts of missing dancers if I haven’t been given notice ahead of time, so please always let me know.
Autopay/ Late Tuition/Fees/Will Be Auto-Drafted If Not Paid As Scheduled
As explained in your registration form that was signed and agreed upon, as well as several reminder emails that everyone has received, we have implemented a new payment system within the studio that most gyms/studios/etc. use. Tuition is always due on or before the 1st of each month. Your fees are posted on your portal a few days before the 1st and you will go on and pay your tuition, unless you have NOTIFIED US THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE ON AUTO PAY, then we will process your tuition on the 1st every month. You can notify us to set you up on autopay at anytime and it will remain in place until the end of the season. For those NOT on autopay, you must LOGIN and pay your tuition each month on or before the 1st. Tuition is the same regardless if a month has 2/3/4/5 classes within it (and it does greatly vary throughout each month). Everyone has a window of grace period from the 2nd-5th of each month to pay late with no late fee. However, with Our new policy: ANY UNPAID TUITION BY THE 6TH OF EACH MONTH WILL BE AUTODRAFTED on the 6th using the card on file in parent portal for the amount of tuition ALONG WITH THE $30.00 LATE FEE. You have all placed your card info on file and signed this agreement. Please make sure card info is updated, as any returned auto-drafts will result in us not allowing your dancer into class until a parent brings in a cashier’s check or money order for the total of tuition, $30 late fee, plus the $20 returned payment fee in person to the studio and hand directly to Christie and only then may the dancer return to class.
*If we get to the end of the specific month and tuition and fees are still unpaid, dancer will be dropped from class, a new student will fill the spot who may possibly be on the waitlist, and all fees WILL STILL BE DUE.*
Makeup classes
If for reasons such as illness, family emergency, or school events, a dancer needs to be absent, please email me and ask which classes they may attend as makeup classes. Please limit absences to unavoidable as we do not like to have many students jumping into new classes as “makeup classes” as it somewhat disrupts the structure of those classes.
BONUS Weekend classes
Some of you have asked me how the BONUS weekend classes work. They are mainly for our competitive dancers, however if your dancer is an older, serious dancer and is already taking unlimited classes and paying unlimited tuition, they may attend these when they like. They vary from weekend to weekend and some weekends we do not have any. These weekend schedules will be posted at the end of each month for the upcoming month on the website under the “weekend bonus class” page as well as appearing on the studio calendar. They will be mainly 2/3 level classes designed for the advanced, serious, passionate dancer. No recital routines, just pure training and class. Typically it’s three or two classes on Saturday morning from 9-12 AM.
EXTRA TRAINING VIDEOS
This year, I am going to be making some helpful videos going over some things that we teach in our weekly classes so that all the dancers can practice their stretches/steps/techniques at home. We will have a page on the website and each class will have their own tab where we will share videos and “homework ideas” for the dancers in those classes. This is something I am very excited about and I know it’s not something typical dance studios do but I would like to give the kids a little more than just the time spent in their class. Also, I know so many dancers want to practice things at home but just need a guide to help them get started. These class pages will also end up containing photos of the recital costume, requirements as far as shoes/tights for each recital routine, and videos of the recital choreography once we begin on that after Christmas.
Cutoff for Recital Participation
We have recital costume fees due December 1st at $65 each (per recital class) so after this date, anyone registering after that will possibly not be able to participate in recital. If you have any friends/family who have been thinking about registering, please let them know this. This would also be the deadline to add classes in order to be in those recital routines. Many of our classes are already full and some are very close, so please spread the word to not wait too much longer. Likewise, if your dancer is unable to participate in recital (please refer to reg form for required and mandatory dates and rehearsals and fees) please let me know ASAP so I can prepare. We have classes with children on the waitlist who may be able to do recital and would be able to meet the requirements so they would need to be offered the opportunity to replace your child in the class after Christmas when we begin using class time to put together recital routines.
Shoes tights orders on the 20th of each month.
We only place studio orders with the manufacturers on the 20th of each month. After this deadline, it will be the next 20th before I place the bulk order containing your shoes and tights. Please plan accordingly. I will send a Remind message out on when shoes/tights are able to be picked up at the studio.
Ballet dress code
Ballet is ALWAYS a leotard and ballet pink tights. For Ballet 3 and Teen/Senior Team Ballet , leotards can be any color. For Ballet 1, Ballet 2, and Mini/Jr TEAM ballet, leotards need to be solid black. PreDancers may wear colored leotards for predance. Hair is always completely up and slicked back and against head in a bun or similar. Secure to where it won’t fall out. No jewelry. Cynthia King pink ballet slippers ordered through studio.
Thank you to those who paid in full for the year!
Thanks to you, I have been able to start getting some more equipment upfront for the year! Thank you for your loyalty and trust in myself and this studio. Special thanks to those who have paid in full for 1-4 years and for continuing to invest in your children and for supporting this studio and our visions.
TEAM info for prospective members and current members
We will begin forming a page on the website with general info on our performance, competition, and elite teams for future consideration throughout the season. These are invite-only teams, using the general daily/ weekly performance of our students as their “auditions”. I would like to GROW my dancers and not offer open auditions. For starters, any dancers interested need to be taking as many classes as possible this season and of course be working to be above average or excellence in those classes and recital performances. Primarily, only dancers who are at least taking ballet, tap, jazz, and lyrical/contemporary would even be considered. I would also suggest attending one or two of the conventions we will post about on the website . HipHop, Acro, Broadway, and turns and leaps are also added training opportunities that would help you improve and show me that you are passionate and dedicated to dance.
Conventions
Myself, Ms. Caitlin , and our competition team travel to several dance conventions per year. These are required for team, however, they are OPEN and inviting to ALL dancers and I would love to see as many of my students attend as possible! We will be posting information for these on the studio website under the “upcoming conventions” tab and just look over the info and let me know if you’re wanting to go so we can send you a payable invoice and get you registered. A lot of them are in Orlando or Tampa and you can drive back and forth without paying for hotels, and many of them offer discounts if you attend more than one of their conventions within in the season. College discounts are given, and some of them also have one-day dance options which is a great option for the younger, or less committed dancer just wanting to get a taste of the convention scene.
Fundraisers
Our competition team families incur costs that total $5000-$10,000 PER DANCER yearly for their fees including tuitions, costumes, competition and convention fees, travel costs, etc. Most of our fundraisers we do as a studio go to help cover their competition fees as they already pay much more in tuition fees than the general population of the studio. However, we would love as much help as possible with some of these. We host events such as Paint with Esprit, Car Washes, DescenDANCE, occasional Christmas performances, etc and proceeds benefit our competition team fees. In addition, there will be a few catalog type fundraisers that all dancers can participate in (including recreational dancers) and these proceeds may go back to dancer’s account to help cover costumes and recital fees. We will have a fundraiser page on the website with information that will get posted as we go through the season if you would like to keep up with that.
Boys scholarships
I am no longer offering boys scholarships. I realized that it is not promoting my basic ideals of equality, fairness, and equal opportunities. Please still encourage any boys and young men to follow their dreams to dance if that is what they desire. I want to give them a studio where they have great training, great friends, and and awesome experience.
Studio Scholarships
I may be afforded the opportunity to award a few studio scholarships for discounts on tuition, solo choreography scholarships for those applicable, convention scholarships, etc and these are determined throughout the season and awarded at the recital in June. Please know these are awarded based on my own personal preferences and do not need an application or minimum requirements. Mainly based on a dancer’s level of dedication, talent, as well as a small factor of possible financial struggle. But they WILL NOT be based solely on financial situations, mostly on a dancer’s performance on a daily basis.
I think that’s it for now!
Thank you all again!
Please always feel free to email or call me with any questions you have!
Sonya@espritperformingarts.com
863-585-7861