www.wausauacademyofdance.com 715-432-0203 734 S. 17th Ave, Wausau, WI [email protected] Wausau Academy of Dance Live. Love. Dance. Welcome Letter 2013-14 Dear Parents and Dancers, We are so excited to begin our 5th year of sharing our love of dance with the community. We owe our growth and success as a studio to the parents and dancers who have promoted us in such a positive light. In 2009 we started with 70 students and this year we are approaching and set to exceed 300 students! We are committed to keeping the personal touch that a studio of 70 students had; it is important for Bradley and I to meet each and every one of the students and their parent(s). One of the most special parts of running a dance school, is the amount of wonderful people we are privileged to interact with on a daily basis. We have several new and exciting things to offer our students this year, including new classes and lots of new functions for our students to attend. There is a lot of information in this letter, some new, some unchanged. It is challenging for me to speak with parents during class time, so I welcome any opportunity to speak with you during non-teaching hours by appointment, phone or email. Please read the front and back of each page. Thank you, Bekki Bauer- School Director Classes will start this year on Wednesday, September 4th 2013. Parents New To Dance: Welcome! If this is your first year of dance, please know that there are no silly questions. We are happy to answer any question you may have. Your experience at the dance studio should be an enjoyable one to share with your child. If you have comments, questions or concerns, we are always happy to hear them. We look forward to working with you for many years to come. Open House: Open house will be held Monday and Tuesday, August 26th & 27th from 2:00-8:00pm. The open house is a great time to meet your teacher, purchase your dance shoes and apparel and to check out the dance studio, among other things. Hope to see you there! Schedule: Please look over the schedule. The highlighted classes are the classes your child is eligible to join. If you think we have missed a class that your child is interested in taking, please call. It is possible that it was an oversight. For most of you, there are more classes highlighted than you plan on enrolling in. Please call or email us to confirm your class choices (do not text or facebook). You may also confirm class choices at the Open House. Children In The Office: Please do not allow your children to “hang out” in the office. We love socializing with the dancers, however, the office is a place where we also try to conduct business, answer phones, and give people information about their accounts. Children are welcome in with adult supervision. Communicating With Parents (handouts vs. e-mails): Parents, the way we communicate with you is through handouts. Please let us know if you would like to receive handouts via email and make sure that we have the correct email address for you. Any handout that was passed out during class will also be posted on the bulletin board next to the office and extra copies placed on the table below it. If your child has missed a class, please check the board to see if you have missed anything. Like us on facebook, we post updates there as well. Scholarships: Dancers entering into 6th - 12th grade (as of the start of the 2013-14 school year), with a 3.0 grade point average are eligible to apply for one of our dance scholarships. Candidates are chosen by our faculty using a set criteria that allows us to base our choice not only on classroom behavior, but also on academic accomplishments, financial need, age and volunteer experience. Scholarship applications are available upon request and are due August 16th. Please email [email protected] if you are interested. Scholarship rewards may be used for dance studio tuition only. www.wausauacademyofdance.com 715-432-0203 734 S. 17th Ave, Wausau, WI [email protected] Bring A Friend To Class Week: Each fall we have a week at the dance studio where dancers can invite their friends to attend class with them. This year it will be held Monday, September 30-Friday, October 4th. A handout will be given to students in class with more information. Tuition Policy: This year our tuition schedule is changing. We will now bill tuition in 4 installments rather than monthly. Tuition is based on 32 weeks of lessons, including recital week. Tuition is due the first week of the following months, September, November, January and March. A fee of $5.00 will be added to accounts that are late by 5 days or more. Statements are not sent out. Please pay your account in a timely manner. You may pay the entire tuition for the season in September. If you choose this option you will receive a 5% discount on your tuition! Family Tuition Pricing 30 min. classes 1 class/wk $70/Qtr. 2 classes/wk $130/Qtr. 45 min. classes 1 class/wk $80/Qtr. 2 classes/wk $150/Qtr. 1 45min & 1 hour long class $160/Qtr. 1-1.5 hour classes 1 class/wk $90/Qtr. 2 classes/wk $170/Qtr. 3 classes/wk $240/Qtr. 4 classes/wk $300/Qtr. 5 classes/wk $350/Qtr. Each additional class is $50/Qtr. Unlimited classes $360/Qtr. Each additional child $120/Qtr. Private Lessons: $35/Hr- Technique $45/Hr- Choreography Special Events: In order to encourage community involvement, we have several events that students may take part in this semester: Wisconsin Valley Fair, Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, Wausau Holiday Parade and The Most Wonderful Time of the Year. We will be forming a team for the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure on Sunday, August 11th. The team sign-up is all set and ready to go! Just go to the Susan G Komen Central Wisconsin site and join the Wausau Academy of Dance Team! 1.Go to the website http://www.komencentralwisconsin.org 2. Click on Race for the Cure under the Events tab 3. When you get to the registration page, click on Join an existing team. Our team name is Wausau Academy of Dance and our password is dance 4. Wear pink, and we’ll see you there! We will meet 30 minutes prior to race time near the stage on the 400 block Student Demonstrators: Dancers who are in the 6th grade and up and are interested in being a student demonstrator should contact Ms. Bekki by August 1st. Being a demonstrator consists of volunteering for one class per week and properly demonstrating the dance exercises and combinations for younger students. Student demonstrators should have several years of experience in the discipline in which they will be helping. Demonstrators need to love working with kids, have a positive outlook and be outgoing. This is an excellent opportunity for any dancer who is thinking about becoming a school teacher, dancer or dance teacher. You will be notified by September 1st if we have a class that you are eligible to demonstrate for. Please let us know what day/time would work best for you to demonstrate. STRIVE: For students that are interested in performing in our holiday show, attending more than one competition or are training for a career in dance, our STRIVE group is for you. Dancers in this division are required to take certain classes. Some classes are available only to STRIVE dancers. An audition is required for dancers interested in being a part of the group. We must be notified by August 12th if your child is interested in participating. Cancellation Policy: If, for any reason, your child stops attending their lessons before the end of the quarter, you will not receive a refund. You are not obligated to pay for any months after that, should your child not return. www.wausauacademyofdance.com 715-432-0203 734 S. 17th Ave, Wausau, WI [email protected] Make-up Lessons: If your child misses a class due to illness or other conflict, they may participate in another similar class at another time/day. If you would like to do a make-up, please speak with Bekki or your teacher to discuss which class would be best for you to attend. Parking: If the Wausau Academy of Dance parking lot is full, you may park on the north side of First Student. Please hold hands with small children in the parking lot- especially if you are crossing the bus lot. Dance Store: You are able to purchase shoes and apparel at the studio throughout the year. Some items may need to be ordered, if we do not have them in stock. All purchases must be paid in full before orders are placed. Shipping costs may apply if you need something in less than two weeks. Parents: There are no street shoes allowed in the studios, including parents’ street shoes. Please do not stand in the doorway if you have street shoes on, dirt will be tracked throughout the studio. Classroom Etiquette For Students: Students should wait outside their classroom in a straight line until the teacher calls them into the room. Young dancers should not be in the studio without a teacher present. This is for the safety of the dancers. We cannot be responsible for watching your child if you are not here and your child is not in class. There are no street shoes allowed in the studios. Street shoes can have dirt, oil, salt and other nasty things on them that can damage the specialized dance floor. It will also make the floor unpleasant for the dancers. Costume Deposits: Costume deposits are due November 1st. A costume will not be ordered for your child without a deposit. Costs are $60 for a child small or medium, $70 for child large and adult sizes. Actual costume costs can exceed the deposit amount (usually not more than $10). The remaining balance must be paid before the costume is taken home. There are no refunds for costumes once they have been ordered. Photography: Each spring, when all of the students have received their costumes, we arrange for a photographer to take class and individual pictures. All students are encouraged to participate in their class photo. Dates for photos will be announced at a later date. Photo time is usually very busy and we advise you to make other arrangements for your children who are not having their photo taken. Progress Reports: Progress reports are available upon request. All students that are in STRIVE will receive a report automatically. Progress reports give parents a detailed account of your child’s progress in class. Recital: Our Centerstage performance will be held Friday, May 9th at 6:30pm and Saturday, May 10th at 1:00pm & 5:30pm. The show(s) your child will be in will be provided to you at a later date. Our recital is held at Wausau East Auditorium. If you are interested in helping backstage for the show, please let someone know in the office. We have a minimum number of parents that we need to volunteer but we do not have a maximum. We need the most amount of parents to help with the smaller children. Supervising your child in the lobby: Parents, please do not let your children run through the lobby, stand on furniture (except window benches) or go into empty dance studios. Children under ten years old should not be left alone at the studio, unless they are in class. Unattended children will be given an espresso and a puppy☺ Mission Statement: In addition to our overall mission statement that we have hanging in our lobby, we have added a yearly mission statement. A dance studio is not only about learning steps and staying active, it can be so much more. I have picked three things that I want to emphasize at Wausau Academy of Dance this year to help encourage your child’s personal growth: Community Involvement- Being involved in your community is a great way to appreciate it and make it better. We have several opportunities for kids to be involved in, including the Race for the Cure, The Most Wonderful Time of the Year, Holiday Parade and Wisconsin Valley Fair performances, just to name a few. www.wausauacademyofdance.com 715-432-0203 734 S. 17th Ave, Wausau, WI [email protected] Goal Setting- This year we will ask all of the students (that are old enough) to jot down a few goals they have in regards to dance. We will revisit those goals from time to time, see what they are doing to reach them and give pointers as to how they might accomplish their goals. Accountability- Accountability is an important part of becoming a responsible adult. Every year, once all of the choreography has been learned and rehearsed, the teacher of your child’s class will pick one day of class when everyone will be required to perform their dance by themselves. This is not a pass/fail type exercise, but rather a way to encourage the children to be responsible for what they are learning. This should not be a scary thing and they will have plenty of rehearsal time prior to their performance. (This is for classes level I and up, excluding adult classes.) Used Shoes & Dance Attire: If you have used dance shoes or attire that you would like to donate, we will either find someone who can use it or we hold on to them and loan them out if someone forgets their shoes, leo etc. If you have gently worn shoes or dance attire you would like to sell, you may put a sign on our bulletin board. Please do not leave your items at the studio. Thank you. Observing Classes: We have several opportunities for parents to view classes. Each of our three studios has an observation window from which you are able to watch your child’s class(es). Most of the time these windows are open. However, there are times when we close the curtain, for example, when dancers are trying on costumes. The last week of lessons during December we have a Parents Week (Dec. 16th-20th). During this week we invite parents, grandparents, siblings etc. to come inside the studio and get a closer view of the class. Parents are also invited in frequently at the end of the season when the students are honing their performance skills. Hair & Make-up Classes and List: The hair and make-up for each recital dance is the icing on the cake. It can make a class look pulled together and polished. We have a hair and make-up demo each year. During the class, we walk you through how your child should have their hair and make-up done for each dance. This is also a very fun day for your dancer to be pampered. Dancer’s World: There are things that dancers do that might not make sense at first, but there is good reason for the strange things we do. 1. Why don’t dancers wear underwear with their costume or leotard? If you are wearing underwear with your costume or leotard, it will show. Our leotards and costumes are modestly cut, however, all of the moving your dancer will do causes them to shift. Underwear poking out, draws much more unwanted attention than not wearing underwear at all. This is why there is a gusset in the dancers’ tights. 2. Why do we have to do our hair & make-up for dress rehearsal? This is your teacher’s chance to get one last look at everyone and make sure that the class looks polished and that there are no surprises on the performance day. 3. Why do dancers wear leotards? A dancer’s wardrobe is so because it allows the teacher (and dancer) to view the placement and alignment of the body. If the dancer’s body is covered in T-shirts and anything covering the knees, it makes it much more challenging to make corrections. The body is a dancer’s instrument and teachers are looking at the alignment of the body from head to toe and everything in between. 4. Why do dancers wear buns? With the hair pulled away from the face and off of the neck, the teacher and student have a better view of the alignment of the neck. Keeping the hair in a bun also keeps long hair out of the eyes when turning. Recital Music and Dance Breakdown DVD: Cut recital music and an Instructional DVD of your child’s dance (lower level classes only for DVD) are available for purchase. Signs will be posted when these items are available. Weather: If the Wausau School District cancels school or after-school activities, we will not have lessons. We will make the classes up if they are cancelled. Please call the studio if you are unsure about whether or not we will have classes. You may not receive a cancellation phone call. We will generally post cancellations on our facebook page. www.wausauacademyofdance.com 715-432-0203 734 S. 17th Ave, Wausau, WI [email protected] Dress Code All apparel and shoes are available for purchase at Open House and throughout the school year. Clothes Girls Jazz, Tap, Lyrical, Leaps & Turns, Modern, Jazz/Tap: Any color leotard and dance shorts, hair pulled away from face in a ponytail or bun Girls Intro to Dance: Leotard (any color) or unitard, tights, hair pulled away from the face Pre-Ballet: light pink leotard, pink tights. Hair pulled back into tight bun. Girls Ballet: Please use a hair net to make a secure bun! Pink ballet shoes, pink tights, hip alignment belt and class leotard. Color of leotard will be posted at open house. Hip Hop Boys & Girls: Have fun! Put on your funkiest outfit, just make sure you can comfortably move. Hats are okay for this class. Boys Ballet: black ballet pants, white fitted t-shirt or tank top Boys Jazz, Lyrical, Leaps & Turns, Modern, Jazz/Tap, Intro to Dance: T-shirt or tank top, shorts or pants that allow the knees to be seen. Nothing too baggy. Shoes Girls: Jazz- dark tan Revolution jazz booties Tap- level I & II: dark tan Mary Jane style, level III & IV: dark tan slip ons, level V &VI: will be decided once dance is decided upon Lyrical- MDM lyrical shoes Modern- barefoot Jazz/Tap: Mary Jane style taps & jazz booties (ballet shoes can be worn unless performing a jazz dance for the recital) Pre-Ballet/Ballet- full or split sole ballet shoes, leather or canvas, No satin slippers for little girls! Boys Jazz, Lyrical, Leaps & Turns, Modern, Jazz/Tap, Intro to Dance: shoes for boys should be black, boys doing modern can go barefoot Hip Hop Boys & Girls: clean tennis shoes designated for inside use only! Once the recital dance is decided upon, the teacher will inform you of the appropriate shoes to purchase. If your child will be wearing ballet shoes please make sure their bows are tucked in. www.wausauacademyofdance.com 715-432-0203 734 S. 17th Ave, Wausau, WI [email protected] Wausau Academy of Dance 2013-14 CALENDAR Wisconsin Valley Fair! ! ! ! ! ! July 31st- Aug 5th(Come visit our booth and see our dancers perform on Wednesday, July 31st at 6pm in the exhibition hall ) Susan G. Komen Race For The Cure!! ! ! August 11th STRIVE Rehearsal! ! ! ! ! ! August 19th-22nd, 12-7pm Open House! ! ! ! ! ! ! August 26th & 27th, 2pm-8pm Labor Day! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! September 2nd Classes Start! ! ! ! ! ! ! September 4th Bring A Friend To Class Week! ! ! ! ! September 30th-October 4th Thanksgiving Break! ! ! ! November 27th-30th ! ! Most Wonderful Time of the Year Christmas Show ! December 1st Parents Week! ! ! ! ! ! ! December 16th-20th Winter Break! ! ! ! ! ! ! December 21st-January 5th Classes Resume! ! ! ! ! ! ! January 6th Solo Show(STRIVE performers and soloists)! ! March 15th Spring Break! ! ! ! ! ! ! March 31st- April 5th Classes Resume! ! ! ! ! ! ! April 6th Dress Rehearsal! ! ! ! ! ! ! May 6th & 8th Spring Recital! ! ! ! ! ! ! May 9th(6:30pm) & May 10th(1:00pm & ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 5:30pm) ! !