NOVEMBER NEWSLETTER

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Nov 25-27: *NO CLASSES FOR THANKSGIVING BREAK!*

COVID UPDATES

Thank you for continuing to follow the guidelines and helping us to remain a Safer Studio! Parent, thank you for symptom checking, keeping kids home if they are not well, and for your enhanced efforts to practice good hygiene. We appreciate everyone for doing their best to keep everyone healthy!

 

Davis County is currently in HIGH transmission status. This requires us to continue wearing masks in classes. Kids are doing very well with this and we continue to be impressed with how resilient our students are. We will NOT be requiring students to keep their mask on during high-activity times when we are physically distanced. Please remind your dancer to leave their masks on so we can keep coming to learn in person. We recommend sending dancers with a lanyard to wear around their neck so they can keep their mask clean when they need to remove it for mask breaks and high-activity times when we are physically distanced.

CLASS REMINDERS

Ö  Potty before class, especially preschoolers!

Ö  No underwear under your leotard. Tights are dancer's underwear!

Ö  LATE! We have had a lot of latecomers and late pick-ups. It is very disruptive to our classes when you walk in late, not to mention unsafe for dancers to miss warming up.  Late pick-ups are preventing our next classes from starting on time. Thanks for your attention to this manner!

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CHRISTMAS PAJAMAS AND BOOKS CHARITY PROJECT

This year’s Christmas Charity Project is going to be even bigger than last year! We are gathering new pajamas and books to donate to those in need locally.  We will be sending out an email that can be forwarded to family and friends about our project.  Start bringing in your donations this month! Look for the donation box in our front lobbies.  Help us beat last year’s total of 1523 pajamas, 1631 books, and $8000!

We are going to open up our Scholastic book program to ALL of our dance families just in time to order books for the benefit concert.  Scholastic is an amazing resource with GREAT books at a GREAT price!!  You can order $1 books for our book drive and they will be shipped right to the studio.  Visit Scholastic Books HERE and take advantage of this convenient way to donate to our book drive.  Online orders are due by Friday November 13th.

Dec 7-11: PARENT PROGRAMS VIA ZOOM

Dance classes have begun learning their Holiday dance to show off at our first ever virtual parent program! We’re looking forward to showing off what we’ve been working on in class during the last 15 minutes of class time. Watch for more details when this gets closer!

NUTCRACKER 2020

We are proud to announce Lexi and Kallie on our Company Collective team have been cast as buffoons in Ballet West’s Nutcracker! Congratulations dancers! They will be performing Dec 11-13th and all are invited to go watch them perform!

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FOR PARENTS OF SCHOOL AGED TUMBLING/ACRO STUDENTS
November Stretch of the Month- Back/Bridge  |  Strength Challenge- Wall Sit

We are so excited this year to have a “stretch of the month” and a “strength challenge” in our acro/tumbling classes! Encourage your child to work on these skills at home to help them improve even faster!  Be more involved by printing off the at home practice tracker HERE.

FOR PARENTS OF PRESCHOOL DANCERS- NOVEMBER THEME

This month our theme in dance is “E-I-E-I-O” We are going to have so much fun moving like horses and dancing with our duck feet.  We hope you are having fun dancing with us at home!   

This month we are focusing on:  kicks, marching, ballet arms (port de bras)

HIP HOP CLASSES- SHOE POLICY

With winter weather approaching, we need to remind you that we CANNOT have wet, salty, muddy shoes stepping onto our dance floor. Please carry your hip hop shoes into the studio and change into them before you enter the classroom.  You will be asked to dance with no shoes if you don't have a dry pair! Thank you!

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ONLINE CALENDAR!

We have a calendar on the website!  Please refer to it for Holiday closures and studio events. If you use Google Calendar you can copy studio events directly into your calendar by clicking on the "add google calendar" in the bottom right corner of the calendar.  https://www.dancetoexpress.com/calendar-newsletter

 

TEXT REMINDERS

Stay up to date on current events! Reminder texts are sent out for closures and special events.  Please make sure the primary phone number listed on your account is one that can receive texts.

 

ONLINE PARENT PORTAL

The account you created online can be updated at any time. Log in on the website to update contact and billing information, register for new classes, and make payments. You can also reset your password any time. https://www.dancetoexpress.com/parent-portal

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Healthy Classrooms, Happy Kids

Today’s learning environments are more important than ever before, and dance is no exception! Whether your child is dancing in-person or online, the community they’re building and the connections they’re making are fulfilling important needs. Every child wants to feel like they belong and that they can accomplish great things—and dance helps bring this to life. 

In our classrooms at Expressions Dance & Preschool we’re going the extra mile to create a safe environment that minimizes risk and maximizes joy! We’ve made changes to our in-person class structure, for example, to limit personal contact and keep more distance between students. Additionally, through our investment in technology, we’ve made it possible for any child to participate in class virtually if their family would prefer at-home learning.

The physical and mental well-being of our dancers is our top priority, and we are committed to providing an experience that supports both. While we can’t predict the future, we can provide a safe outlet of activity and self-expression—a way for our children to cope with their stresses and build their resilience muscles. We believe their health will be better for it!

Living in this new world means our dancers are already adapting to many changes in their lives, from wearing masks to limiting close contact with others. We want to remind them these changes are welcome and appreciated, so that we can all move forward in the safest way possible. We want them to know their efforts matter! This sense of teamwork among peers is just one example of how dance helps our kids make sense of our circumstances.

Not only that, our dancers are learning valuable lessons in how to express their emotions through movement. It can be complicated for a child to verbalize their feelings, and yet through dance, they have the opportunity to say with their body what can be challenging to articulate otherwise. We dance from our hearts first, and we believe every child deserves the chance to express themselves in this way.

We hope you’ll continue to see what a positive impact dance has on your child’s life throughout this year. At Expressions Dance & Preschool, healthy classrooms—both in-person and online—equal happy kids. And we couldn’t be prouder to bring dance into our students’ lives during this important time.

OCTOBER NEWSLETTER

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OCT 14-16: (WEDNESDAY-FRIDAY) *NO CLASSES FOR FALL BREAK!*

 COVID-19 UPDATE

The health of our staff, students, and families has always been our highest priority.  Expressions Dance & Preschool follows the Safer Studio guidelines, which prioritize a hierarchy of safety and wellness measures.  They include, but are not limited to, wellness checks, amplified and frequent hand hygiene, enhanced environmental services, minimizing mixing and mingling via physical distancing practices, curricular and facility adjustments, and continuous parent communication.  As a reminder as we are going into regular cold and flu season, it is important that we continue our combined efforts to follow these guidelines.  Please continue to monitor your children and do not send them to class if they have a fever, cough, shortness of breath, sore throat, runny nose, etc.  Thank you so much for everyone’s enhanced awareness and efforts in keeping our dancers healthy!

CHRISTMAS CHARITY PROJECT

Although we are not going to be performing in our annual Dance for Life Benefit Concert, we are still going to be collecting PJ's to donate to those in need of a comfy new pair of jammies this holiday.  Get your dancer involved by watching for PJ's at a good price.  All the proceeds and PJ/books collected will be donated right here in Utah. More information to come!

JUNE RECITAL-JUNE 19, 2021

A big part of dance training includes learning through performance! ​Our June Recital offers our students a professionally directed performance that allows them to present to their families and friends the results of a year’s hard work, dedication, and progress. Watch a video about recital.

The Dance Handbook includes all performance details. All families need to submit recital consent forms in order to participate in recital by Dec 15th.  There are two ways to participate in the recital:  Fill out the online recital consent form HERE.

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FOR PARENTS OF PRESCHOOL DANCERS

We are excited to have a new section each month just for preschool dancers!  We love the month of October…This month our theme is “Itsy Bitsy Spider!”  We will be making an alphabet brew in our classes this month!  The last week of October we will be celebrating Halloween in class by wearing our costumes to dance!  We encourage you to get involved and have them practice their skills at home!  This month we are focusing on:  running, rolling our wrists, heel digs, grand battement, scared face, doughnuts and our scary faces! 

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FOR PARENTS OF SCHOOL AGED TUMBLING/ACRO STUDENTS

October Stretch of the Month- Shoulders  |  Strength Challenge- Plank

We are so excited this year to have a “stretch of the month” and a “strength challenge” in our acro/tumbling classes! Encourage your child to work on these skills at home to help them improve even faster! Be more involved by printing off the at home practice tracker HERE.

FOLLOW US!

Like “Expressions Dance” on Facebook and Instagram to receive reminders and great info!  It is an easy way to stay up to date on upcoming events and see all the fun things our dancers are doing!

ONLINE PARENT PORTAL

  • The account you created online can be updated at any time. Log in on the website to update contact and billing information, register for new classes, and make payments. You can also reset your password any time. 

  • All studio event details are posted on the “newsletters” page that is on the parent portal page of the website.  Please notify us if you aren’t getting our newsletters by email. 

ONLINE WAIVER

Accept the online participation waiver by your first class by logging into the parent portal if you haven't already. If you've never logged in before, use your email address and select "forgot my password" to access your account. When you log in for the first time this season, it will ask you to accept the waiver. If it takes you straight into your upcoming classes you've already accepted and are good to go!  ACCEPT THE WAIVER

 STARS CLASS UNIFORMS/DRESS CODE

STARS classes have a uniform and required dress code. This helps to create a more disciplined atmosphere, which allows for faster progress. Please make sure your dancer is attending class each week in the following attire:

  • Burgundy leotard

  • Pink tights

  • Pink ballet shoes

  • Hair in a clean, tight bun. Our bun tutorial can be found HERE. 

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HOW TO ENROLL IN A VIRTUAL CLASS WHEN YOU NEED TO STAY HOME

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We are excited to offer our students a chance to join us from their home stage for a LIVE online class in a format that will allow students to get direct feedback from instructors! We are so glad we can continue learning together in an interactive setting. 

We will be streaming our classes on Zoom! It's easy! Clear out space at home to allow for movement, have your device set up, access the Zoom link provided in your upcoming classes on the Parent Portal and we'll do the rest! 

WATCH THIS VIDEO: HOW TO ENROLL IN A VIRTUAL CLASS WHEN YOU NEED TO STAY HOME

HOW TO GET REGISTERED TO ATTEND A VIRTUAL CLASS:

  1. Login to the parent portal, first time logging in?  No problem, select "forgot my password" to finish setting up your account. 

  2. Click the drop down navigation in top left corner, select “request a trial/drop-in class.” 

  3. Select the virtual season for your program (dance, preschool, or company)

  4. Select the class and choose the date you'll need to attend at home

  5. REPEAT if you're in multiple classes 

WHAT STUDENTS NEED:

  1. Download the Zoom app on a tablet or computer that allows for video and audio.

    1. Tablet- Download Zoom from App Store or Google Play  

    2. Computer- Click on your class access link in the parent portal and then click "launch zoom" (If this is your first time using Zoom, you'll be prompted to download a small executable file.)

  2. Space to dance- large enough to move around a little, but not much is required.

  3. An open mind! This is a new experience for all involved! Let’s encourage our students to look for the positives and opportunities for growth.

HOW TO JOIN YOUR CLASS:

  1. Make sure you have an internet connection and are using a device that allows for both video and audio.

  2. Login into the parent portal, first time logging in?  No problem, select forgot my password to finish setting up your account. 

  3. Scroll down to "upcoming classes" and select the hyperlink under location. Then click "launch zoom" (If this is your first time using Zoom, you'll be prompted to download a small executable file).​

  4. When joining us check that your CAMERA IS ON and your MICROPHONE IS MUTED. Having multiple mics open created feedback noise making it hard to hear instruction.

  5. When the class is over, click "Leave" in the upper right-hand corner of the screen. Then click "Leave Meeting" and you’ll exit out of the classroom. 

HELPFUL TIPS FOR A SUCCESSFUL CLASS:

  1. Three minutes before your scheduled class, click the link and join the group. Arriving early will give you time to troubleshoot any issues you may come across.

  2. Please keep your video-enabled so your teacher can interact with you.

  3. Clear the space you are dancing in. Remove any household items, obstacles or hazards that could potentially harm you or those around you. Avoid slippery surfaces.

  4. Wear your dance clothing!

TROUBLESHOOTING:

  1. Can't see yourself? Make sure you enable your video by clicking the video icon so there is no slash through it.

  2. If your technology isn’t working, try closing all media players because they can interfere (iTunes, GooglePlay, etc) and then restart your computer.

  3. Calls often get dropped but don’t worry- just click on the same link and rejoin.

We can't wait to see you and experience this new way of learning!  Your continued dedication to our mission to provide your child with invaluable life skills through dance ensures we can continue doing the work we do. 

If you have any questions, please reach out. We are here and ready to help!

Best, 

Ms. Amy