May newsletter and recital info

Here is the May newsletter. It is part of the recital packet that was sent home this last week in class. If your child missed class and didn’t get their recital packet, please stop by the studio to retrieve it. We are open this weekend Sat 12:30-4:30pm and Sun 3-6pm. The order form for tights and recital tshirts incluced in the packet is already due by next Thursday, May 11th (in order to get tights in by picture day and t-shirts in before recital).  All orders, including anything paid for on the parent portal, still need to have the order form turned into the office in the orange bin. We still need the physical order form with your child’s name, class, and sizing information to place an order. Thanks!

DanceStation 2023 Recital Packet

Announcements/Reminders:  Lots and lots of information—PLEASE READ THOROUGHLY!!!

And try to hold on to this newsletter – it is highlighted just for your child!  Also, make sure you have notifications turned on for the Dancestation app, so you get all of our helpful reminders during this hectic month!

2. Picture Day is Sunday, May 28th.  Class picture times will run from 9am – 7pm here at the studio. We would appreciate it very much if you would show up for the group pictures, even if you choose not to buy any.  The picture schedule will be posted by the front door and is on the back of the class picture order form in this recital packet. **Please make good use of street parking and not the ICE CREAM LOT during the large rehearsals and picture day**
3. **Full cast rehearsals** The week before the recital (May 29^th – 31^st) there are NO regularly scheduled classes. Instead, we have a few mandatory extra practices here at the studio before we move to the Hett on Thursday (as noted on the permission slip you signed back in February). Because each ballet tells a story, we need to have full cast rehearsals here at the studio before we get to the stage at McKendree. This is a very busy week, but it really pays off with nicely polished/professional shows in the end.

          Mon. May 29^th at DanceStation: 

          4-5pm Broadway Matilda and High School Musical (yes costumes)

          5:30-9pm Sleeping Beauty evening show classes only (no costumes)

          Tues. May 30^th at DanceStation: 

          4:30-7:30pm When I Grow Up/Under the Big Top – no costumes, however all students will need both tap and ballet shoes, so bring their dance bags.

          4:30-5:45 Ring leaders (Wed 5/6yrs), Horses (Mon 5/6yrs), Clowns (boys), Trapeze (Thur 5/6yrs)

          5:30-6:45 Monkeys (Mon 3/4 yrs), Jugglers (Tues 5-6yrs), Lions (Tues 3/4 yrs)

          6:30-7:30 Elephants (Thur 3/4yrs), Pantomimes (Mon Combo), Tightrope walkers (Tues combo) and Adv Finale dancers

          7:30-8:15 Broadway Jr – Seussical the Musical – yes costumes

          8:15-9:30 All SSDC recital pieces

          Wed. May 31^st at Dancestation:

          4-8pm Sleeping Beauty afternoon show Dress Rehearsal – Yes costumes!

Maleficent minions (Wed Ballet 3), Nursery Maidens (Ballet 6), Flower Maidens (Ballet 7), Court Dancers (Int Ballet) and                    Fairies (Adv Ballet) are needed the full time.

5-6:30pm only: Forest Creatures (Thur combo class), Hunters (Tues Ballet 4)

6:30-8pm only: Bluebirds (Tues and Wed Ballet 2), Musicians (Tues Ballet 5)

8-9:30 Adv B-way Rehearsal

 

3. DRESS REHEARSALS (means YES in costume!)

Thur. June 1^st at the HETT:  Please arrive 15-20 minutes early to each rehearsal with hair and make-up done. Students should change into their costumes once they arrive and be ready to start on time. NO dance shoes should be worn in the parking lot. Street shoes on the way in.

12-4:30pm It’s Party Time! (evening show tap, jazz, modern, Broadway, and SSDC pieces)

5-7:30pm Y2K (afternoon show tap, jazz, boys hip hop, modern and B-way Jr)

Friday, June 2^nd, at the HETT:  Please arrive 15-20 minutes early to each rehearsal with hair            and make-up done. Students should change into their costumes once they arrive and be ready to start on time. NO dance shoes should be worn in the parking lot. Street shoes on the way in.

9am – 12:30pm When I Grow Up (tap costume first!)/Under the Big Top (ballet costume 2^nd)

1:30 – 5:30pm Sleeping Beauty (ballet afternoon show)

6:30-8:30pm Sleeping Beauty (ballet evening show)  

 

4. Recital Day is Saturday, June 3^rd at the Hettenhausen Center for the Arts. Please arrive 30 minutes before the performance and change into costumes once you arrive.  Show times are:  (including 15-20 min intermission)

When I Grow Up (tap)/Under the Big Top (ballet) 11am-1:15pm

Sleeping Beauty afternoon show/Y2K 2:30pm-5:30pm

Sleeping Beauty evening show/It’s Party Time! 7pm-10:15pm

 

5. Ticket prices are the same as last year. They will be on sale at the front desk the week before the recital starting on Picture Day, Sunday, May 28^th.  Adult tickets are $15 and children (under 12) are $10.  Please do not lose your tickets – or you will have to buy new tickets to enter.  Sorry! Just like any movie theater or performance hall, you will have to buy new tickets if you lose them or leave them at home.
6. Parents/guardians will need to pay for the 5^th/June installment before you purchase your recital tickets. Once the recital is over, families take vacations and it can be difficult to track down missing payments. Most common June question: Why are you paying for a full month?  It is because tuition is calculated by the semester, not the month, and then broken down into five equal installments for your convenience. Auto-pay families will have tuition go through for June on Friday, May 26^th.

7. Recital Order forms. We are sending home one order form for tights/t-shirts/recital flowers/and DVD’s. All items need to be pre-paid, so a check or cash is due with the order form (or you can pay through the Parent Portal – just include what you are paying for in the notes).  T-shirt and tight orders are due by May 11^th, the rest are due by May 28^th (picture day). You may sign up for all items at the same time and turn in one check, just write it on the memo or on the Parent Portal. NONE of these items are mandatory. You do not have to buy tights from us, but I can get them for $10 which is usually cheaper than in local dance stores. Recital t-shirt designs and colors are in the lobby and also posted online. **This year you can order a copy of the show on a flash drive, with high quality Blu-ray visuals, for anyone wanting an alternative to a DVD.**  Flower orders are an SSDC fundraiser, as is our bake sale. All proceeds go into the SSDC scholarship fund.  State Street Dance Company is our resident pre-professional student company. NOTE- class pictures are not through us and have a separate order form included in this packet.

Sign-up sheets for our summer sessions/camps are also in the waiting room. We have some fun classes, the very popular kid’s camp, a Disney Pre-k and Kinder-camp, and many guest teachers this summer. Please sign up by the end of May so we can have enrollment numbers for each session! Most costumes and instructions are being sent home next week, including tights and make-up instructions.  Recital week is often confusing for new families. Please call, email, or come find me with any questions.  J  Have a wonderful month – see you at the recital!!! Thanks, Elizabeth

**SSDC 2023-24 Auditions:  Fri. May 26^th 5-6:30pm**

SSDC is our student based pre-professional company that is open to all students in Ballet 6 and up. We rehearse on Wednesday evenings and some Saturday afternoons from September – mid December. On Nutcracker years, like next year, SSDC members are guaranteed an extra piece in the performance. We do ask that our SSDC dancers attend the SSDC Intensive held at the end of beginning of August.  For the SSDC audition:  students should wear pink full-footed tights, a black leotard, and have their hair in a bun. The audition will consist of ballet and jazz combinations.  If you have any questions, please ask Elizabeth or a current SSDC member and we would be happy to tell you more!