SUMMER NEWS 2023

The studio is currently on summer break.

Miss Melinda teaches basic ballet to dancers middle school and up most Wednesdays 7-8pm. (no class June 14)

Registration will be available to returning students June 15. Classes begin August 28. Current students will receive a registration announcement in the mail. If you’re new, get in touch with Melinda (email is best) so she can help you register.

Registration will again be held online.

If you have any questions, please get in touch. Happy to talk dance anytime!

Yours in dance, Melinda.

August 11

Welcome to the 2020-2021 school year!

 

We are going to utilize the Parent Portal system this year.  When you log on, feel free to change your password to something you will remember.

I will be sending each of you an individual email with your link and password on August 11.

This is where you will register.  Your options are outlined for you.  If you have questions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

 

If you are a new dancer, you should contact Melinda first to choose your classes and get a password.

 

The teachers and I are excited to get started with classes and can’t wait to have your dancers in class. 

We have all been working hard at home preparing lessons and play lists for your dancer.  I expect it to be a great year!

 

These are definitely challenging times.  Please refer to our website  sitkastudioofdance.com  for our Covid-19 mitigation plan.  If you do not feel comfortable sending your dancer to the studio, we understand.  We will be Zooming classes simultaneously.  Your dancer can take class at home at the same time as we are doing class in the studio.  The link to class will be sent out daily and you can take class at home anytime.  You can also return to the studio anytime.

 

We love to foster the dancer in everyone and welcome new students anytime (although the beginning of the year is the easiest time to jump in). 

If you know of anyone looking for a new outlet, please tell them about us.

 

If you have any questions at all, please get in touch with me.  I am so happy to talk about your dancer and dance in general.

 

Classes start Monday, August 31.  Refer to the calendar in the Portal for  holidays.

 

Happy Dancing!

 

Melinda.

 

Notes:

These are answers to the most common questions I am getting.  If you have more questions, don’t hesitate to get in contact with me.

 

Anyone who wants to be in the company, Fireweed Dance Theatre, must be taking both ballet and jazz to be considered.  Aurora Dance Ensemble kids need only take one class though more are helpful.

 

Modern is performed barefoot and utilizes the floor and the spine.

 

Lyrical is a combination of jazz and ballet and usually incorporates a story, emotion, or lyrics.

 

Emerald Combo is an introduction to these classes, exploring both during the course of the year.

 

Anyone interested in pointe shoes must have taken ballet three times a week for a year before they can be considered.  Age and foot flexibility and strength also come into play.

Dance Update 7/31

Greetings parents!

 

Hey, it’s another long, but important email.

 

DANCE SCHEDULE

I’ve been waiting for the school district to make their final schedules before I tackled ours.  I got their schedule yesterday and have devised a dance schedule that is now in the teachers’ hands.  As soon as they okay it, I will send it out to you. Use the sheets I sent out earlier to determine where your dancer fits in.  If your dancer wants to try a new genre, just let me know and I’ll find the right place to start – we can always move kids mid-stream if we find better options.

 

I plan to start on Monday, August 31st.  There will be no class on Labor Day, September 7th.

 

The school district is planning learning opportunities for students in the afternoons – including office hours.  I do not want kids to have to choose between dance and school so all our classes start 3pm and later.  Please note that there will be no busses to get kids to class.  I sent out several surveys and no one said this would be impossible for them so I’m hoping everyone can get a ride.  Let me know if you need help.

 

COVID – 19 MITIGATION PLAN

I have been working hard with the Public Health Nurse, Doctors for Dancers, Juneau Dance Theatre, and other studios that are currently open to help make our mitigation plan.  I will go over this in detail with your students, but here is the basic plan:

 

-       Everyone except preschool dancers will wear masks in the building and in the dance rooms.  The recommendation is a 3 ply cotton mask.  Dancers who expect to get heated might want to bring an extra mask so they can change mid class.  I will have masks on hand for those who forget them. 

-       If you would rather your dancer not wear a mask, we will be streaming all our classes via Zoom and they can take class at home while the rest of the class is in the studio.

-       In-studio class sizes will be limited.

-       All furniture has been taken out of the building.  Only dancers should come in, no parents.  There can be no loitering.  Dancers should be dropped off just in time for class and picked up immediately after, no waiting.  The exception is the parents of preschool dancers; you are allowed to stay during class.

-       The dressing rooms will be closed.  Please come dressed for class. 

-       Do not bring anything with you except a water bottle and your dance shoes.  The drinking fountain will be closed.

-       We will leave coats and shoes in the lobby – there are spaces marked out on the floor.

-       Everyone will sanitize their hands both before and after class.

-       Everyone will get their temperature taken.

-       Easy screening questions will be asked – these will be age appropriate.

-       Anyone who feels ill should stay home, including teachers.

-       Dancers will dance in ten foot squares.  There will be no partnering and no floor work unless things change.

-       The floors, barres, doorknobs, etc will be sanitized in between every class.

-       If this seems like too much, then Zoom is an option for all.  You can transition back into the classroom at any time.

-       I am working with Schmolk on the HVAC system.  We may also open windows and use air purifiers.

-       Teachers will be tested every two week.

-       If there is a case at the studio (or at school) we will follow the public nurse’s advice about possible quarantines and closures.  If we close, we will go to all Zoom until we can return.

 

MUSICAL THEATRE
We will start the high school musical theatre class on Saturday from 1:30-2:30.  However, I am in touch with Zeke and once he makes his schedule this may change so as not to interfere with his plans.

 

BALLET INTENSIVE

Ballet Intensive is scheduled for Fridays 4:30-5:30.  This is intended for dancers in Emerald level (or those very dedicated dancers in Topaz who would like to move up)

 

GEAR SALE

There will be no gear sale this year.  However, I do have leotards to borrow if anyone needs one.  We also have tap shoes and some hip hop shoes.  Fewer ballet and jazz, but we do have some.  If  you’re in need, let me know.  Since you can’t come in the building, we might want to take care of this now so I can meet you one on one.  I also suggest you check out Sweet Peas as they always seem to have dance stuff.  I can also help steer you to online stores.

 

DRESS CODE

I have thought about changing tights and shoes – I’ll explain more later – but have decided this is not the year to try it.  We will continue with the same dress code we’ve had for several years.

 

WEB-SITE

With this extra time, I have updated the website.  It will be a place where you can read newsletters like this, see old items, like Dress Codes. And as soon as it’s final, I will post the schedule there.  It’s a work in progress, but if you want to check it out, it’s easy to find:

sitkastudioofdance.com  Many thanks to Clarice Johnson for setting up the website in the first place!

 

REGISTRATION

 The last big change is this:  registration will be online.  I am working on setting up the program now.  You should be able to update your personal info, register for classes, and set up autopay on your credit card.  This is the same system I’ve been using except I’ve been entering everything for you.  This way you can update it yourself.  You will be given a parent portal access code and should be able to find lots of good things online.  I’m still exploring everything it can do, but I’m excited.  It will take me some time to get the system ready and I can’t start until the schedule is finalized, so give me another week or so and I’ll send out the link.  Or maybe I’ll put it on the web-site.  Hmmm.  That would be nice.

 

MISS YOU

I miss you all very much and can’t wait to see everyone.  I have been dancing in the studio a little bit these last few weeks and it feels GREAT!  I can’t wait to be there with you!

 

THANK YOU

I’d like to thank you from the very bottom of my heart for sticking with us during the spring.  It’s been really hard on all of us, I know.  I feel confident that we have plans to be a s safe as possible. 

 

Please don’t hesitate to get in touch with questions or concerns.  I am here to help.

 

Melinda.

 

RECITAL

Our postponed recital is still on hold as Roger has not made any decisions about the PAC yet.  We will wait for him and then make our decisions.  Remember participating in the postponed recital is optional, I don’t expect everyone will want to proceed.  I just want to offer the option if possible.

Sitka Nutcracker on National Public Radio!

 

"When Melinda McAdams moved to the fishing community of Sitka, Alaska, in 1993, no one in town knew how to dance on pointe shoes. Now, generations of dancers are up on their toes and every few years, they take the Tchaikovsky classic — The Nutcracker — and give it a rural Alaskan twist. "

https://www.npr.org/2017/12/23/572610077/the-nutcracker-with-an-alaskan-twist

Try a Class for Free Week

We are offering everyone in Sitka the chance to try a dance class for free the first week in October. If you are interested in any of the following classes, get in touch and we can set you up with a free class. We offer: Toddler Dance, Preschool Dance, Ballet, Jazz, Lyrical, Modern, Hip Hop, Boys only class, Musical Theatre, and Ballet Barre Fitness. We love adults too! This is a great time to take a class - especially since it's free! Grab a friend and join us! Leave me a message on the studio Facebook page or call 966-2557. You can also stop by, 1310 SMC.

Jo's Maternity Leave

Jo is taking maternity leave for the month of September and will return to her full teaching schedule in October. Nancy and Aren and I are making plans to cover most of Jo's classes. The following classes are canceled in September, but will resume in October. Toddler Dance, Creative Movement I (3 and 4 year olds), and Ballet Barre Fitness. Most classes will be taught by a substitute; a very few may be combined with another class for the month of September, but the schedule will not change.

 

Additions to the Schedule

Nancy Neel will take over the hip hop classes and will teach to a larger age group. Classes will be open to kindergarteners through adults! She will also teach a Musical Theatre class for dancer's 4-8th grade. I'm so looking forward to having Nancy's energy back at the studio!

Work Study

I am looking for a dancer who would like to trade office work for classes. This person must be responsible, a self-starter, and preferably have good handwriting. Interested dancers should get in touch with me ASAP. I have work you can do over summer to get a jump start on your fall tuition.

Molly O. Ahlgren Scholarship

This scholarship is available to a student with a real passion for dance. It is not based on need but rather joy. To be eligible a dancer needs to have spent one year at the studio and someone needs to write an essay describing that dancer's love of dance. (the author can be the parent or the dancer) Financial based scholarships are also available. Contact Melinda for more information on both these scholarships.

Nutcracker Auditions.

Auditions for the 2017 Nutcracker will be Saturday, May 20th starting at 1:30pm in the Keet Commons.

They will last several hours - the exact time will depend on how many people show up. Both dancers and actors need to attend. Actors will be done first, then the younger kids; the older kids will be the last to go home. We will be done no later than 6pm.

Kids in the Nutcracker must be in second grade at the time of the auditions. All dancers (except grown ups) must be taking class twice a week (any style) next year.

Most rehearsals meet once a week - usually (but not always) on the weekends.

Our tentative performance dates are December 1st, 2nd, and 3rd.

There are mandatory rehearsals on the first three Saturdays in November. Depending on your part, you do not have to attend all three. We do not rehearse over Thanksgiving Break.

There will be an application to fill out before the audition. You do not need to prepare anything. It's pretty painless actually.

As we get closer, you will receive an outline of the story and the highlights of the 2017 production.

Many thank to Susan Brandt-Ferguson for chaperoning the auditions!

Class Dates

Classes will resume on Tuesday, January 3rd. 

There will be no classes on the following days:

Martin Luther King Day - January 16th

Spring Break - March 13 - March 19

The last day of classes for 2016/2017 is May 21, 2017.

New Keet Jazz Class!

This jazz class is for all Keet Kids and will be called Keet Jazz. It will meet Mondays 3:15-4:15. If your dancer wanted jazz, but couldn't make it fit their schedule, this might be an answer. And remember to be in Nutcracker, dancers must be in two dance classes and to be in company (down the road) dancers must take both ballet and jazz. If things brings up ANY questions for you, please get in touch and we can talk about your options.

Aurora Dance Ensemble

This group of dancers meets outside of class to learn a dance to be performed at recital. We also look for extra performance opportunities. There is no audition. In order to sign up your dancer must be in 5th grade or above, in Topaz or higher, and attending classes in both ballet and jazz. Our rehearsals are usually on the weekend and we only meet until we know the dance, then we just meet occasionally to make sure we remember the dance. The rehearsal time is not yet set - we try to accommodate everyone's schedule. Please let me know ASAP if your dancer is interested. I like to choreograph the dance before school starts.

New Students

The summer dance workshops are an excellent way to start with the studio. You may also register anytime this summer, or come to the in-person registration on Saturday, August 13 and Sunday, August 14.

Registration by Mail

Jo and I are busy working on the schedule for next year. This includes our suggestions for what classes your dancer should take next year. If you'd like to schedule a visit about class placement, please get in touch. The schedule should be finished by the end of May and the registration packed should go out by the first week of June. You can register by mailing back the form or you can keep it and bring it to the studio in the fall. I want to remind you that classes are first come first served so I recommend registering through the mail.

Scholarship Fund

I have more and more students in need of scholarships. Although we have the Molly O. Ahlgren Scholarship - that one covers one student per year. I offer additional free class to many deserving students.  However, if we built up our scholarship fund, we could offer class to more dancers. Please let me know if you are interested in sponsoring a dancer through next year. It can be public or anonymous. I will include the donation form in your registration packet.

Costume Donations

If you are doing spring cleaning and come across old costumes you do not want, I will gladly take them off your hands. The little sizes are good for dress up and the bigger sizes are good for senior solos and company costumes.