DATES TO REMEMBER

Remembrance Day (Classes as usual) – November 11th
Christmas break (Closed) – December 24th– January 8th
Make-up classes for Dec. 24 classes January 15 all Saturday classes except stretch
Family Day (Classes as usual) – February 20th
Al Gilbert Tap Exams – Tuesday February 21st
Teacher’s Convention (Classes as usual) – March 1st – 2nd
School Dress Rehearsal (Meyer Horowitz at U of A) – March 11th
Dance Power Edmonton #1(Meyer Horowitz at U of A) – March 13th – 18th
American Dance Awards (Red Deer) – March 23rd – 25th
Spring Break (Closed) – March 25th – April 1st
Easter (Classes as usual) – April 6th – 9th
Peaks Invitational (Meyer Horowitz at U of A) – April 11th – 15th
Standing Ovation (Dow Center, Fort Sask) April 26th – 30th
Class Pictures – May 7th – 13th
Alberta Dance Festival (Meyer Horowitz at U of A) - May 12th – 19th
Solo/Duet/Trio Show (Festival Place, Sherwood Park) – May 16th
Dance Power Saskatoon (John L Haar) – May 17th – 21st
Victoria Day Long Weekend (Closed) – May 18th – 21st
Terpsichore (Meyer Horowitz at U of A) – May 25th – 27th
Last Day of Classes – May 30th
Finale Rehearsals – May 31st
Dress Rehearsal (Jubilee Auditorium) – June 1st
Recital (Jubilee Auditorium) – June 2nd

COMPETITION FEES
A competition fee newsletter will be coming out starting November 14th. It will list the groups your child is dancing in that will be competing in the upcoming spring competitions. As well on the website will be breakdown of each group and the competitions they are dancing in. Please note, not all groups compete. Preschool groups, ballet, highland, and 1st year hip hop do not compete. Fees are due by November 30th. Payments may be broken into post dated cheques up to January 15th, 2011. A late fee of $25 will be charged on all fees paid after November 30.

Please note the Terpsichore Dance Competition was not listed in the student handbook. The competition is May 25-27 at the U of A all competing groups from the studio will be entered in this competition.

DANCE COSTUMES
Teachers have already started looking into costumes. Your child’s costumes will not be ordered if you have any outstanding costume fees. All costumes from the US are ordered in December; please ensure that all outstanding fees are paid. A list of outstanding costumes deposits will be posted by November 15th.

SOLOS AND DUETS
Classes are closed to parents. It is the responsibility of the dancers to know their routines. Parents, please make sure your child come to their next class having practiced their routines. Please video tape your child’s dance on the last class as a reference for practicing. Any missed classes will be counted as a class unless the teacher is notified in advance. Please note fees are: Solos $350/Duet $350 ($175 each)/Trio & Group $475 total.

SAFEWAY/SOBEY GIFT CARDS
Gift cards are back! Order forms are now available and can be found in the EDFPA mailbox at the front door. This is a great way to increase your individual fundraising account.

PARENT REMINDERS

LOST & FOUND
The lost & found is full please check the white box in the change room for your items.

UNSUPERVISED STUDENTS
Parents please be advised we are having some problems with students being dropped of at the studio and are unattended by a parent. The girl’s bathroom toilets have been clogged several times with a massive amount of toilet paper. During breaks the students are to be considerate of other classes in section, running around and extreme noise is distractive to the classes. Please speak with your children about this concern.

PLEASE REMEMBER NO FOOD OR DRINKS IN THE STUDIOS & DRESSING ROOMS WATER BOTTLES ONLY– NO GUM!!!

THANKSGIVING WEEKEND
There will be classes as usual on Friday October 7th to Monday October 10th.

WATCHING DAYS
Remember that October 1st – 7th is watching week. Anyone is welcome to watch any of the classes during this week.

DANCE OFFICE
The dance studio has two new office assistants, Alysha Brown Mon & Wed & Friday 5-8 and April Hansen is at the office Sat 9-1 for October & November. If you have any concerns, require newsletters or forms, payments, etc. please see her for assistance. Alternatively, you can leave a message on the dance phone 423-2623 or email us dance@edmontondancefactory.com.

HANDWASHING/SICKNESS
Please take extra care to properly wash hands when leaving the washroom help stop the spread of germs as we enter the cold/flu season. If you child is sick please keep them at home so viruses are not spread to class members.

YEAR-END RECITAL
The yearend recital will be held on Saturday June 2nd at the Jubilee Auditorium. The dress rehearsal is Friday June 1st at the Jubilee. The solo/duet/trio/show date is Wednesday May 16th at Festival Place in Sherwood Park. Please mark these important days on your calendar.

FUNDRAISING
There will be fundraising efforts offered to the members of E.D.F.P.A. Dancers and their families will have the opportunity to raise money that will go into the dance family’s individual fundraising account. There a re numerous opportunities to do fundraising at Bindery Overload (mailout/ envelope stuffing)/selling items/bottle drive and more. Monies raised can be used for to pay for dance fees/competition fees/examination fees or for any travel expenses for those dancers.
If you are interested in participating, please contact Linda Fisher 780 439 4905.

SAFEWAY AND SOBEY’S gift cards are back! Please watch the bulletin board in early October for pre-order info. and pickup times to be announced for mid to late October.

DANCE FEES
Fees are due by October 1st. All cheques for the upcoming year for lesson fees and costume deposits must be received as postdated cheques. Every family will receive a statement of fees paid early November. IF there is a balance due please contact the school immediately.

TAP EXAMS
Fee sheets were sent home in September. If you didn’t receive one please check with your teacher or the office during the hours 4-8 or Sat 9-1. The cut-off is birth date as of June 2012 Primary – 5yrs / Grade 1 – 6 yrs / Grade 2 – 7yrs / Grade 3 – 9yrs / Grade 4 – 11 yrs / Grade 5 – 13yrs / Grade 6 – 15 yrs / Grade 7 – 16yrs, Grade 8 – 17 yrs and Grade 9 – 18 yrs. We will be entering some children in exams that do not meet the age requirement. However this is an exception and not the norm. Exams will be held February 21st, 2012

COSTUMES
Tap costume deposits are due for October 1st. Reminder: Jazz costume deposits are dated November 1st. Costumes will not be ordered for students whose deposits are not in place. If anyone is interested in sewing costumes, please leave your name and phone # with the dance teacher.

STUDENT HANDBOOK
The student handbook will be distributed during watching week. Also we will be distributing at that time a student conduct policy/a privacy statement and medical information. Please complete this form and return to your next class.

STUDENT CONDUCT
There is a NO EATING policy in the dance studios. All food and drinks must be consumed in the waiting area where there is a garbage can for the student’s use. The blue box is for recycling of bottles and cans only PLEASE do not throw garbage in it. Please read the student conduct page of the student handbook with your child so they are aware of the studio rules and consequences. Parents please allow the dancers to sit at the tables during breaks to have their dinners/snacks. The dancers do not like to have to ask the parents to move from the tables.

BALLET EXAMS
We are requesting our major grade exams to be held in March, however we have no control on when the examiner from England will be in Canada. Last year our exams were late March.

COMPETITION FEES
There will be a competition fee newsletter coming out November 1st. Fees are due by November 30th. Fees not received by November 30th will be subject to a $25 late fee. Some competition are registered early, anyone wishing to compete in solos or duets must complete a competition registration form in November and submit with a payment that is separate from your group fees. Solo and duet competition fees are due November 15th.

BALLET AUDITIONS
Auditions are posted on the bulletin board when packages arrive. If interested, please check the board and discuss it with your teacher.

National School of Ballet open classes are on November 10th, 3:30-7:00 pm, cost $20.00 and auditions on November 9th 9:15 AM – 2:00 PM, cost $40.00 at Lecky School of Dance 9764 182 St Register on line at (www.nbs-enb.ca))

Royal Winnipeg Ballet is October 4th at Cecchetti Dance Theatre 10330 84th Ave Auditions 9:00 AM to 3:15 PM Cost of $35.00. Master Classes cost $30.00 (www.rwbschool.com)

WORKSHOPS

Triple Threat Calgary October 22 & 23rd Cost Junior $205 Int/Snr $225

Groove Street Edmonton November 19 & 20th Shaw Conference Centre 9797 Jasper Ave.
Cost Junior $180/Int & Snr $200. I have posted a sign up sheet on the workshop bulletin board at the studio.. EDF will have 2 teachers present at the workshop to assist the dancers. Never been to a workshop start NOW!

Jump Dance Convention Calgary November 5 & 6th Telus Convention Center
Cost Mini/Junior $195 Int/Snr $220. I have posted a signup sheet on the workshop bulletin board at the studio. EDF will have a teacher at the workshop for any dancers that want to attend.

PARKING

The landlord is in the process of changing the entrance to the parking lot but until further notice:

To ensure a smooth flow of traffic in the parking lot please enter from the east gate and leave out the west gate. The west gate is locked shortly after 9 pm nightly. We are allowed to park in front of the building and along the side when the bottle depot is closed. HOWEVER, please refrain from using the bottle depot parking which is in front of the fence during their business hours.

We would like to welcome past students of the Edmonton Dance Factory and new students to our dance school.

Each family will receive a handbook, which covers all aspects of the dance program. In addition to the handbook, a monthly newsletter is published as a reminder of the upcoming events. Newsletters are posted on the dance school website at www.edmontondancefactory.com; emailed to every dancer that has and email address on file (check your family billing invoice to make sure the email address is correct); posted on bulletin board; and for any dancer wishing to take a copy home there are copies in the hanging trays at the entrance of the studio. Newsletters will not be handed out in class. If you are not receiving the MONTHLY newsletter please make sure you have set you email account to not sent it to junk/trash. Also please check if we have your up to date email address on file. The first school email is/was sent Tuesday September 6th, 2012 11 pm if you did not receive please make sure your browser accepts emails from dance@edmontondancefactory.com

Change rooms are for students only. Dancers 8 & under are to place there bags and coats in the cubbies located outside studio 4 down the hallway at the back. Outdoor shoes are not allowed past the entrance, please use the shoe rack to keep shoes off the floor. The studio has a NO GUM rule. Any student caught with gum in the studio will have to pay a fine of $.25 cents to the gum piggy bank.

Family billing records will be issued starting on September 12th. All cheques for, lesson fees and costume deposits must be postdated and returned to your next class. Please note, there will be a $25.00 late fee for any cheques not received by September 30th. During the year, additional fees for competitions and examination fees will be billed seperately.

TELEPHONE. The dance number is 42-DANCE (423-2623). Please call during the daytime hours and leave your message or call during office hours. Or email us at dance@edmontondancefactory.com emails are returned nightly.

WATCHING DAYS will be October 1st – 7th and February 1st – 7th. Parents, family, and friends are welcome to these classes. At this time pictures may be taken. If you are unable to attend the scheduled watching days and would like to observe a class, please make arrangements with your teacher, otherwise, observes are not allowed in classes.

THANKSGIVING WEEKEND There will be classes as regularly scheduled Friday/Saturday & Monday Thanksgiving weekend October 8th – 11th.

RECITAL will be held at the Jubilee Auditorium June 1 & 2, 2012. We will be holding a solo/duet show in May followed by a reception.

DISMISSAL OF CLASSES Children 6 and under will be held in the teachers classrooms if there is no parent at the scheduled pickup times. Except Saturday morning classes, children will be in the lobby under supervision. We make every attempt to run classed as scheduled.

PHONE LISTS are published in October, if you do not wish to have your number included; please leave a message on the dance phone 42-DANCE. The phone lists are distributed to teachers and parent committee as required for costuming and class photos. They are not distributed to the general public.

SOLO/DUET/TRIO APPLICATIONS are available from the office, please sign up by September 30th. Solos/Duets are $350.00; trios and small groups are $475.00, these fees are to be paid directly to your teacher. Prior to applying please discuss if you should be doing a solo/duet with your own teacher. Teachers are not picked by the student they are assigned by the studio. You will be notified no later than October 15th of acceptance for solo/duet. Fees are due at the first class

PRIVATE LESSONS will be offered this year. The cost is $100/month for ½ hr lesson weekly, from September – May. During the lesson the student can work on technique or a solo (fee includes choreography and rehearsal – Maximum 1 solos during 1 private lesson).

EXAMINATIONS in tap, the registration DEADLINE is October 15th. Students will receive letters in the second week of tap classes. If you have any questions please discuss them with your teacher prior to September 30th. Please return ASAP.

NOTEBOOKS please send a notebook to class with you child for all preschool and beginner level classes so that the teachers can write down the steps your child should be practicing at home. Also, the dance routine will be wrote in the book later in the year, if you would like a copy of your child’s dance routine to practice at home please bring you teacher a blank tape labeled with your name.

DANCE WEAR will be available at the Shoe Swap September 11th from 10:00-2:00pm at EDF studios second hand shoe sale or from the dance stores: All 4 Dance/On Stage/Tu The Pointe and even Walmart.

EDFPA SHOE SWAP it is time to check your shoe sizes, the shoe swap is coming Sunday, September 11th from 10:00 p.m.- 2:00 p.m. at the dance studio. Bring in your old shoes and dancewear that you wish to sell to Friday Sept 9th from 5:00-7:00 or Saturday, September 10th from 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Every item (each shoe) must be labeled with your name/phone #/size/price. Please tape the labels on each shoe. All cash and items not sold must be picked up between 2-3:00 on Sunday, September, 11th. Any items not picked will be donated following the shoe swap. If you can not make the pickup time please make alternative arrangements with a classmate or friend.

Dance Wear is available at the following stores:

The EDF Parent Association will be holding a used shoe swap September 11th 10:00-2:00pm at the studio.