Welcome Back 2011

Miss Lisa’s Dance Express
2011-2012
Greetings and welcome back to Dance Express! We are so excited to see everyone and for another wonderful year. We have lots of great ideas and are ready to help all these young people to achieve their dreams! Thanks for signing up and I look forward to working with you! We have lots of new info to share!

WE HAVE MOVED LOCATIONS!!!! Our classes this year will be held in the building behind the KC Hall in Cuba. From 66, turn on Knights of Columbus Drive, it splits and you stay left on Unity…you will see the building on your left. This will be much different for us from our current studio; however it is going to work great! The only downfall is, there is no waiting room or office area. So please wait with your child for our doors to open and for them to enter. I will have someone staffed who will bring the group outside for the parents to pick up after class. This is going to be an adjustment, but once we get a system down, I hope it will work fine!

OPEN HOUSE will be at our old location in the LEWIS CENTER August 8th 4-6 pm. Your first class will be in the new location beginning in September!

Your child’s class is scheduled on:
Dance ……… __________ from_______ beginning ____________ TAP OUT Option (See Below)
Tumbling/Acro..__________ from_______ beginning ____________
Tap Out ……….__________ from_______ beginning ____________
Hip Hop………..__________from________beginning____________

Your monthly tuition will be $____. Second son/daughter is 15% off. For more additional children, there are additional discounts. Payments due by the first class. We will no longer have a staffed office area. So please send your child in with your monthly payment. Make sure you write in the memo line the student’s name. If sending cash, please put in an envelope with students name on it. We will have a basket for them to drop monthly payments in.

TAP OUT?- Tap is a wonderful art form and we are going to continue teaching it at our Preschool and Beginner levels. At this level, we feel we have given the students the basics to tap but as they advance into the next level in their dancing we will let them choose if they want to continue with this or not. For the dancers that have advanced past the beginner levels in regular class time we are now going to focus solely on Ballet/Jazz. For those students we consider as Intermediate-Advanced Tap level…we are going to structure the classes differently. If this student wants to take Tap still…we are going to have a separate Tap class from the regular class. It will be $10 a month and 20 mins long. IF TAP OUT is highlighted on this paper, please let us know if you would like to be added into the Tap Out Class. If it is not highlighted, then your class will still include tap this year.

NEW ADDITION!!! HIP HOP for ages 6 and up! If taken in addition to your regular dance class is it $15 a month. If you are not taking a dance class at Dance Express, then it is $25 a month. We will stretch, strengthen, work on hip hop progressions across floor, posing and learn a routine which will be performed in the recital. Mondays 4PM!

Monday classes will start on Mon, Aug 29th…we start a week early since on Labor Day we will be closed. We will hold classes at the Lewis Center for this Monday ONLY! Thursday classes will start after Labor Day on Thurs, Sept 8.

Please be patient during this first month, I will try to have exact classes nailed down by October, but until I get to work with everyone it is impossible to have classes exactly set until I see ability levels. .




Class Dress Code
The dress code will be strictly enforced.
If your child is not in the appropriate attire, he/she will not be allowed in class.
We will have a selection of dancewear you may order and shoes for classes available AT OPEN HOUSE ONLY. We will NOT place any orders AFTER Open House.
ALL HAIR in ponytail or buns in EVERY class!!! NO Jewelry!









Orders for DE tank ($25) and black jazz pants($25) due by September 15th. We will begin community performances in October and everyone must have one. So please come to Open House so you can ensure that you will have the appropriate shoes and attire (if needed) for your dancer. Same black tanks as previous years!!

Additional items available to order if you wish by Sept 15:
Window Decals $8, Embroidered Warm-Ups $90, Leotards ($15-20), Boycut Shorts ($16), Tights ($14),
Parent T-Shirts ($16-18) plus tax

No t-shirts or baggy pants. Your child must be dressed appropriately so we can provide proper body instruction of alignment.

WE WILL ONLY ORDER SHOES, LEOTARDS, TIGHTS, SHORTS for you AT OPEN HOUSE (AUGUST 8th)…we will NOT be carrying a stock or placing orders after OPEN HOUSE…so COME TO OPEN HOUSE if you need ANYTHING! If you cannot make it, we will provide you with the website to place orders online through vendors. We cannot promise the same prices on the website that we offer at the studio. Please put your names in ALL your shoes. The students will bring their shoes in the classroom with them. We will help them change their shoes and put them in their bags. Ballet shoes….tie them in a knot and cut off the excess string.

Dancers Etiquette
1. No candy or chewing gum in class.
2. Be on time for classes. Change into dance clothes and shoes before classes begin.
3. Hair must be pulled back away from face and off neck.
4. Roughhousing during classes or on the grounds will be strictly prohibited. You will be asked to supervise your child if they cannot behave.
5. Follow dress code!
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Lobby/Waiting Area
We are no longer having a waiting area. You are welcome to wait outside weather permitting. We will take care of changing shoes with the students in our rooms. We will have one watch week, the first week of December, so mark your calendar. Remember our studio is small…so parents only.

Not having the parents in the room helps your kids! This is so your dancer/tumbler can completely focus on their class and not be distracted by his/her and wanting to be with them.

Drop Off and Pick Up
Please make sure a teacher is present before dropping off your child. Please be on time to pick up your child. Once your child’s class ends I cannot be responsible for them as I am beginning another class. For safety reasons I don’t recommend having your young child wait by the outside door alone. We will have someone staffed to wait with the child for 5 mins after class while parents are picking kids up.

Tuition & Additional Fees
Tuition is due the first week of every month. If tuition is not paid by the 10th of each month then a $10 late fee will be applied. You are responsible to pay late charges and the month’s tuition. Your child will not participate in class until the fees are paid in full. Checks can be mailed to Lisa if you cannot make it to class-4043 Primo Rd, Festus, MO 63028. If you need a payment arrangement due to your payday, please talk to Lisa and we will try to work with you. There is a $30 fee added to returned checks. If a class meets only two times in one month, your tuition will be adjusted. We do not prorate if you miss a class.
Additional Fees: I thought you might want to know in advance costs you will incur other than tuition throughout the year. All fees are non-refundable:
Costume for recital due in November: Dance & Acro costumes-$50 each Tights- $14 plus tax
Recital fee due with March tuition: $50 per family. This fee includes 2 tickets to the show, one recital T-shirt and one program.
Attendance
Attendance is important to the success of your child and to the whole class. Your child can fall behind if he/she misses frequently. Practices in April and May are mandatory for the recital. Please keep this in mind on class night. You must be at the two practices prior to a general performance in the community (i.e. ballgames, Nursing Home appearances and such) in order to participate. Students not able to abide by this regulation will be taken out of that number for that particular event. Dance/Acro is a team event! Everyone matters!

Studio Closed
September 5-Labor Day, November 21-24- Thanksgiving Break, December 22- Jan 1- Christmas Break, Feb - President’s Day, March Spring/Easter Break. We will have classes on Martin Luther King’s Birthday.

The date for the Spring recital is Saturday, May 19th, times TBA.
We will take Studio pictures (individual and group) in March.

If you are new, please bring with you to our first class, the completed emergency/student info sheet for each student. If you are a returning student, you must correct & initial your current sheet. Everyone must have a current release on file in order to participate in classes. You may do this at Open House as well. I prefer to always be prepared just in case of any incident.

Updates, copies of class notes, and more info can be found on our website: www.misslisasdanceexpress.com. We have TONS of info on the website, so please check it out! We try to send out monthly newsletters via email if you have it, if not by paper copy. It is the parent’s responsibility to keep up on when the extra performances are. If you have further questions or concerns please don’t hesitate to contact Lisa 314-401-2070 (note the number has changed!), email: lisa.danceexpress@yahoo.com If you have payment questions or any questions, please email Lisa and we will answer promptly. Not having an office staffed, will mean that we have to converse every way possible. We are excited to still be in Cuba with YOU!

I’m looking forward to seeing all of you!!!
Miss Lisa





Open House August 8th..4-6PM

OPEN HOUSE IS INTENDED to give families a chance to check out and familiarize yourself with the studio, get sized and purchase their shoes & apparel if needed, so they are ready for the 1st class. This is meant as a convenience to avoid having to drive to St. Louis to get shoes and apparel! We will NOT be carrying a stock year-round! WE WILL NOT be placing any orders AFTER Open House. All orders must be in before this night! OPEN HOUSE WILL BE AT OUR OLD STUDIO in the LEWIS CENTER! We are not moving to our new location until the first class!


If you are interested in selling used tap shoes, you may bring them in to the studio before Open House to put on the used shoe rack. No ballet shoes as they are too worn!!! Please mark your name and price on them. I am not responsible for any missing shoes. Please take home with you after open house.

If you have changed your mind about taking classes, please let us know ASAP as we do have a waiting list.

Hey Adults & Teens…
ZUMBA!!!
Mon and Wed 6PM, Tues and Thurs 8AM More classes coming!
Bring a friend and get $5 off!!!
Mixing Stretching, Hip Hop Dance, Tummy toning while you Dance-Hip Hop and a bit of Latin-like...FUN!!! Come and check it out...have a good time, have an hour of "adult-time", relax, sweat, release energy and bust a move! No Experience NEEDED!!!!
Sept...Mon 6:30PM, Tues 8AM, Thurs 7PM!!! Sign up if interested so we can see if we have enough for which classes!




This Summer I attended the International ZUMBA Convention and became licensed to teach ZumbAtomic….and I quickly have developed a passion for it! We are going to offer either ZumbAtomic or Hip Hop (ages 6-up) on Mondays at 4PM depending on interest….
What is ZumbATomic? Zumbatomic® is a specially designed class for children (ages 4 – 12) to encourage kids to develop a healthy lifestyle and to incorporate fitness as a natural part of their lives through dance, music and exercise.

Background –We all are aware of that there is an increasing problem with childhood obesity. The Surgeon General estimates that 17% of people age 2-19 year are overweight in 2009. Obesity can lead to immediate consequences in childhood as well as in adulthood such as asthma, cardiovascular risks, type 2 diabetes, psychological effects, and sleep apnea.

Exercise helps improve mood, helps kids focus on learning, keeps kids from becoming overweight, and helps develop strong bones and muscles.

The Zumbatomic® program is not a mini-Zumba® adult class. It lasts 30 minutes and incorporates rhythm reviews (info on how to do basic steps and its background), dance choreography, games, and performance to incorporate healthy lifestyle habits as well as developing leadership, respect, team work, pride, confidence, and responsibility.

If you would be interested in this…please let us know! Cost is $25 a month.
We are also working on the “waiting room” situation at the new studio…Please know we will have something worked out for the kids best interest at all times.