Winter Showcase Information, Evaluations, Makeup Classes, Pick-Up & Drop-Off, and Warm-Ups

If you missed any of our past Newsletters, please visit or call the office for a copy to be emailed to you. If you cannot access this information online, please request a printed copy from the office as soon as possible. Your dancer will not be bringing home any information about the Showcase unless they are old enough to bring home their own ticket.

Please note: this newsletter is long, but we have made some important information about the Winter Showcase, so please read this newsletter carefully. If you have questions about Winter Showcase, please contact Ms. Amy via text or the office via phone or email. Contact information is listed within the newsletter.

What to Expect for the Winter Showcase Performance:

Only those with tickets will be admitted into the Winter Showcase. Please utilize your ticket to let your entire party into Winter Showcase simultaneously. No additional tickets will be handed out. It is essential that you show up on time for your showtime. You will not be admitted to the Winter Showcase if you show up at the incorrect time or early. You also may be delayed in seating if you show up after Winter Showcase has started. The office, the dance studio, and The Step Stop will all be closed on December 3rd. Your dancer must show up for their call time ON TIME. Please plan according to the weather for the Winter Showcase; we will not be rescheduling the Winter Showcase unless there is a power outage or severe weather.

Dress Code: Ballet Dancers are required to wear the following attire to Winter Showcase:

● Assigned, colored leotard that your dancer is also wearing to class. Please assure your dancer’s bra is not visible. A performance bra is recommended for this performance.
○ Pre-Ballet/Tap 5-6 must be wearing a black or light pink leotard with a skirt attached to their performance.
○ Pre-Ballet/Tap 3-4 must be wearing a light blue, lavender, light pink, or black leotard with a skirt attached to their performance.

● Clean, classic pink colored tights purchased from The Step Stop. It is recommended that dancers wear a brand-new pair of tights for this performance. Holes in tights are unacceptable.
○ Pre-Ballet/Tap3-4 or 5-6 classes will need either tap shoes or stretch ballet flats made from leather. These are available to order in The Step Stop.

● Ballet flats should be canvas, clean and hole-free. It is preferred that canvas shoes are purchased from the Step Stop in advance so they match the tights and dancers have time to slightly break them in. Shoes without sewn elastics, a full sole, leather, or holes are unacceptable attire.
○ Ballet Advanced is asked to assure their pointe shoes are in danceable condition.
● Chiffon wrap skirt in your dancer’s assigned color–white for Ballet I-III and black for Ballet IV and up. Lace and other fabrics, as well as other colors, are not allowed for this performance, even if permitted in class.
○ This is not needed for Pre 3-4 or 5-6 as their skirt is already attached to their leotard.
● Underwear should not be worn underneath the dancer’s leotard and tights. This is for ALL levels.
● Hair must be a natural color in order to perform. This is to help avoid distractions from the technique the dancers have worked incredibly hard to achieve. Any dancer with unnaturally colored hair will be asked to sit out from this, and all, performances.
If you are missing any of these items, we ask that you order them promptly to ensure they will get here before Thanksgiving. Please note, this is not a guarantee since we are now starting to get into holiday shipping times.

Attendance and Tardiness:

All classes will be canceled on Saturday, December 3rd for the duration of the day. Dancers are expected to be at Layton Elementary at their assigned time. The role will be taken at that time. Please take into account that there may be snow, so please plan your trip according to the weather. Dancers will not be able to perform if they are not warm. This is for the safety of the dancer. This means if a dancer is not arriving on time, they are risking the chance of not being able to perform.

Dancer’s assigned call times are as follows:

Pre 3-4 and 5-6 Classes and Ballet Advanced: Saturday, December 3rd, 10:30
Ballet Classes, including Ballet Advanced: Saturday, December 3rd, 8:45
If your dancer has other classes, please keep your eyes out for a text or phone call from your dancer’s teacher or the office, or the studio’s Newsletter for more information. This schedule is not able to be changed. If you have any questions, please contact the Ballet Department Head, Ms. Amy.

Please have your dancer bring their own water to Winter Showcase

Parking and Cold Weather: Please also plan on dressing for chilly weather and be aware of potential ice in the parking lots. Please save spaces close to the building for families with disabilities.

Performance etiquette: The ballet performance will start at 9:30. Please be patient if technical difficulties arise. Please be in your seats prior to the start time of the performance. Doors will open 15 minutes before showtime. Patrons may wear a mask if they would like to. Please exit between numbers and be respectful of all dancers performing. We ask that parents wait outside the school if possible until 15 minutes before when seating will then be open. Feel free to take videos and photographs of this performance, but do not use flash photography.

Cleaning and Safety Procedures: We ask that you assure your area is tidy when you leave. We will sanitize where possible between shows. Dancers are in charge of keeping track of their own items. Any items found between types of shows will be put in the lost-and-found. Items in the lost-and-found bin will be donated over Winter Break.

Winter Showcase Tickets

Tickets will need to be picked up by a parent, guardian, or older, responsible dancer this year. Tickets will not be available for pick-up unless the Winter Showcase Fee is paid this year. Payment of this fee is due on November 18th. This is how you will be RSVP’ing for the Winter Showcase. Tickets can be picked up on November 9th. Tickets must be picked up by no later than November 29th unless you make another arrangement with Ms. Amy or the office. If you do not need both of your tickets, please let the office know as soon as possible. Patrons without a ticket will be turned away at the door so please ensure your entire party arrives together. Please remember that you are able to record this Showcase if you would like to
share it with friends and family who may not be able to make it. If you have any questions about tickets, please contact the office by calling the dance studio at 801-546-3880 or emailing info@exceldancestudios.com and asking to speak to Taylor or Erene.

Ballet Evaluation Days

This is the second time your dancer will be evaluated by the department head. It is extremely important for your dancer to be here. It will determine the dancer’s individual readiness for Winter Showcase and show us how much the class collectively has learned since the end of the year last year. Please make sure your dancer is on time, ready to dance, and not absent that day. Please see the date of your dancer’s class evaluation below in the “Important Dates for November” section.
While we know that you are really interested in how your dancer is doing, please know that this is not a final evaluation for your dancer and will not affect your dancer’s placement for the next year. There will be no parent visits during this class so your dancer can completely focus on their evaluation. This is purely for our information and to assist the teachers in where the class’s strengths and weaknesses.
Finally, while the dress code is always important, it is incredibly important for that day. It is recommended that your dancer wear everything required for the Winter Showcase, except brand-new tights, on the day of evaluations. This includes canvas ballet flats; the assigned color of leotard; chiffon, the assigned color of wrap skirt; and a ballet bun in the center of your dancer’s head, with no bangs in your dancer’s face, unless placement is specified differently by your dancer’s teacher. Your dancer’s teacher should contact you if the placement is different.

A Reminder of Pick-Up and Drop-Off

We here at Excel Dance Studios in the Ballet Department would like to thank all the parents that have been diligent in following our pick-up and drop-off rules. Please continue to park if your dancer’s class has not ended in a stall and then pull up to the curb. There are just a couple of reminders to assure the safety and well-being of your dancers.
First, we would like to remind you to please turn off your cars while you are in the parking lot in a parking space. We would like to be an idle-free zone and this starts with you! Parents are invited to sit inside the lobby instead of idling their cars. If you find the lobby is too loud, please let an office staff member know and they would be happy to look into the issue for you.
Second, we would like to remind all dancers that a leotard and tights are the perfect attire for class, but they are not to be worn into and out of the studio. Please wear warm-ups or street clothes over your leotard and tights before entering the car or exiting the studio to get into the car. Along with this, your dancer should be wearing a jacket or coat at this time of year to ensure their muscles can warm up properly at the beginning of class.
Third, please remember that parking on the curb is against the law due to the fire lane. It also restricts access to other businesses. Please pull up to the curb with the passenger’s side of the car when your dancer is ready for pick-up.
Lastly, please do not allow your dancer to wait outside, including next to the buildings, on the park strip, near the trees, or in the parking lot. This is to assure their own safety; we cannot keep track of your dancer if they go outside to wait. Dancers are to wait inside the building. This is also why it’s important for you as parents to pick up your dancers on time. Dancers that are anxiously waiting for a parent to pick them up tend to want to wait where they can see their parents arrive, i.e. outside. Make your best effort to be on time and let us know if you aren’t going to be on time by calling the office or texting a teacher. This is extremely important as teachers often have appointments and other things to do after their classes end.

Make-Up Classes

If your dancer needs to attend a make-up class, please contact the teacher of that class, your dancer’s original teacher, and/or the office to assure that class is suitable for your dancer to make up in that class. Occasionally, especially in higher-level classes, the class is built to work primarily on performance. It is necessary to have your dancer attend a class that will benefit them as a dancer. Checking assures your dancer will be in a class suitable for their needs.
It is highly recommended that dancers make up a class if they know they are out of town or if they have already missed class. Classes need to be made up within a month of them missing their class. Dancers are recommended they attend a class only one to two levels below their current level. If they cannot make that work, it is recommended they contact their current teacher or you can text Ms. Amy for a suggestion. For example, some classes, like Ballet V and Ballet VI are similar enough that a Ballet V dancer can make up in Ballet VI.

Excusing your Dancer from Class

Parents, it’s one of the times of year that it’s especially important for your dancer to be in dance class. If your dancer is not in class, please text your dancer’s teacher to let them know your dancer will not be in class. We’ve had a lot of dancers being excused over Facebook Messenger and phone calls to the office recently. The office cannot always get the teachers a prompt message to let their teacher know your dancer will not be in class.

Please let your dancer’s teacher know directly that your dancer will not be in class via text. Please do not call your dancer’s teacher. A text ensures you both have a copy of the excused absences as well. If your dancer has their own phone or is old enough to use your phone, they are more than welcome to excuse themself. If you are planning on being away, please text your dancer’s teacher before the date you are leaving. Alternatively, if your dancer has fallen ill, please text your dancer’s teacher as soon as you know they will not be in class.

If you need your teacher’s phone number, please get it from the bulletin board, the office, or the August Newsletter. Thanks for your diligence in excusing your dancer–it makes it easier for our teachers to plan class in the most effective way possible.

Warm-up Policy

As stated above, dancers should be wearing clothes on top of their leotards and tights any time they are not in class. Ballet shoes are not to be worn outside. Dancers will be asked to remove distracting warm-ups. Warm-ups are especially important as the weather gets chillier this time of year up through about March or April. Warm-ups may be worn into a ballet class as long as they follow the following criteria:
1. A dancer has received permission from her teacher to wear them at the beginning of class.
2. A dancer’s warm-ups are black or Excel Dance Studios-branded so they are in accordance with our Ballet Uniform. Branded warm-ups may be ordered from the office.
3. A dancer removes those warm-ups after dégagés at the barre unless instructed otherwise.
4. A dancer is able to perform any dance step that they are asked to perform in them.
5. A dancer’s warm-ups are not too baggy so they are able to be properly evaluated.
6. A dancer must comply at any time if they are asked to remove warm-ups. Warm-ups may not be worn instead of proper ballet attire.