FEbruary news

Dear Dancers and Families, 
Welcome to February and Black History Month. Throughout the month, our teachers will share how African Americans have been originators, innovators, evolutionary figures, and role models in the dance world. Ask your students what they learned!

T-Shirt Design Contest! To celebrate our 50th anniversary year, we are holding a t-shirt design contest. Please pick up a design paper at the front desk and return it to us by February 24th to be entered into the contest. The winner will have their design printed on limited edition 50th anniversary T-shirts. We will have these for sale at CD&FS through the end of this session and during our anniversary celebrations in June. The winner will also receive a free t-shirt and a $20 class credit. 

​We have a lot of events to share with you this month. To start, Teen Jazz is having a Valentine’s Day Chocolate Bark Sale. You may remember buying delicious fudge from us in past years. This year, we are offering three different kinds of bark— White chocolate with Raspberries, Milk Chocolate with Pretzels and Caramel, and Dark Chocolate with Peppermint. If you want to purchase a box, either order directly from a Teen Jazz company member or use this ORDER FORM. Please submit order forms by February 7th. The bark will be available for pickup at CD&FS from February 12th to February 17th. 

On February 17th, Teen Jazz and Junior Company will share their Tour Preview in The Chapel in College Hall at VCFA. This building is right across Ridge Street from our home in Stone Hall. The Tour Preview is an annual performance where our Company dancers share the pieces they have completed in preparation for their Spring tour of local schools. In addition to a fantastic performance experience followed by a Q&A, you can peruse a Silent Auction filled with donations from local businesses and artists. The online link for the Auction will go live on February 12th. Proceeds from the show go directly to Teen Jazz to support their continued fundraising efforts for their New York City trip. The proceeds from the Silent Auction will benefit Teen Jazz’s scholarship fund and support our 50th Anniversary Gala in June. For tickets and details, please visit the Teen Jazz WEBSITE. The Tour Preview is a wonderful community-building event for all ages, and we hope to see you there. 

Every year in mid-February, we send home a Performance Mailing with detailed information regarding our production week rehearsals and performances at the Barre Opera House. This year, you will receive the information in the mail, in your email inbox, and we will upload it to our website under the performance tab. All mandatory rehearsal dates for the 2024 Performance are currently on our website. Please use them to help you with your Spring scheduling, as dancers must attend all technical and dress rehearsals to perform. 

February break: The studio will be closed from February 26th to March 2nd. We DO have classes on March 4th and 5th. 

Our friends at Lost Nation Theater have asked me to share audition information about a musical they will be putting on this summer - Prom. They need a lot of dancers for this production, so if musical theater interests you, please find more information here: 
https://lostnationtheater.org/2024-professional-summer-musical-theater-intensive-production/

Summer Camp registration is now live for current students. Click HERE for more information and to register. We will release our weekly class schedule for June in March - keep an eye out for more offerings this year for our Kidz and Junior dancers. 


A few business notes: 
February tuition is now due. If you are on the self-pay schedule, please pay your tuition on or before the 10th of the month to avoid a late fee. All accounts must be current for students to perform in the show. 
Costume Fees: The 2024 costume fees are $60 for ballet and kids classes - all “Kidz” and “Junior” classes. The costume fee for Teen/Adult classes is $30 - unless a teacher has opted out of utilizing it. The costume fee for Contemporary is $35. If you/your dancer is performing in our May show, 50% of the costume fee was billed on February 1st. The second half of your costume fee will be billed on March 1st. If you/your child decides not to perform and has not notified us of that fact, you are still responsible for the full costume fee. At the end of the show, all performers keep their costumes. 
Attendance: We have a three absence maximum per semester, per class policy. We understand that there have been many sicknesses going around and our student health is the most important thing. If your child is out for any reason, please email us so we know why. Missing more than 3 classes per semester may affect a student's level of participation in the show. This decision is made on a case-by-case basis and communicated to the family. For the next few months, attendance is very important so that students don’t miss learning and rehearsing choreography.
Sickness: If you are sick with a transmittable disease, please stay home. If you are feeling better but are still coughing/sneezing/sniffly, please wear a mask in the studio. We have masks available behind the desk if you forget one.
Weather: When we have to cancel classes due to weather, we will notify you by email at or before noon. Please reply to that email so we know you received it. Follow-up calls will take place if we don’t hear back from you, and it helps us immensely to know you’re aware of the cancellation. We will also post class cancellations on our website and social media. 


TLDR: CALENDAR
February 1st: Summer Camp registration opens for existing students. 
February 7th: Valentine’s Day Bark Order Due. Pickup February 12th-17th at CD&FS.
February 12th: Performance 2024 show details released.
February 17th: Teen Jazz Tour Preview. 6:15pm Silent Auction. 7pm Show and Q&A.
February 26th - March 2nd: February Break
March 4th and 5th: Classes are held.