May 2024 Newsletter
Greetings
A very warm spring greeting to everyone dancing with St. Vitus Catholic School of Dance! Our dancers are hard at work as we move into the last 10 weeks of dance classes in preparation for our end of year performance. The recital is just around the corner, and our dancers are excited to be putting on a great show for everyone soon. For many of our dancers, this will be their first year on stage, so we are looking forward to congratulating them on this milestone and achievement!
Costumes
Our volunteer seamstresses are hard at work sewing costumes for our dancers, and we are incredibly grateful for all of their hard work. Costumes will be tried on by dancers as they are available for classes to do so. While we hope that fit is good for each costume a dancer tries on, there may be alterations required before a costume is ready to take home.
All of the fabric for costumes has been purchased, and a costume invoice will be sent home with each dancer. Every effort has been made to keep costume costs to lower than $60 per costume. Payment may be made at any time, however payment is due before costumes may be taken home. Payment may be made either in cash or via e-transfer. If you would like to pay via e-transfer, please send funds to stvitusdanceschool@gmail.com with the secret question “costume payment” and secret answer “Vitus2024”
Dancers and their families are responsible for the care of their costumes once taken home and for arriving at costumed events (picture day, dress rehearsal, recital) with everything required for their costumes, including accessories such as tights, tiaras, hairpieces and shoes. Shared props will be the responsibility of the dance school.
Picture Day
Picture day will take place on Saturday, June 22/2024 during regularly scheduled Saturday dance class, and there will be no dance practice that day, in favour of picture day. Our photographer has generously volunteered her time, so we ask everyone to arrive ready for photographs and on time for their time slot so that we can keep our schedule moving on time. For every dance, there will be one group photograph taken, and each dancer will have an individual photo taken. Dancers who are in multiple dances will have their individual photos taken first to allow them to change into their next costume as soon as possible.
Picture day is entirely optional, but everyone is encouraged to participate, even if they are not going to purchase photos themselves so that the class photo can be complete for peers. Pictures from picture day will not be posted anywhere, they will not be used on the website or shared publicly in any way, they are exclusively for the dancers and their families to remember their dances and their classmates.
A list of available prints for order will be provided to parents as soon as they are available, so that parents may order the number of each type (group/individual) and size that they are interested in for each dance. Pictures must be ordered for each family by the end of the day on picture day in order for pictures to be delivered to parents within two to three weeks after picture day. Instructions for payment for photos will be provided at the time the ordering list is made available.
Makeup and hair guidelines are the same for picture day as for the recital. A limited amount of makeup will be available for touch ups or to try using disposable applicators on picture day starting at 10AM in preparation for the start of picture day at 10:30.
Our schedule for picture day will be as follows:
| Time | Class Name |
|---|---|
| 10:30-10:50 | Bumblebees |
| 10:50-11:08 | Rockin' Robin |
| 11:08-11:28 | Thankful |
| 11:28-11:46 | Better When I'm Dancing |
| 11:46-12:00 | Hills of Ireland |
| 12:00-12:14 | Le Temps des Cathedrales |
| 12:14-12:28 | When I Grow Up |
| 12:28-12:42 | Walk on the Water |
| 12:42-1:02 | Men in Black |
| 1:02-1:14 | Help is on the Way |
| 1:14-1:28 | Sleeping Beauty |
Recital and Dress Rehearsal
The end of year performance is fewer than 10 weeks away! The recital will be held on Saturday, June 29th at the Fergus Grand Theater. Tickets are now on sale online through the theater’s website. Tickets cost $25 for regular tickets and $5 for children 5 and under. Curtain call for the performance will be 6 PM. Concessions will be available for purchase at the theater before the show and during intermission. Students who will be dancing in only one act of the show may purchase a ticket to sit with their family and watch the act that they are not dancing in. All dancers, however, are expected to be backstage at the beginning of the show to participate in the opening number, and before the end of the final number before the finale in order to participate in the finale.
Every dancer will be sent home with a recital information package. This package includes important information about the recital including the schedule of dances, make up information by age group, hair instructions and costume details. Dancers and families are responsible for purchasing makeup appropriate for each dancer, as determined jointly by parents and school guidelines. Parents may elect for children to wear less than their age group’s allowed makeup, but are asked not to exceed it. Parents and dancers are asked to read the makeup package carefully and thoroughly before making decisions related to how much makeup will be worn and which makeup to purchase. All dancers are required to style their hair in the same, standard bun, for all costumed events (picture day, dress rehearsal, recital) with only costume-related additions which have been pre-approved by your instructor.
Dress rehearsal will take place at the Fergus Grand Theater on Saturday June 29th, during the day. Dress rehearsal will run from 11:00AM to 4:30PM the same day as the recital. All dancers must be at the theater by 10:50AM in order to practice the opening number, Joyful Joyful, together at 11:00AM. Parents will be responsible for providing lunch for their child or children. Supper will be provided for dancers and volunteers. Dancers will have a 50 minute lunch break and 60 minute supper break. Dancers are required to have a front zip sweater or jacket to wear while eating to protect their costumes from spills and accidents.
The schedule for Saturday June 29th is currently under consideration as follows:
9AM: Mass Attendance at St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church (optional, but encouraged)
10:15AM: Transportation to Dress Rehearsal
11:00AM: Dress Rehearsal
4:00PM-5:45PM: Supper Available for Dancers and Volunteers
6:00PM: Curtain Call
8:00PM: After Party (optional)
We are considering renting a bus to transport dancers from St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church to the Fergus Grand Theater after mass if there is sufficient interest. Please indicate to your instructor if you would be interested in participating in group transportation. We will only arrange for transportation if enough parents and dancers are interested.
A dress rehearsal schedule will be provided with the recital information package for parents who would like to pick their children up between numbers. Children who are leaving the theater during dress rehearsal must check out with either a volunteer or their instructor before leaving the building and must be back at the theater no later than 5:00PM for the show, or 10 minutes prior to their dress rehearsal class time. Everyone is encouraged to be present at the theatre for supper with everyone together at 4:30. It is extremely important for dancers to be on time for their dress rehearsal time. Every class will have the same amount of time to practice on stage, and dancers who are late will not have the same opportunity to practice on stage during the rehearsal.
Please note that parents will not be allowed into the audience space of the theater during the dress rehearsal (volunteers excepted), but will be allowed backstage with their children.
Recital Videography
The recital will be filmed to provide parents and families with the memory of this one-time event. Film of the event will made available only to parents, and will not be posted or shared publicly in any way. Parents wishing to receive a copy of the video are asked to fill out the recital video form online so that the cost of the videography can be split amongst them. Parents requesting a copy of the video after the performance has been held and funds collected will be asked to pay the same amount as other parents and the money will be donated to St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church.
Recital and Dress Rehearsal Volunteers
We are actively looking for volunteers to support us during dress rehearsal and the recital. We are currently looking for volunteers for the following roles for both the recital and dress rehearsal:
Check-In
Dancer Supervision & Organization
Costume Change Assistant (Female Volunteers only)
Food Hall Supervisor
Volunteers may volunteer for multiple roles. Volunteers may volunteer for either the rehearsal or the recital or both. Volunteers for either the rehearsal or recital are invited to watch their children’s numbers from the audience during dress rehearsal and will be invited to the supper with dancers. Volunteers for the recital are invited to watch their children’s numbers from backstage during the recital. If you are available to volunteer please sign up on our volunteer form or speak to your dance instructor.
Instructions for volunteers will be emailed out the week of June 23rd 2024 in preparation for June 29th and instructions will also be made available to volunteers on the day and/or night when they arrive. Volunteers for the dress rehearsal are asked to arrive at the theater for 10:45AM. Volunteers for the recital are asked to arrive at the theater for 4:45PM.
We are extremely grateful for all of our volunteers. You make this show possible! All volunteers are, of course, invited to attend the after party as well!
Flower Fund
Would you like to support congratulating our dancers for all of their hard work this year? Donate to our flower fund! It is customary for performers to receive flowers at the end of the recital, and we would like to recognize the hard work our dancers have put in by presenting dancers with roses and chocolate roses at the end of the performance.
If you would like to donate, a flower fundraiser box will be placed in hall near the St. Vitus Catholic School of Dance bulletin board in St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church. Alternatively, you may give your donation to your instructor directly or send an e-transfer to stvitusdanceschool@gmail.com with the secret question “flower fund” and secret answer “Vitus2024”.
Registration for our 2024/2025 Dance Season
As our 2023/2024 dance season wraps up, it is also time to think about the year to come! We have had a very successful first year of dance and we are excited to carry that enthusiasm and joy into next year!
The 2024/2025 season will also see some new classes being offered:
Dancing Tots will be offered for children 2-3. This class will not be discipline specific and will focus on musicality, body awareness and co-ordinated movement. This class will be 20 minutes long, rather than 30 minutes. Dancing Tots will be invited to dance on stage with their instructor, but will not participate in the opening number.
Lyrical dance will be offered for dancers aged 7 and older. Lyrical dance is an offshoot of Jazz dance which incorporates ballet and interpretive elements, and is often focused on using dance technique to interpret a story or theme. Students next year will have the opportunity to elect to pursue Lyrical in place of or in addition to other dance disciplines.
Adult Jazz will be offered for adult dancers if there is sufficient interest. The discipline of adult dance classes may be changed if all participants agree.
Registration for the 2024/2025 dance season will be open from May – October 2024. You can register online on our website.
Thank You
Thank you to everyone who has been working so hard to make our dance school a success! I am so pleased with all the progress our dancers have already accomplished. Our dancers’ hard work, enthusiasm and love for dance is inspiring and I am proud of each and every one of you. I am excited every week to come to class and see everyone’s smiling faces, and I look forward to continuing to dance with you this season!
God Bless,
Gwendolyn
