Welcome back to dance, TP students and families! Whether this is your first school year session with us or you’ve called the studio home for years, we’re so excited to be dancing through our 21st year with all of you.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed with details and schedules, don’t worry. Even our most veteran Turning Pointe families are trying to settle into the groove of a new season! We understand that this time of year can be a lot—especially the weeks that school, dance, sports and other activities are all starting back. But we’re here to help! Throughout the session, we want to give every student the opportunity to succeed, even in the busy weeks before things hit their stride. That’s why we’ve compiled this ultimate back-to-dance checklist! To help our families make the most of the session, and to experience the Turning Pointe difference to its fullest.
So what are we waiting for? Let’s get started!
1. Make sure you’re registered
Every class, our amazing instructors will log attendance in our DanceWorks system. This helps us make sure every student is in the correct classroom and receiving the exact instruction they’re paying for. These first few weeks there are plenty of adds and drops, so making sure you’re properly registered beforehand can cut back on a lot of first-week stress!
If you’ve already registered for classes online, there’s a simple way to double-check that everything in your registration has been processed properly: Log in to your DanceWorks account, and get to the “Home” screen. Scroll down past “Account Info,” and you’ll see a section labeled “Students.” Under each dancer’s name will be a link to “View classes.” Check each one to make sure you’re enrolled in the classes you wish to be in, and let us know ASAP if you see any issues. (You can email us any time at turningpointeoffice@gmail.com.)
If you’re planning to register in person this week, please arrive in plenty of time! Our hospitality team is happy to assist you at the front desk, but rushing to cross the t’s and dot the i’s definitely won’t help your dancer’s first-day jitters. If a class is full, your student will be placed on a waiting list. But be patient! Things definitely shift a bit after these first few weeks.
2. Get familiar with our policies
Who should I contact if my student is sick on class day? How do I switch my enrollment to a different class? How does drop off work? What if my student is injured? If these questions aren’t already popping into your mind, odds are they will be soon! The good news is, you can prepare for all the things that will certainly come up throughout the year just by familiarizing yourself with our studio policies.
Bookmark our policies page in your browser, or make sure you have the link however you keep things handy! This one-stop information shop has everything you need for schedule changes, absence reporting, fees, contacting your teacher, studio rules, what to expect your first week and so much more! The first few times things come up can take some adjustment, but I promise, nothing is all that daunting. Just take a few minutes to read the information so that you can always walk into the studio feeling prepared and ready for a fantastic year of dance!
3. Dress the part
Did you know our studio curriculum features categories for five targets, including respect and class preparedness? Set your dancer up for success by making sure they hit those etiquette targets every single week. The Turning Pointe Dress Code provides a focused dance education and a safe environment to move by limiting both visual and physical distractions. Each genre of movement requires students to tune into their bodies in a unique way, and the clothing they wear can be a help or a hindrance in the development of dance-specific movement quality. We promise, it’s not just another rule to follow or a box to check. It’s assisting each person in growing from “dance student” to “dancer.”
Don’t know what’s required for your class/level? You can find all of our studio-wide requirements here. Bonus tip: Think of a full water bottle as a part of the class requirement! Just like you’d bring a towel to a swimming lesson or shin guards to soccer, your dancewear, shoes and water should all be part of your Turning Pointe class uniform.
Do you need new dance shoes, tights, or leotards? TP alumnus Abbie Van Horn founded Adorn Dancewear to meet all your dancewear needs while keeping modesty in mind. Stop by the Turning Pointe front desk on Wednesdays from 4-7 p.m. to meet with her, or visit her website for more information!
4. Use your resources
When it comes to staying informed, communication is key! Already this week, you should have received our September newsletter, introductions from your student’s teachers, and the first “Weekly Wednesday” communication of the season. If you didn’t receive these emails, please check your spam folders! We’re using a new program to design and streamline our e-blasts this year, and they may be falling in with your junk mail. Be sure to mark Turning Pointe Dance as a trusted sender, then be sure to read each email in its entirety! It can feel like a lot, but nothing takes the joy out of an experience more than not knowing what’s going on. Support your dancer by staying up-to-date on upcoming events like parent peek weeks, exciting opportunities like auditions for our amazing programs, ways to participate in studio outreach initiatives and more!
Have you followed us on social media yet? Sometimes emails can get buried in a busy day, but a quick follow will put all the latest and greatest information right in the newsfeed where you’re already looking. We’re on Facebook @TurningPointeSchoolOfDanceColorado, and on Instagram @TurningPointeDanceColorado. We also have bulletin boards and displays set up in our lobby, fliers and brochures at the front desk, and a knowledgeable hospitality team ready to provide any information you need, and of course, this blog! Check back all season long for updates, information, and to follow along with our studio-wide monthly devotions and Bible study.
5. Join us in prayer
While everything on this checklist helps cultivate the culture of Turning Pointe Dance, none do more so than this final item. We are committed to providing excellence in dance and theater instruction while cultivating hearts of worship and nurturing creativity. From your child’s first class to their graduation performance, Turning Pointe has a class for everyone! We specialize in beginners of all ages and offer training through pre-collegiate levels. Our dancers go beyond technique to develop important life skills including learning to be respectful and confident, and share their gifts and talents with the community and beyond!
Our theme for the studio this year is Magnify: “Oh magnify the Lord with me-let us exalt His name together.” (Psalm 34:3) As we begin our 2024-25 school-year session together, we encourage you to join us in making ourselves smaller and His name bigger, and in lifting our students, staff, and families up in prayer. We pray that God’s presence will fill our space—every room, every hallway—that He would be invited in as we’re welcomed back to dance; that the students and families walking through the door would feel peace amidst the chaos and unknowns of the first week, and that students would make quick connections in their classes with their teachers, class assistants, and other students.
We pray that you all have a fantastic year dancing at Turning Pointe, and that His name be glorified in every song, count and plié.
Welcome to Turning Pointe’s season 21! We can’t wait to praise His name with dancing together.