Dear Dance Families,

I wanted to reach out to all of you as I’ve had to make some big decisions as we look to move forward during this uncertain and weird time.  Please know that every decision I make I consider from every angle and my decisions don’t come easily.  It is with a heavy heart that I need to share with you that our annual recital will not occur as normal this year.  There are so many variables that are playing into this decision and if you would like more details on how I came to this decision, please feel free to reach out.  I would like to challenge everyone to not let this mean that this dance season ends without a fun performance for your dancer.  You could put on a recital at home with full costume, hair, and makeup!  As things start to open back up, maybe a small group can come together somewhere and all perform together.  I don’t know what the future holds, but I hope that you, as individual families, will be challenged to come up with some creative solutions.  Your dancer has worked so hard this year and they deserve to show off what they’ve learned.
I am in contact with Negley Stockman, who does our recital pictures, and we would like to come up with a way to still offer individual pictures for our students.  This will give the students something physical to hold onto as a memory from this dance season.  I will be in contact with more information, but I ask that you please let me know if you are interested, so we can gauge the level of interest to plan properly.
I do have your recital tights and some costumes at the studio.  We will be scheduling a curbside pick-up day on a Saturday in May, more info to come soon.  I am still waiting on a few costumes.  I have been assured by the costume company that the costumes are in process, however their facilities have been shut down due to being non-essential, therefore the product is delayed.  I will let you know when those few costumes have arrived.
We will be postponing our summer camps until next summer.  We were so excited about these camps and would hate to have to modify them so much that they lose their true essence.  With that being said, we hope to still offer something but want to wait and see where we are in the next few weeks before we announce anything.
We will finish out our 2019-2020 dance season through the month of May.  A new selection of Zoom classes will be available for the month of May.  I’m excited to announce that there are more class choices as well as two guest teachers, Lauren Garrett and our very own grad, Leah Pitman.  Both of these ladies have a lot to offer and are excited to teach this coming month.  Zoom classes are not perfect.  They aren’t the same as being in the studio but they do create community and allow us to do what we love, which is to dance.  I truly hope you’ll consider joining us!  I have posted the schedule of classes below and this is the link to the sign-up form (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfYO9pov7T8-zI_9w_If–ATrvv-8aDlQal0P4smDJOpo8BXA/viewform?usp=sf_link).  Registration is now open through April 30th.  Invoices will be sent and paid for through Square.  Classes will require a minimum number of students to run them.  If a class does not meet the required number we will let you know.
Dance Parents, I will be offering a Gentle Yoga Class just for you on Thursday evenings.  I’m also offering you a sweet deal, if your dancer signs up for one class a week you can take the yoga class at 50% off.  If your dancer signs up for two or more classes a week you can take the yoga class for FREE!  This is a stressful time for all of us.  I hope you’ll consider joining me for 30 minutes of gentle movement and breath, once a week, to help you reground and find your center in the midst of the chaos and uncertainty around us.
In the next week I will be sending out registration information for our 2020-2021 dance season.  We want to move forward with optimism and hope that we will be back at the studio once again!  Like in the past, I will open registration up to our dance families first, before making it available to the public, as we’d like to give you first dibs on classes.
If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out.  We want to keep you informed and create open communication with each of you.  Thank you for being a part of the Art of Movement Dance Family!  We are grateful for each of you.  Stay healthy and be well!
May Zoom Class Schedule
Mondays Tuesdays Wednesdays Thursdays
5:30-6:00 pm Ballet 1st-4th Grade with Miss Emily Musical Theater Dance with Miss Amy Tap Beginner/Intermediate with
Miss Emily
Combo with Miss Amy
7-7:30 pm Yoga for Dancers with Lauren Garrett Modern (Graham Technique) with
Leah Pitman
Floor Barre with Lauren Garrett Ballet 5th-12th Grades with Leah Pitman
7:40-8:10 pm Intermediate/Advanced Tap with
Miss Emily
Stretch & Strengthen with Miss Emily Pre-pointe/Pointe with Lauren Garrett Dance Parent Yoga with Miss Emily

My Best,

Emily Eschhofen
Owner/Lead Teacher & Choreographer