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Welcome to the 20th season of dance at eXit SPACE!
Young dancer classes begin September 16, 2024
Thank you for enrolling in the Season 2024-25 Young Dancer Program. If you're new to eXit SPACE, welcome; if you're a returning family, welcome back! eXit SPACE was created to be a safe and supportive environment where students can discover or rediscover dance as a positive force, and we are thrilled to have you as a part of our community.
As one of Seattle's leading dance organizations, we are proud to offer youth classes for dancers 2-18 years of age, taught by a faculty of professional working artists who are both highly trained dancers and strongly vetted educators. The Young Dancer Program at eXit SPACE is a huge part of what we do, with 200-250 youth enrolled each year, including 40+ pre-professional students dancing 8-14 hours a week! With that in mind, our goal is to keep everyone as well-informed as possible so that each family is supported on their individual journey with dance education.
Below you will find everything you need to get started this season including:
- Studio culture and code of conduct
- Parent Portal: Your season information hub
- Season Calendar
- Dance Studio Pro: Registration & tuition payment
- Email communication
- Studio locations, drop-off & pick-up
- Dress code & buying supplies
- COVID-19 policies, absences, and makeups
- Enrollment & free trial classes
- Admin & Faculty
We ask that you take the time to read through this email so that you feel prepared for this new season of dance!
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Studio culture: Who we are
eXit SPACE is a unique environment where a diverse and highly-experienced Faculty of performing artists offer students of all levels and ages, highly technical classes with an emphasis on community-building and individual expression. As an organization, eXit SPACE encompasses the Adult Dancer Program, Young Dancer Program, pre-professional youth program (thePROGRAM), Professional Artist Program, and NOD Theater. We offer a wide curriculum of classes including modern, contemporary, ballet, jazz, tap, and hip hop, as well as opportunities for performance, choreography, and production.
eXit SPACE Young Dancer classes emphasize four elements of dance training:
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Physical prowess: Development of the strength, alignment, and coordination to execute the technical skills relevant to a specific style with precision and consistency.
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Expression: Use of dynamics, musicality, facial expression, and performance quality in ways that convey emotion, character, and/or storytelling.
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Passion: The inspiration and conviction to pursue continuous growth as a dancer.
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Community: Commitment to cultivating a supportive and inclusive environment of learners, the essence of which is joy.
Our mission is to cultivate a supportive and enriching community where dancers of all ages can discover or rediscover the power of dance. We envision a vibrant and robust Seattle dance community where eXit SPACE leads the way in equitable education, performance, and artistic exploration. With that in mind, we ask that all families are aware of and adhere to our Code of Conduct. Our Accessibility Statement is also attached below.
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Parent Portal: Your season information hub
www.exitspacedance.com > Young Dancer > Parent Portal
ACTION ITEM: Please bookmark the eXit SPACE Parent Portal on your browser! This section on our website is your one-stop-shop for everything you need to know this season. It includes details on finding class locations, pick-up and drop-off policies, dress code, code of conduct, season calendar, performance series dates and details, tuition, faculty, admin contacts, past newsletter links, and more.
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Season Calendar
Available in the Parent Portal
ACTION ITEM: Mark your calendar with the following important dates for eXit SPACE.
- 9/9/24 – First Day of Classes + First tuition installment (autopay)
- 11/4/24 through 11/9/24 – Family Watch Week #1
- 11/11/24 – Second tuition installment (autopay)
- 11/28/24 through 11/30/24 – Thanksgiving Break (no YDP classes)
- 12/23/24 through 1/5/25 – Winter Break (no YDP classes)
- 1/6/25 – Classes resume
- 1/13/25 – Third tuition installment (autopay)
- 1/20/25 – Martin Luther King Jr. Day (no YDP classes)
- 2/17/25 through 2/23/25 – Mid-Winter Break (no YDP classes)
- 3/3/25 through 3/8/25 – Family Watch Week #2
- 3/17/25 – Final tuition installment (autopay)
- 4/14/25 through 4/19/25 – Spring Break (no YDP classes)
- 5/15/25 – Last day of classes!
- 5/16/25 through 5/18/25 – YDP Performance Series
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Dance Studio Pro: Registration & tuition site
Dance Studio Pro is considered the premier software for dance studios in the country, offering online registration, automated payment, linked family accounts, online waivers, studio updates, personalized online schedules, and a DSP app for easy access. We have experimented extensively with this system and spoken with users all across the community; we're confident that the transition to Dance Studio Pro will make for a much more user-friendly and accessible experience for our dance families!
Throughout the year, Dance Studio Pro will be your resource for:
- Updating payment methods and making online payments
- Viewing upcoming autopays, payment history, and past statements
- Registering for additional classes
- Checking your dancer's class attendance and class history
- Viewing your family's Young Dancer calendar
- Signing waivers
- Accessing class files (e.g. recital music, class videos, etc.)
ACTION ITEM: Please bookmark Dance Studio Pro on your browser!
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Email Communication: Check your inbox!
This year, you can expect to receive monthly newsletters from us with studio news and updates. Please make sure to check these emails as they will contain vital information about the season, tuition, holiday breaks, etc. All past emails will also be accessible via links in the Parent Portal under "Past Newsletters" as well as in Dance Studio Pro under "messages."
If you would like more than one parent/guardian to receive our emails, please add additional caregiver contacts in your Dance Studio Pro account under: Settings > Family Contacts > Add New.
ACTION ITEM: Ensure eXit SPACE emails sent via Constant Contact like this one are NOT flagged as junk; please add us to your safe senders list so that you receive critical communications throughout the season.
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Studio locations, drop-off & pickup
eXit SPACE has THREE studio locations!
- theNEST (Studio A & B): 6600 1st Ave NE Seattle (Greenlake)
- Studio SEA: 410 NE 72nd St Seattle (Greenlake)
- eXit SPACE | NOD Theater (& Studio Oakland): 1621 12th Ave Seattle (Capitol Hill)
For all locations, please ensure that dancers do not arrive more than 10 minutes early and are picked up on time. This helps us to reduce congestion in our office/hallways and to ensure our teachers can start their classes on time.
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theNEST | Studios A & B (Greenlake: 6600 1st Ave NE, Seattle WA 98115): Dancers should enter the building through the main entrance on 1st Ave NE; go down the stairs to Studio B or up the stairs to Studio A. Parents and dancers can access the lobby/front desk via the door at the top of the stairs outside of Studio A. Dancers will be dismissed on time and can be picked up at the south side of the building (Woodlawn Ave) where their teacher will be waiting with them. Our teachers are diligent about ensuring that all CM, Combo, and Level 1-2 students are connected with a trusted caregiver before returning to the classroom. | |
Studio SEA (Greenlake: 410 NE 72nd Street, Seattle WA 98112): Studio SEA opened almost two years ago and is a gorgeous, 1,300 square foot studio with marley floors and expansive mirrors. It is on the same block as our original home near PCC. Street parking is available in the neighborhood, and PCC will validate parking for up to 90 minutes if you purchase an item from their store. Drop off and pickup will both occur at the front door outside of Studio SEA. Please do not enter the studio before class ends as it's disruptive to the students. Instructors will dismiss students out to you on the sidewalk and ensure that all Level 1-2 students are connected with a trusted caregiver before returning to the classroom. | |
eXit SPACE | NOD Theater & Studio Oakland (Capitol Hill: 1621 12th Ave, Seattle, WA 98122): Only upper level courses are held at this location – our beautiful performance and class space which opened two years ago in Capitol Hill! Parking is available on all surrounding streets (make sure to pay your meter) and the light rail also has a main stop just 5 blocks away. There is a dancer's-only lounge area that our students will be given access to so they can wait safely inside the building for classes to begin or to be picked up. Both drop-off and pickup will take place at the main doors on 12th Avenue. | |
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Dress code & buying supplies
At eXit SPACE, we enforce a strict dress code for Combo and level 1-6 dancers. As teachers and educators, our goal is to focus on your dancer’s training and progression while minimizing clothing-related distractions. Having a dress code enables teachers to best see dancers' alignment in order to give corrections that maximize safety and learning. Proper attire is also a matter of etiquette in dance, maximizing uniformity such that dancers feel like part of a group. Teamwork, camaraderie, and performance increase throughout the season as students remain in a mindset of learning. We also hope our dress code decreases your stress as parents/guardians; you will know exactly what to purchase and your dancer will know what to bring every week without a reminder!
Please note: eXit SPACE values, respects, and supports students of all gender identities. As a supportive and safe environment our dress codes are gender neutral, so students may choose to wear anything from the list of suitable attire options with the knowledge that we encourage them to wear whatever most empowers and emboldens them as dancers. Please review the dress code for each of your child's classes and be prepared to send them to class in one of the mandated attire options. All shoes, including hip hop shoes, MUST be indoor only to protect our floors. We suggest buying local at Center Stage Dance Shop or online at Discount Dance!
If finances are a barrier to adhering to dress code, purchasing shoes, etc., please contact us so that we can support your family with donated items.
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Tuition and autopayments
As you know through the enrollment process, for your convenience and ease of payment, we offer two payment options for young dancer classes (one of which you selected upon enrollment): tuition paid in full at the beginning of the season at a discounted rate of 5% OR tuition paid in 4 installments throughout the Sept-May season on specific due dates.
- For those paying tuition in full, your tuition will be charged automatically on September 1.
- For those paying in installments, your first payment will run September 1. The next three charges will be processed on November 11, January 13, and March 17. You can always view past statements and payment history in your Dance Studio Pro account.
Read more about our tuition and payment policies.
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COVID-19 policies, absences, and makeups
We are committed to prioritizing the health and safety of our students, their families, and our faculty/staff. eXit SPACE will adhere to any and all WA State requirements regarding COVID policies and guidelines, and we continue to encourage vaccinations and up-to-date boosters for all qualifying dancers. Masks are optional and proof of vaccination is not required. That said, please do not bring your dancer to class if they are sick; if your dancer has a mild cold and has consistently tested negative for COVID-19, we ask that they wear a mask to class out of respect for other dancers.
Illness and injury are always valid reasons for absences, however dancers of all ages are expected to attend their classes as regularly as possible. Dance is a practice and class is the foundation of learning for dancers in that it is a critical space for observation, repetition, strength-building, motor learning, and development. Dancers who do not attend class regularly are at risk for falling behind and therefore at risk for injury. During performance season, excessive absences also impact other dancers in the class relying on their peers for learning, retaining, and practicing choreography.
Whether due to illness or otherwise, CM, Combo, and Level 1-2 who miss class may attend up to two makeups per "semester" (September to December and January to May) in another level/age-appropriate class; please contact miranda@exitspacedance.com to schedule.
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Enrollment and FREE trial classes!
Enrollment for the 2024-25 Young Dancer Season at eXit SPACE is still open and spaces are available in select classes! If your dancer has friends who want to join eXit SPACE or if your dancer wants to join an additional class, now is the time to enroll.
Beginning on September 9th, we will also be offering free trial classes for select offerings, which is a great way to explore other genres and styles of dance. While we can't guarantee spaces will still be open by the 9th, you're welcome to wait it out and see!
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Faculty & Staff
For all inquiries, please direct your questions to Young Dancer Program Director miranda@exitspacedance.com – this is the fastest way to get ahold of our team regarding Young Dancer Program inquiries. You can also reach administrators during office hours at (206) 949-8643 and we will be happy to help!
***Fall Office Hours (Starting September 9, 2024)***
theNEST: Mon–Thurs from 3:00 - 8:00pm and Sat from 9:00am - 12:30pm
OFFICE ADMINISTRATORS
YOUNG DANCER PROGRAM FACULTY
- Rose Amlin (she/her): CM, Combo, Jazz, Modern, Hip Hop
- Miranda Chantelois (she/her): CM, Combo, Ballet
- DaeZhane Day (she/they/he): Hip Hop, Modern, Contemporary
- Nicole Flores (they/she): Ballet, Conditioning
- Tyra Kopf (she/her): Modern, Jazz, Conditioning, Leaps & Turns, Inversions & Floor Flow, thePROGRAM Rehearsal Director
- Marlo Martin (she/her): Modern, Contemporary, thePROGRAM Rehearsal Director
- Annie St. Marie (he/she/they): Jazz, Ballet, Pointe
- Ashlynn Rodriguez (she/her): CM, Combo, Jazz, Modern, Progressions
- Bri Wilson (she/her): Ballet, Pointe
- Lauren Wlasichuk (she/her): Jazz
- Hayley Keller (she/her): Modern, thePROGRAM Rehearsal Assistant
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EXIT SPACE | NOD THEATER | 1621 12TH AVE SEATTLE, WA 98122
THE NEST | 6600 1ST AVE NE SEATTLE, WA 98115
STUDIO SEA | 410 NE 72ND ST SEATTLE, WA 98115
PHOTO CREDIT: JAZZY PHOTO & WARREN WOO (HEADSHOTS)
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