Studio Address: 802 Main St West, Ashland, WI Mailing Address: 1316 Main St W, Ashland, WI 54806
ASHLAND SCHOOL OF DANCE
Offering Ballet, Lyrical, Jazz, Tap, Poms & Funk Classes
For Dancers Ages 3 & up
DATES TO REMEMBER:
NO CLASS DATES
Sunday, December 22 – Wednesday, January 1
Friday, January 10
PICTURE DAYS
Saturday, January 18
PRODUCTION DANCE PRACTICE
Sunday, December 15 11:00 am – 12:15 pm
PAJAMA WEEK
Sunday, December 15 – Friday, December 20
2025 WINTER SHOWCASE PERFORMANCE
Friday, January 10 5:30 pm
STARZ DANCE COMPETITION
Friday, February 21 – Sunday, February 23
SPRING FLING DANCE COMPETITION
Saturday, March 8 – Sunday, March 9
MASQUERADE DANCE COMPETITION
Friday, March 21 – Sunday, March 23
CELEBRATION DANCE COMPETITION
Friday, March 28 – Sunday, March 30
2025 SPRING DANCE RECITAL
Thursday, April 10 & Friday, April 11 - Rehearsal
Saturday, April 12 - Performances
WINTER DANCE SESSION
Is your dancer interested in trying a new style or adding an extra class? Or do you know a friend who wants to join ASOD? Our Winter Dance Session starts the week of Monday, January 13, and all classes will perform a dance in our Spring Dance Recital. Check out the available class options by logging into your online dance account! https://dancestudio-pro.com/online/asod Please note, all current dance classes, with the exception of Adult Hip Hop, will run through April.
PICTURE DAYS
Our first dance picture day is on Saturday, December 7. Schedules are attached and available on our website or at the studio. Dancers will have individual and group photos taken during their class times. The second picture day is on Saturday, January 18. If your dancer can't make their scheduled time, please email asod@centurytel.net. Order forms will be sent home during picture week; if your dancer misses class that week, you can pick one up at their photo time. Payments are due on picture day, and checks should be made out to Focus Photography. Please make sure your dancer brings their costume, tights, and shoes! Please note that Jr Co and Sr Co dancers will have their pictures taken on separate days; these dancers should watch their email for further details.
PAJAMA WEEK – SUNDAY, DEC 15 – FRIDAY, DEC 20
We invite all dancers to participate in our Pajama Week as we celebrate the final week of classes before winter break! Wear your favorite pajamas or comfy clothes. Please note, our winter break begins on Sunday, December 22, and classes will resume regular schedule on Thurs, January 2.
RECITAL COSTUMES
If your dancer is performing in the Winter Showcase on Friday, January 10 and has not yet brought home their costume, please be sure to pick it up at class before the Christmas break. We have spent several hours to steaming the costumes so that dancers look their best on stage. Please keep the costumes hung up until the performance. Once costumes are brought home, please make sure your dancer does not wear them until the Winter Showcase Performance, as we cannot replace any damaged costumes or missing pieces before the performance.
TIGHTS
For pictures, the Winter Showcase and Spring Dance Recital dancers are required to wear nude color tights with their costumes. A tights order form is available at the dance studio. The attached document outlines the required tights and hairstyle for each group participating in the Winter Showcase performance on Friday, January 10, at Northwestern High School. Tight orders should be submitted to ASOD by Friday, December 13. Tights are also available for purchase through the online store on your dance account. Once logged into your account, click on "Store." dancestudio-pro.com/online/asod Ordering tights through the studio is optional. We provide this service as there are no local stores that carry them.
DANCING WITH MY GIRL
The next practice for the Dancing with My Girl group is Sunday, December 8. With the final practice on Sunday, January 5.
PRODUCTION DANCE
The next practice for the Production Dance is Sunday, December 15 from 11:00 – 12:15 at the dance studio. This group of dancers will perform at both of the Spring Dance Recital performances in April.
WINTER SHOWCASE PERFORMANCE
The 2025 Winter Showcase Performance will take place on Friday, January 10, at Northwestern High School in Maple, WI. Tickets will be available for purchase starting November 1. Dancers will wear their costumes, tights, and dance shoes for the performance.
The Winter Dance Performance will include the following dancers –all competition teams, Level I Lyrical/Jazz, Level I Jazz/Funk, Level II Lyrical/Jazz, Level II Jazz/Funk, Poms (Monday class), Level III Lyrical/Jazz, Level III Jazz/Funk, Jr Co Jazz/Funk, Jr Company, Sr Co Jazz/Funk & Sr Company classes.
There will be two performances on Friday, January 10. The first, at 5:30 PM, will feature all group and duo/trio dances, while the second performance at 7:00 PM will showcase solo dancers. Please check our website, your email, and monthly newsletters for updates on the Winter Showcase Performance. If your dancer's class isn't listed, they will perform in our Spring Dance Recital in April.
WINTER SHOWCASE PERFORMANCE VOLUNTEERS
Adult volunteers are need to supervise dancers backstage when they aren't performing. Volunteers will be able to watch their dancer's group perform on stage from the backstage area. You can sign up to volunteer by logging in your dance account (https://dancestudio-pro.com/online/asod) and click volunteer on the home page. Volunteers that sign up to help backstage at the Winter Showcase will receive one free ticket to our Spring Dance Recital in April.
WINTER SHOWCASE PERFORMANCE TICKETS
Tickets for the Winter Showcase Performance will be available for purchase starting Friday, November 1. All parents, family members, and friends who wish to attend the performance on Friday, January 10, at 5:30 PM at Northwestern High School must have a ticket, with the exception of children 3 and under who can sit on an adult's lap for free. Please only purchase the number of tickets you will use, as they are nonrefundable. If you are volunteering backstage, you do NOT need a ticket to watch that performance! Tickets can be purchased beginning Friday, November 1, by following this link (https://dancestudio-pro.com/tickets/asod) or by logging into your dance account and clicking on the tickets option on the homepage. Auditorium doors open at 5:00 pm. Your ticket for the 5:30 PM performance will also grant you access to the 7:00 PM soloist performance, so only one ticket is needed if you plan to attend both shows.
NO CLASS DATES
Mark Your Calendars! There will be no dance classes on Sunday, December 22 thru Wednesday, January 1. Classes resume regular schedule on Thursday, January 2. We hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday! The only classes scheduled during those dates will be make up classes for those that have had a cancelled class.
A complete list of "no class dates" may be found on the schedule tab. Please note: ASOD doesn't follow the school schedule; sometimes we have class when there is no school and vice versa.
SOLO/DUET/TRIO DANCERS
Solo/duet dancers should be practicing their recital dances each week, as they will need to show their completed routines during class the week of November 10. For the Winter Showcase Performance, soloists will perform their dances at the 7:00 pm soloist show on Friday, January 10 while duet & trio dancers will be included in the group show scheduled for 5:30 pm on Friday, January 10 at the Northwestern High School. All Sr Company solo/duet dances will be included in the Spring Dance Recital in April.
SPRING DANCE RECITAL
We are also gearing up for the 2025 Spring Dance Recital, scheduled for Saturday, April 12, at the Northwestern High School Auditorium. This recital will feature all dancers enrolled in our 2024-2025 Dance Season. Creative Movement, PreBallet/Tiny Tap, PrePoms/Jazz, and PreJazz/Funk classes will perform in one of the two shows, while Level I, Level II, Level III, Jr Co, and Sr Co will perform in both shows on Saturday, April 12. We will provide updates about the recital through our website, emails, and monthly newsletter.
STUDIO WAITING ROOM
If you plan to stay at the dance studio while your dancer is in class, please remain in the waiting room once classes begin. Dancers perform better when they're not being watched by everyone in the waiting area. For those dancers waiting for their class to start, we also request that they stay in the waiting room until the previous class has ended. Once children enter the dance room, we ask that they avoid running around while waiting for their class to begin.
DANCE COMPETITIONS
All competition teams, including Mini, Petite, Junior, Teen, as well as Jr Company and Sr Company classes, are set to participate in competitions for the upcoming year. If your dancer is unable to attend their group's competition, please inform us as soon as possible. Additionally, competitions are open to all dancers registered for a solo, duet, or trio for the 2024-2025 Dance Season. Dancers are allowed to do one solo and one duet at each competition. You can register your solo/duet dancer for competitions by logging into your dance account online. The document detailing the competition dates, locations, deadlines, and the classes participating in each competition is available for pick up at the dance studio or by email.
AGE REQUIREMENTS FOR 2024-2025 DANCE CLASSES
The following age requirements are required for 2024-2025 dance classes:
Creative Movement dancers must be 3 years old by Sept. 1
Pre-Ballet/Tiny Tap & Pre-Jazz/Funk dancers must be 5 by Sept 1
Level I dancers must be 7 by Sept 1
Dancers in Level 2 and up are all moved up by instructor recommendations. Please contact us if you have any questions on which class(es) your dancer may sign up for this fall.
DANCE SHOES
If your dancer needs to order dance shoes at any point throughout the dance season, please be sure to let your dance instructor know! Dancers can be fitted for shoes before or after their dance class. Dance shoes are mandatory when attending dance class. And please be sure to write your dancer's name or initials in their dance shoes!! The list below shows what each class needs for dance shoes:
Creative Movement - pink ballet shoes
PrePoms/Jazz - black jazz shoes
PreJazz/Funk - black jazz shoes
Preballet/Tiny Tap - pink ballet shoes/black tap shoes
Poms - black jazz shoes
Int/Adv Tap - black tap shoes
Mini Comp Team: pink ballet shoes/black jazz shoes
Petite Comp Team: tan lyrical shoes
Teen Comp Team: tan lyrical shoes
Junior Comp Team: tan lyrical shoes
Level I Lyrical/Jazz - pink ballet shoes or tan lyrical shoes & black jazz shoes
Level II Lyrical/Jazz - pink ballet shoes or tan lyrical shoes & black jazz shoes
Level III Lyrical/Jazz - tan lyrical shoes
Jr Company - tan lyrical shoes
Sr Company - tan lyrical shoes
Level I Jazz/Funk - black jazz shoes
Level II Jazz/Funk - black jazz shoes
Level III Jazz/Funk - black jazz shoes
Jr Co Jazz/Funk - Black/White Nike shoes
Sr Co Jazz/Funk - white shoes
Adult Hip Hop - clean soled tennis shoes
EMAILS, NEWSLETTERS & WEBSITE
Throughout the dance season, please be sure to check your emails regularly and read the monthly newsletters. Our main form of communication is email. The monthly newsletters always have lots of important information. All newsletters will be emailed to everyone who provided an email address at registration. Please email us (asod@centurytel.net) if you didn't receive a copy of this newsletter by email. All of the information is also available here on our website. (site.ashlandschoolofdance.info). You can also find ASOD on Facebook.
PRE-BALLET/TINY TAP & LEVEL I DANCERS
When dancers for the Pre-Ballet/Tiny Tap and Level 1 classes come to class, please make sure that both sets of their shoes have their names in them and please make sure their shoes are in a bag when they come to class each week. This will help lessen the confusion of whose shoes are whose since most dancers have the same shoes.
DANCE STUDIO PRO
We'll continue using the online program called Dance Studio Pro for our registrations, tuition payments, ticket sales and volunteer sign ups. DSP also offers an app which is also very convenient. This link: https://dancestudio-pro.com/online/asod can be used to log in your account. If you ever have any issues logging in, please be sure to let me know. Monthly payments can be done right online, otherwise payments can also be given to your dance instructor or sent via Venmo (@asod5678) if you want to avoid the fees from paying online. Please note, dance instructors DO NOT know how much each family owes on their account; you are responsible for logging into your account to get your balance due. Monthly newsletters and various reminders are also posted on bulletin board of DSP. Once our schedule is finalized after registration the calendar page on DSP will show the no class dates.
WEATHER/CANCELLED CLASSES
Please remember to check your email on a regular basis. A few of our dance instructors come from out of town to teach their dance classes; if we cancel dance class for any reason, I will send an email to notify parents. I will also post on facebook if classes are cancelled. All cancelled classes will be made up at a later date; all make up class details will be emailed to parents once dates and times are set.
CLASS ATTENDANCE
If your dancer is unable to attend their dance class, please be sure to email asod@centurytel.net or send us a message to let us know they won't be at class. If your dancer isn't feeling well, please be sure to NOT send them to dance class!! We want to stress the importance of attendance to dance class. In our policy handout it states: "Any student who misses 8 or more classes during the regular season (Sept-April) will not be allowed to participate in the spring dance recital performance." Dancers only progress if they attend class on a regular basis. If your dancer is going to miss 2 or more weeks in a row due to other commitments, you can expect that while they're missing class the rest of the class is learning parts to their recital dance so your dancer may be excluded from a portion of the recital dance. It is not fair to the instructors or the other dancers in the class, if instructors can't move forward each week with teaching their recital dances.
WATER BOTTLES
Remember to send a water bottle with your dancer to each and every class!!
CLASS ADVANCEMENT
Over the dance season, the instructors evaluate the dancers in their classes to decide who is ready to advance to the next level. All Creative Movement and PreBallet/Tiny Tap dancers advance to the next level depending on their age. Dancers must be 5 by September 1 to advance to the PreBallet/Tiny Tap class. Dancers must be 7 years old by September 1 to advance to Level I Ballet/Jazz; Level I Jazz/Tap and/or Level I Jazz/Funk. After dancers reach Level I they are moved up to the next level by the instructors. Instructors evaluate dancer’s skill & ability levels, their behavior in class, listening skills, maturity levels, respect for others (dancers & instructors), how well they work together as a team, their attendance...many things are taken into consideration when determining if dancers are ready to move up to the next level. As parents it’s natural to think that our dancer is ready to advance to the next level but we have to remember we aren’t the ones in the class each and every week. . . . . so we’ll leave this up to our instructors.
DROPPING OFF AND PICKING UP YOUR DANCERS
If you have a Creative Movement, PreBallet, Level I or Level II dancer please stay at the studio with your dancer until class starts. Dancers shouldn’t be arriving more than 10 minutes prior to class starting. And please remind your dancers there should be no running around and yelling or using loud voices while waiting for class to start. Also, when your dancer’s class ends each week we would like parents to come into the building to pick up their dancer (this is required for all dancers through Level 2).
LOST & FOUND
When you pick up your dancer after class each week, please be sure to make sure they have all their shoes.
CLEAN STUDIO
For those of you that bring a snack to the studio, please take a moment to clean up any mess before you leave. Please help up keep the studio area clean.
FACEBOOK
Like Ashland School of Dance on Facebook to keep up on all the dance updates and reminders.
QUESTIONS, COMMENTS OR CONCERNS
Please contact us by phone or email.
Telephone: 715-413-1074
Email: asod@centurytel.net
Mailing Address: 1316 Main St West Ashland, WI 54806
Ashland Studio Address: 802 Main St West Ashland, WI 54806 (next to The Alley)
SOLO/DUET/TRIO DANCERS
Solo/duet dancers should be practicing their recital dances each week, as they will need to show their completed routines during class the week of November 10. For the Winter Showcase Performance, soloists will perform their dances at the 7:00 pm soloist show on Friday, January 10 while duet & trio dancers will be included in the group show scheduled for 5:30 pm on Friday, January 10 at the Northwestern High School. All Sr Company solo/duet dances will be included in the Spring Dance Recital in April.