Costumes, Costumes, Costumes! + Steppin' Out April News

April has arrived, and with it a huge box of costumes! We'll be trying on costumes in class to make sure everything fits and works. You are welcome to take your child's costume home as soon as it's been paid for (so bring your checks to class). All we ask is that you keep those costumes packed away until the dress rehearsal so they will sparkle--along with your child--on stage. The start of this month also means we'll be collecting money for our costume drive. If you feel inspired, please read below to see how you can participate. Finally, a reminder that our performance dates are as follows: Teens and young adults will perform both Saturday, 6/7 at 7 p.m., and Sunday, 6/8, at 4 p.m. at Everett Middle School. Younger performers will perform only on Sunday, 6/8, at 4 p.m. at Everett Middle School. For the first time ever, we will also be holding a dress rehearsal on Saturday, 5/31 (details below). We can't wait!

MOVEMENT OF THE MONTH: SKIPS
In March, we worked on marching--lifting each knee in succession and coordinating our movements with the music. Now, in April, we can take this one step further into skipping. Have your dancers lift not only their knees but their whole bodies as they push off the floor with their standing legs into a hop. Then try it on the other side. Younger dancers can work on simply lifting off the floor while intermediate dancers can link the skips together into forward movement. More advanced dancers can try turning while they skip! However they do it, skips can be a wonderful way for your dancers to learn grace and lightness as their feet barely skim the floor.

DRESS REHEARSAL

For the first time ever, all Steppin' Out dancers will have the opportunity to practice on the Everett stage a little over a week before the actual performance. Dress Rehearsal will be on Saturday, May 31st. Please check the following posting for your child's specific call time: http://www.steppinoutsf.com/2014/04/steppin-out-dress-rehearsal-times-at.html

PLEASE DONATE TO OUR COSTUME DRIVE IN APRIL
During the entire month of April, we will be raising funds for families who could use a little help paying for costumes for the performance. There are two ways to participate: We'll be accepting donations for coffee (on Saturdays) and tea (during the week) through a basket in the kitchen throughout April. Additionally or alternatively, families might add a $1 donation to their April tuition when they pay at the front desk. Donating is completely optional, but if you are able to give a small amount, we can make sure all dancers get a chance to perform. And if you are a family in need of support for buying costumes, please contact Angela.

QUICK TIP
Want a reminder of the costume your child is wearing or need to know the price? Here's a list of costumes and pricing for as many of the costumes as have been confirmed: http://www.steppinoutsf.com/2014/04/steppin-out-costume-list-2014.html