Welcome to Classen School of Advanced Studies and the Dance Department. Hopefully, you are as excited as we are to begin the 2008-2009 school year. We appreciate the confidence you have demonstrated in our program by entrusting us with your child’s education. We want you to know that your child’s progress and development will always be our first priority.

          During the seven years at Classen SAS you and your child will have many important decisions to make. Many of these decisions will have a crucial effect on your child’s future. We believe that consistent, open communication with our students and parents is the best way to help our young dancers make positive choices. Parents, help your child make well informed decisions by carefully reading the following pages. This will help you to understand what kind of dance education your child will receive in our program.

          The purpose of our program is to provide students with a realistic understanding of the physical demands and artistic skills required for a successful career in dance. Our vision is to prepare students to compete on a national level for university scholarships and/or employment with a professional ballet or modern dance company.

          It takes many years of daily classroom training to accomplish the physical skills needed to master the art of dance. These skills must be learned in the dance studio where “hands-on” assistance and the physical example of the teachers are available. Students completing our curriculum will have spent over 7000 hours in dance technique classes. These classes are extremely rigorous and physically demanding. It is crucial for every young dancer and his/her parents to understand that success in dance depends on the student’s ability to participate in these daily classes. All Classen dance students’ progress and grades will be based on their participation and performance in these classes.

          Today’s dancer must be prepared to dance an extremely diverse repertoire of classical and contemporary styles of dance. Our curriculum is designed to meet these challenges by providing students with a strong background in classical ballet and modern dance. Classes include beginning to advanced levels of ballet and modern technique, pointe, composition, dance history and choreography. Our students enjoy annual scheduled performance opportunities in The Nutcracker and Dance Extravaganza!

         Parents, please help to ensure your child’s success in the Classen SAS dance program by carefully reading the following rules, policies and dress code. These will be applied to every student enrolled in a dance class. Also, included are a parent/ student contract and calendar of this year’s scheduled activities. The contract must be turned in to the Dance Department by September 30, 2008. All students except those enrolled in General Dance 6, 7 and 8 will be requested to make a $25.00 donation to help pay for costumes and production costs. We also ask that all parents and students support the various fundraising activities that the Dance Department and Classen S.A.S. will have during the year. If you have any questions or concerns at any time, please call us at 962-0265 or come visit us anytime in the Dance Annex.

                                                                   The Classen SAS Dance Family