Parents and Dancers! We are so glad to be back in the studio with our competition teams. We have jumped into a great start already and we are getting excited to jump in full force with studio classes here in the next few weeks. Just a reminder that we handed out the postcards to dancers at intensives to hand out. Be sure that your dancers name is on the postcard before handing them out!! We will run our contest until the middle of September however, dancers can still bring them in to get a discounted registration price. Remember the more you hand out, the more opportunity you have to win. Parents, be ready! In a few weeks we have a contest just for you.

If you have been into the studio you will have noticed that we did a little remodeling. Here are a few progress pictures that you can see what we have done. We still are working on some things but we are loving the fresh, new look so far. If you want to see the final product, be sure to take a step inside the main waiting room! And a big thanks to everyone that helped!!

We just want to remind you of a couple of things. We have received our team wear back and we LOVE it!! We just are waiting to get the tops embroidered then they will be ready to be sent home. You will not be able to pick up your team wear until you have paid the full $40.00. We would also like to give you a heads up that we are ordering team jackets this year! We have not received a final cost for those yet, so as soon as we do we will let you know. There will be a $50.00 deposit due on those when we try them on, which should be in two weeks. This year we will also be ordering team bags. These are totally optional, but very useful come time for competitions and recitals. These will be done closer to October or November and would be a great Christmas gift if you need any ideas. They will have your dancers Name and RWDS embroidered on them so they are personalized. More details to come later.

Monday is the 15th of the month so make sure you have paid your tuition to avoid getting a $10.00 late fee!! We have been working with our merchant to see if we are able to get autopay up and going so we will keep you posted on that as well. If you have not logged on to your online account to pay be sure to try it out. From the website, click on members then click on account. It will link you over the the website and you should be able to login from there. If you have problems there is a support page. I am also planning on a parents meeting in the next month to go over some things and I will walk you through the site a little more.

Last thing! We have decided that this year we would like to spotlight dancers and staff. We are planning on doing 4 every few weeks. Watch your email and if your dancer is chosen as a spotlight we will have a questionnaire to fill out and ask for a picture as well. We are hoping that it will help us get to know each other a little better. We will post these on the bulletin boards in the two waiting rooms, on social media, and on here. If you prefer that your child does not participate or if you don't want their information posted, please let us know! We will cater to what you feel comfortable with. This first month we chose two of our FABULOUS teachers! Here is their spotlight.. I hope you get to know something new about them.

Kara Johnson

1. How long have you been teaching dance? For 12 years.

2. Why did you decide to become a dance teacher?

Dance brings so much joy into my life, and I wanted to share that with the younger generation.

3. What is your dance background? I started dancing when I was 2. I was the Sterling Scholar in dance when I was in high school. I have my Bachelor’s degree in Dance Education from SUU. I performed with the Alwin Nickolais Dance Company in New York and Hubei Providence Dance Theatre in Wuhan China.

4. What or who inspires you in your teaching?

My Mom, she is also a dance teacher. I grew up watching her and wanted to the same.

5. What is your favorite part about being a dance teacher?

Watching students grow both has technical dancers and outstanding human beings.

6. What is your favorite thing to do?

I like to be outside, so any sort of camping adventure.

7. What is your favorite food? Sushi

8. What is your favorite color? Blue

9. What is your favorite TV show or movie? It’s a Wonderful Life

10. What is your favorite book? To Kill a Mockingbird

11. Where is your favorite place to be? My best friends cabin with my friends and family

12. One word that best describes you? Curious

13. What makes you happy? Being with my family and friends, dancing and traveling.

14. What are you most proud of? Always being true to myself.

15. When is your birthday? June 16th

Megan Miyawaki

1. How long have you been teaching dance? I have been teaching for 3 years.

2. Why did you decide to become a dance teacher? I have a strong passion for dance and I want to share it with others. I love seeing younger dancers grow, create, and become inspired to dance too.

3. What is your dance background? I danced at RWDS for 10 years, and then moved on to dance on my high school drill team at Syracuse for 3 years. Now I am currently on my third year dancing with the Spirit Squad at Weber State University.

4. What or who inspires you in your teaching? Bonnie Story, a choreographer for High School Musical, has definitely inspired me. She taught a couple technique classes for my drill team and you can just tell she loves dance so much. She taught me to keep pushing myself when I thought I couldn’t and reignited my love for dance. I hope to be like her one day and inspire others like she did for me.

5. What is your favorite part about being a dance teacher? My favorite part about being a dance teacher is seeing the progress from the beginning of the year to the end. It’s a very rewarding thing to see a dancer reach their goals and move on to bigger ones.

6. What is your favorite thing to do? Dance, of course! I also like photography, reading, and playing with my dogs.

7. What is your favorite food? I love food, so I don’t really have a favorite!

8. What is your favorite color? Maroon

9. What is your favorite TV show or movie? Harry Potter all the way!

10. What is your favorite book? Harry Potter…. Always.

11. Where is your favorite place to be? Anywhere with my friends and family!

12. One word that best describes you? Uhh… Weird.

13. What makes you happy? My dogs, dancing, friends, food & making weird videos.

14. What are you most proud of? I am most proud of earning my Associate’s degree for now and moving on to a Bachelor’s in Athletic Therapy.

15. When is your birthday? March 26th