IMPORTANT DATES

• Fri. Oct 11 – PA Day Camp – Swiftie Camp
• Sun. Oct. 13 & Mon. Oct 14 – Studio Closed for Thanksgiving. No classes. (Open for classes on Sat. Oct. 12)
• Thurs. Oct. 31 – Studio Closed for Halloween. No classes.
• Fri. Nov. 1 – Annual Performance Fees Due
• Fri. Nov. 15 – Winterlude Tickets on Sale
• Fri. Nov. 5 – PA Day Camp – Wands & Wizards
• Tues. Dec. 5 – All Term 2 Tuition Payments Due. (All students currently registered in classes for term 1 are automatically registered for term 2 unless we’re informed otherwise. This ensures that when second term registration opens to the public, no one inadvertently loses their spot for the 2^nd half of the academic year.)
• Fri. Dec 13 – Last Day of Classes in Term 1
• Sat. Dec. 14 – Winterlude Rehearsals @ The Wolf Performance Hall
• Mon. Dec. 16 – Sat. Jan. 4 – Studio Closed for the holidays.
• Sun. Jan. 5 – First Day of Classes after Holiday Break
• Fri. Jan 17 – PA Day Camp – Moana’s Island Adventure
• Mon. Feb. 17 – Studio Closed for Family Day
• Sun. Mar. 9 – Sat. Mar. 15 – March Break – No Regular Classes
• Mon. Mar. 10 – Fri. Mar. 14 – March Break Camp
• Fri. Apr. 11 – PA Day Camp – Superhero Training Camp
• Fri. Apr. 18 – Studio Closed for Good Friday. No classes.
• Sat. Apr. 19 – Studio OPEN, all regular classes running.
• Sun. Apr. 20 – Studio Closed for Easter Sunday. No classes.
• Mon. Apr. 21 – Studio Closed for Easter Monday. No classes.
• Mon. May 19 – Studio Closed for Victoria Day
• Fri. May 30 – PA Day Camp – Beach Bash Day Camp
• Fri. June 13 – Last Day of Classes in Term 2
• Sat. June 14 – Let’s Dance 2025 (June Recital) Rehearsals @ The Paul Davenport Theatre, UWO
• Sun. June 15 – Let’s Dance 2025 (June Recital) Shows @ The Paul Davenport Theatre, UWO
• Fri. June 27 – PA Day Camp – Secret Agent Adventure Camp

Welcome Back!

Cheers to 28 Years of Back to Dance! A big THANK YOU to our amazing teachers, dedicated staff, supportive parents, awesome assistants, and enthusiastic students – each one of you helped make our 28th ‘Back to Dance’ a huge success. Here’s to a fantastic season ahead filled with fun, learning, and lots of dancing!

Buns are Best & Uniforms

A friendly reminder that all ballet & acro students are asked to wear a proper, ‘dancers bun’ to their classes, unless their haircut is very short. No idea what a dancer’s bun is? Check out one of these great how-to videos:

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMj_eaRML1w
• https://youtu.be/zUC3WzQrT6s (This video shows different textures and lengths of hair)

Wearing your hair in a bun ensures that students can concentrate on what is most important in class – learning and developing a love for dance! You can purchase a bun kit for $5.00 at the desk if you need supplies.

All dancers should be wearing their uniform to class each week. The only classes without a set uniform are the adult and toddler time classes. The dancewear store that generally keeps our uniform in stock is Dancewear Plus, and we also have a second-hand buy & sell group for families who would prefer to buy or sell gently used, North London Dance Centre uniforms:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/138158435959202

Studio Lobby Reminders

Our studio lobby is small and can only accommodate seating for 15. If your child’s class is at one of our busier times, and there are no seats available, we would appreciate if you could occasionally wait outside/in your vehicle and/or only send one caregiver inside the facility. We also ask families to take calls/facetime outside, and if sound is being used on a device, please wear earphones.

Dance Bags

We have a limited supply of brand-new dance bags for our young dancers available at the studio! Priced between $17-20 + HST, these sweet little bags are perfect for carrying all their dance essentials. Stop by the front desk to secure one for your little dancer today!

PA Day Camp Registration is OPEN

Registration is NOW OPEN for the first two PA Day Dance Camps of the academic season

• October 11 – Swiftie Camp
• November 15 – Wands & Wizards Camp

These are for children in JK-Grade 5, $50/day, and camp runs from 9 am – 4 pm. Drop off starts at 8:30 am & pick up ends at 4:30 pm. Register using your parent portal and selecting EVENTS.

Social Media

We encourage all our parents and students who have social media accounts to like/follow us on our Facebook account @NLondonDance or on Instagram @northlondondancecentre. We use these avenues to post reminders of important upcoming dates as well as studio info.

Winterlude 2024

11 weeks until showtime!

Winterlude is the name of our annual December recital shows. All classes from Dance Development up to our senior level classes will be performing. The rehearsal schedule & show assignments will follow before the end of October, so please continue to keep the weekend of December 14 & 15 open for your dancer(s).

Congratulations

Congratulations to Ms. Alexia and Ms. Isabella, who both successfully passed certifications with the Canadian Dance Teachers Association in Jazz in August. We’re so proud of both of you and your most recent achievements.

Thank YOU

As always, thank you for trusting us with your family’s dance education. We know you have other choices, and we’re glad you’re with us.

Kelly Hajar, Director

An email with the show assignments, indicating which class is performing in each show, will follow over the next few days.

Ashley started dance because she loved watching concerts and was amazed
by the dancing on the stage. She loved it so much that she learned dances on her own.

Her favourite part of dancing at NLDC is the teachers because they are kind, talented, and make classes fun! “I’ve met great friends and the studio is very welcoming.”

Ashley has set a goal to complete more dance exams in the future.

“Dancing at NLDC has taught me about different styles of dance, about teamwork, and how important it is to practice your technique.”

Congratulations, Ashley, on being our Student of the Month.

Keep up the GREAT work & happy dancing!

IMPORTANT DATES

• Tues. Sept. 5 – First Day of Term 1 Classes
• Fri. Oct. 6 – PA Day Camp – Ballet Barbie
• Sun. Oct. 8 & Mon. Oct 9 – Studio Closed for Thanksgiving. No classes. (Open for classes on Sat. Oct. 7)
• Tues. Oct. 31 – Studio Closed for Halloween. No classes.
• Wed. Nov. 1 – Annual Performance Fees Due
• Fri. Nov. 17 – PA Day Camp – Dancing Dinosaurs!
• Tues. Dec. 5 – All Term 2 Tuition Payments Due
• Fri. Dec. 8 – Last Day of Classes in Term 1
• Sat. Dec 9 – Winterlude Rehearsals @ The Wolf Performance Hall
• Sun. Dec 10 – Winterlude Shows @ The Wolf Performance Hall
• Mon. Dec. 11 – Sat. Jan. 6 – Studio Closed for the holidays.
• Sun. Jan. 7 – First Day of Classes after Holiday Break
• Fri. Jan 19 – PA Day Camp- Trolls Twist
• Mon. Feb. 19 – Studio Closed for Family Day
• Sun. Mar. 10 – Sat. Mar. 16 – March Break – No Regular Classes
• Mon. Mar. 11 – Fri. Mar. 15 – Holiday – A-Day March Break Camp
• Fri. Mar. 29 – Studio Closed for Good Friday. No classes.
• Sat. Mar. 30 – Studio OPEN, all regular classes running.
• Sun. Mar. 31 – Studio Closed for Easter Sunday. No classes.
• Mon. Apr. 1 – Studio Closed for Easter Monday. No classes.

Fall Registration

Thank you to our 370+ students & families who have already registered for fall 2023 classes. We appreciate your support of our small business. If you haven’t registered for fall classes yet, the sooner the better for the best availability. Back to school & back to the barre happen on DIFFERENT dates this year (for most students) due to a PA Day. Our classes start Tues. September 5th. We can’t wait to kick off season #27!

In case you missed it, if you have a 5 or 6-year-old who loves to move & groove, we have added another commercial hip hop class to the fall schedule, starting in 2 weeks with Ms. Isabella: Sundays 3:15-4:00 pm.

As we head into a new season, we have created a buy & sell group for families who would prefer to buy or sell gently used, North London Dance Centre uniforms & dance shoes.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/138158435959202

Pointe & Pick and Dancewear Plus continue to carry our full uniform in stock.

Class Spotlight- Acro

Flexibility, strength, balancing, limbering & tumbling: we have acro classes available for ages 5+ this fall. Add acro to your dancer’s schedule using the parent portal. Acro is taken concurrently with ballet, jazz or contemporary.

June Recital Videos

Reminder: June Recital Videos are READY to Download!
Links were emailed to all performing students at the beginning of July. Please check your junk folder if you didn’t see the email(s). Please download your files for keeping no later than September 1, 2023.

Studio Lobby Reminders

Our studio lobby is small and can only accommodate seating for 15. If your child’s class is at one of our busier times, and there are no seats available, we would appreciate if you could occasionally wait outside/in your vehicle and/or only send one caregiver inside the facility. We also ask families to take calls / facetime outside, and if sound is being used on a device, please wear earphones.

PA Day Camp & March Break Camp Registration is OPEN

Registration is NOW OPEN for our first three PA Day Dance Camps of the academic season as well as March Break.

• October 6 – Ballet Barbie
• November 17 – Dancing Dinosaurs!
• January 19 – Trolls Twist
• March 11-15 – A Holiday-A-Day

These are for children in JK-Grade 5, $49/day, and camp runs from 9 am – 4 pm. Drop off starts at 8:30 am & pick up ends at 4:30 pm. Register using your parent portal and selecting EVENTS for PA day camps, or CLASSES for March Break Camp.

Social Media

We encourage all our parents and students who have social media accounts to like/follow us on our Facebook and/or Twitter accounts @NLondonDance or on Instagram @northlondondancecentre. We use these avenues to post reminders of important upcoming dates as well as studio info.

Congratulations

Please join us in congratulating Ms. Isabella, who received her national achievement awards from the Canadian Dance Teachers’ Association this week in both jazz and tap! National achievement awards are earned by successfully completing all examinations from grade one through advanced. Amazing dedication & perseverance.

Thank You

As always, thank you for trusting us with your family’s dance education. We know you have other choices, and we’re glad you’re with us. If you have any questions, please reach out by email and my wonderful staff would be glad to help you. We thank you for your support.

Kelly Hajar, Director

Joan started dance so she could learn more, & her mom signed her up.

Her favourite part of dancing at NLDC is the recitals because she likes being on the stage & seeing everybody.

Joan wants to keep dancing & be a dancer when she’s older.

North London Dance Centre has taught Joan how to “kick really high in acro & how to do pliés in ballet”.

Congratulations, Joan, on being our Student of the Month. 

Keep up the GREAT work & happy dancing!

IMPORTANT DATES

• Tues. July 25 – Summer Mini-Session #2 Begins
• Tues. Sept. 5 – First Day of Term 1 Classes
• Fri. Oct. 6 – PA Day Camp – Ballet Barbie
• Sun. Oct. 8 & Mon. Oct 9 – Studio Closed for Thanksgiving. No classes.
• Tues. Oct. 31 – Studio Closed for Halloween. No classes.
• Wed. Nov. 1 – Annual Performance Fees Due
• Fri. Nov. 17 – PA Day Camp – Dancing Dinosaurs!
• Tues. Dec. 5 – All Term 2 Tuition Payments Due
• Fri. Dec. 8 – Last Day of Classes in Term 1
• Sat. Dec 9 – Winterlude Rehearsals @ The Wolf Performance Hall
• Sun. Dec 10 – Winterlude Shows @ The Wolf Performance Hall
• Mon. Dec. 11 – Sat. Jan. 6 – Studio Closed for the holidays.
• Sun. Jan. 7 – First Day of Classes after Holiday Break
• Fri. Jan 19 – PA Day Camp – Trolls Twist
• Mon. Feb. 19 – Studio Closed for Family Day

Summer Classes & Camps

We have been busy dancing through June and July with our first summer mini session ending last week and three weeks of awesome summer camps.

Our final, 6-week mini session of summer classes starts this week! We have limited spots remaining in our classes for children ages 2-13, as well as in our adult beginner-level 2 ballet classes.

Only a few days of summer camp remain available if you are looking for daytime care on any of these dates:

• Monday, August 14
• Thursday, August 17
• Friday, August 18
• Thursday, August 24

To register in any of these classes or dates, please log into the parent portal and select FIND CLASSES.

Fall Registration

Thank you to our 300+ students & families who have already registered for fall 2023 classes. We appreciate your support of our small business, and we look forward to making season #27 the best one yet! If you haven’t registered for fall classes yet, the sooner the better for the best availability.

June Recital Videos

Reminder: June Recital Videos are READY to Download! Links were emailed to all performing students at the beginning of July. Please check your junk folder if you didn’t see the email(s). Please download your files for keeping no later than September 1, 2023.

Shoe Charms

Do your kids like shoe charms as much as mine? We have North London Dance Centre shoe charms! $5+tax and you can purchase at the studio front desk. Stop by and pick up a little surprise for your favourite dancer today!

Studio Lobby Reminders

Our studio lobby is small and can only accommodate seating for 15. If your child’s class is at one of our busier times, and there are no seats available, we would appreciate if you could occasionally wait outside / in your vehicle and/or only send one caregiver inside the facility. We also ask families to take calls / facetime outside, and if sound is being used on a device, please wear earphones.

Class Spotlight – PBT

Progressing Ballet Technique is a program developed to help students advance in all dance forms by training muscle memory. PBT focuses on core stability, weight placement and alignment, and is practiced internationally. This class is a perfect complement to our ballet program.

Fall class times:

• Adult & Level 8+ PBT – Sundays 5:15 pm

Summer Session 2 class time:

• Adult Open PBT – Tuesdays 8:15 pm
• Level 2-7 PBT – Mondays 5:30 pm

PA Day Camp Registration is OPEN

Registration is NOW OPEN for our first three PA Day Dance Camps for the academic season!

• October 6 – Ballet Barbie
• November 17 – Dancing Dinosaurs!
• January 19 – Trolls Twist

These are for children in JK-Grade 5, $49 / day, and camp runs from 9 am – 4 pm. Drop off starts at 8:30 am & pick up ends at 4:30 pm. Register using your parent portal and selecting EVENTS.

Social Media

We encourage all our parents and students who have social media accounts to like / follow us on our Facebook and / or Twitter accounts @NLondonDance or on Instagram @northlondondancecentre. We use these avenues to post reminders of important upcoming dates as well as studio info.

Congratulations

Please join us in congratulating one of our senior students, Nicole Jamieson, who is at the Alberta Ballet School, taking part in their summer intensive. So proud of you, Nicole!

Thank YOU

As always, thank you for trusting us with your family’s dance education. We know you have other choices, and we’re glad you’re with us. If you have any questions, please reach out by email and my wonderful staff would be glad to help you. We thank you for your support.

Kelly Hajar, Director

Madeline started dance class because she loves dancing!

Her favourite part of dancing at NLDC is that “it is really fun!”

Madeline would like to become a ballerina and a dance teacher.

North London Dance Centre has taught Madeline “cool dance moves”.

Congratulations, Madeline, on being our Student of the Month. 

Keep up the GREAT work & happy dancing!

“I started dancing because it looked like a lot of fun!”

Her favourite part of dancing at NLDC is performing onstage at the recital and demonstrating everything she has learned.

In the future, Dilynn wants to make louder sounds in tap and improve her buffalo steps.

North London Dance Centre has helped Dilynn build her confidence when performing and learn new skills!

Congratulations, Dilynn, on being our Student of the Month. 

Keep up the GREAT work & happy dancing!

IMPORTANT DATES

• Sun. Mar. 5 – Sat. Mar 11 – Virtual Parent Viewing Week #2
• Sun. Mar. 12 – Sat. Mar 18 – Studio Closed for March Break, except for March Break Day Camp
• Mon. Mar 13 – Fri. Mar 17 – March Break Camp
• Sun. Apr. 2 – Mock RAD Ballet Exams & Class Awards (Ms. Debra’s students)
• Fri. Apr 7 – Studio Closed for Good Friday
• Sat. Apr 8 – Studio OPEN – all classes running
• Sun. Apr. 9 – Studio Closed for Easter Sunday
• Mon. Apr. 10 – Studio Closed for Easter Monday
• Sun. Apr. 23 – Recital Costume Photo Day 1
• Thurs. Apr. 27 – RAD Ballet Exams & Class Awards (Ms. Debra’s students)
• Fri. May 5 – Let’s Dance 2023 (Recital) tickets on sale
• Sun. May 14 – Recital Costume Photo Day 2
• Fri. May 19 – PA Day Camp – Descendants Themed
• Mon. May 22 – Studio Closed for Victoria Day
• Sun. May 28 – Recital Costume Photo Day 3
• Fri. June 2 – PA Day Camp – The Little Mermaid Themed
• Sat. June 3 – Last Day of Classes in Term 2
• Sun. June 4 – Let’s Dance 2023 (Recital) Rehearsals
• Mon. June 5 – Let’s Dance 2023 (Recital) Shows A & B
• Tues. June 6 – Let’s Dance 2023 (Recital) Shows C & D
• Wed. & Thurs. June 7 & 8 – Let’s Dance 2023 (Recital) Shows C & D
• Mon. June 12 – Summer Mini-Session #1 Begins
• Mon. & Tues. June 12 & 13 – CDTA Jazz & Tap Exams (tentative)
• Fri. June 30 – PA Day Camp – Snow White Themed
• Mon. July 24 – Summer Mini-Session #2 Begins

Wellness Precautions

We continue to be a mask-friendly environment and encourage mask wearing in our facility, especially while in the lobby.  Our studio lobby has limited seating, so please consider alternating weeks you plan to stay to observe, and having only one caregiver enter the building, especially if your class is at one of our busier times.

Virtual Parent Viewing Week

Our VIRTUAL parent viewing week starts this Sunday, March 5th and runs until Saturday, March 11th, our last classes before March Break. To view your family’s classes virtually during our special week please follow the instructions which were previously emailed to each family. Parents will be in our virtual waiting room until the teacher admits them into the classroom. It takes us a few minutes to clear the prior class and get the next class physically into the studio, so parents will see a delay from the actual class start time. Parents joining are asked to:

• Join the meeting WITHOUT VIDEO
• Stay on MUTE for the class
• Join the meeting using the last name of your dancer
• Join promptly – we will add in all virtual parent viewers as soon as we start up the class from the virtual waiting room.

March Break Camp

March Break is only 1 week away! Have your JK to Grade 5 child spend the day dancing, crafting & playing games with us! We currently only have spots left on Friday, March 17th which is our Valentine’s-themed day. $47/day. Register online: www.northlondondancecentre.ca/camps

Easter Weekend

Easter weekend the studio will be closed on the Friday (April 7), Sunday (April 9) and Monday (April 10), but OPEN for all regular classes on Saturday, April 8.

Concluding our Virtual Studio Option

We have been using Zoom as our virtual studio option since the beginning of the pandemic in 2020. Effective May 15, the studio will no longer be offering the option to join our classes virtually. Students continue to have the option to book in-person makeup classes for missed lessons, within the same term, using the parent & student portal.

Tights Are Back In Stock

Need a fresh pair of tights for class, exams, or recital? We just received another shipment of pink, black & tan uniform tights! $15 a pair for child sizes & $17 a pair for adult sizes, TAXES INCLUDED! ALWAYS SIZE UP A FULL SIZE WITH THIS BRAND. Tights are not generously sized & are a final sale item/not exchangeable. A reminder that dance tights benefit from a good stretch, lengthwise and widthwise, before putting them on.

PA Day Camp Registration

PA Camp registration continues for our final three camps of the year:

• May 19 – Descendants
• June 2 – The Little Mermaid
• June 30 – Snow White

Let’s Dance 2022 – June Recital

Please continue to keep June 4-6 open for your dancer’s rehearsals and performance(s) at the Wolf Performance Hall. More details will follow.

Recital Costumes

Costumes will continue to arrive until mid-May and we will continue to send costumes home after they are tried on in class. We ask that they not be worn at home to ensure they stay in perfect condition for photo day as well as the show. Many costumes come with hairpieces or other accessories which must be worn with the costume if directed to do so by your teacher, so please do not take them out of the garment bags. If your dancer has already brought their costume home, please take a moment to print their name on the inside tag of the costume.

Almost all costumes need to be steamed before wearing, but especially the ones made with tulle. Steaming ensures that the tulle is full and un-wrinkled. Never use an iron on tulle.

Not Steamed

Steamed

Please keep in mind that we order the size that most closely matches your child’s size, which also accommodates their largest measurement (girth, hips, bust or waist). It is not unusual that you will have to have some alterations done either by yourself or by a seamstress if your costume needs straps shortened, or if it needs to be tighter in certain areas. For example, for taller dancers, we often must order a larger size costume so that the dancer’s longer girth is accommodated, but that costume might then have to be taken in a bit in the bust, waist, or hips

Photo Days

All student performing in our June recital get a group class photo in recital costume which was included in your performance fees. Group photos in recital costume will take place at the studio over three separate Sunday afternoons, so we can fit everyone in. The schedule will be shared over the next week by email. Families who wish to purchase an individual pose of their dancer will also be able to order these in advance.

Attendance

A friendly reminder that dancers who miss 5 or more of the last 10 classes, OR both of the last 2 classes leading up to our June Recital, will not be eligible to perform onstage with their class. The last 10 classes in the season start in March for most classes, so please keep this in mind when registering your children for other spring activities.

Summer Classes & Camps

Looking to keep your dancer (or yourself) moving this summer? Registration for our summer classes & camps is well underway! We have classes for ages 2-adult, as well as 5 weeks of summer camp for children ages 4-10.

Thank You

As always, thank you for trusting us with your family’s dance education. We know you have other choices, and we’re glad you’re with us.

Kelly Hajar, Director

“I started dancing because when I was little, I loved to dance, and I love to express myself by dancing. It always makes me happy.”

Her favourite part of dancing at NLDC is dancing with the friends she has met in class, and the teachers, that are all so nice and fun to learn from. She also loves the different styles of dance that you can sign up for.

In the future, Macy wants to continue dancing and to try different dance styles. She also aspires to teach her own jazz class and choreograph her own routines one day.

North London Dance Centre has taught Macy how to express her emotions while dancing. Macy has also learned to work hard to achieve her goals!

Congratulations, Macy, on being our Student of the Month. 

Keep up the GREAT work & happy dancing!