September Happenings
WELCOME BACK!!!
Studio M Family…we are filled to the brim with excitement about Season 8 and we CAN’T WAIT to see all of your faces!!
REMINDER: Classes start NEXT week on Monday – September 14th!
STUDIO M PODCAST LINK
Click the link below to listen to this entire email while you stay efficient and get other things done.
Attachment: SEPTEMBER-HAPPENINGS-2026-V2.mp3 (5.2MB)
GIVEBUTTER – STUDIO M FUNDRAISER!!
The renovation of our NEW HOME has proven to be quite the endeavor! We so appreciate all of the volunteers that helped with painting, cleaning, flooring, etc over the summer. If your family would like to help us out with our final touches: sprung floors, mirrors, lobby furniture, etc, please visit the FUNdraiser that we have started at the following link: https://givebutter.com/StudioMonStrand
Also, if you own a business and are interested in being a Season 8 Sponsor, please let us know! We are creating our Season Spotlight Sponsorship tiers & we would love to see you represented!
NEW LOCATION
IT’S OFFICIAL!! We are now located at 1140 Strand Ave!! Goodbye sweet Cold Springs…HELLO Studio M on Strand!!
WAITLISTS
Classes are ever changing, if your dancer is still on a waitlist, please check back towards the end of September for any new information.
LEVEL 3 & LEVEL 4 CLASSES PLUS SPARKLERS
The upper level classes and all levels of the Sparklers program are not accessible via the parent portal for registration. If your dancer was recommended for any of these classes, please be sure to email us so that we can get them enrolled.
SPIRIT WEEK
The number one rule at Studio M is to HAVE FUN!! One of the many ways that we do this is our monthly spirit week. We pick themes at the beginning of the year & encourage our dancers (and staff) to dress accordingly! Our first spirit week of the season is right around the corner – September 28th-October 2nd – BE TRUE TO YOUR SCHOOL!! The Season 8 Spirit is going strong around here & we can’t wait to get silly!
Please wear spirit gear or colors from your favorite school: UofM, Sentinel, Big Sky, Hellgate, Jeanette Rankin, Meadow Hill, Studio M, etc. Even Bobcat gear is acceptable this week! Basic dress code rules apply: midriff & bottom covered, hair pulled back & appropriate shoes.
ADULT CHALLENGE: We are adding a FUN new challenge for our grownup fans! The parent/guardian that has the most spirit this week — you need to dress the part — has a chance to win a $50 credit on their account! You need to ROCK your favorite school gear to the studio, have someone in the Star Shop snap your photo & we will have our social media audience vote on the winner!! STUDIO M = SO MUCH FUN!! Fingers crossed we see all the vintage high school tees & letterman’s coats too!!
DRESS CODE
We will be following our dress code very closely this year. I have attached our class descriptions below that include the specific dress code per class & our basic rules are as follows: midriff & bottom covered, hair pulled back, appropriate shoes. Each genre of dance has further specifics so please refer to the document.
Attachment: Class Descriptions 26-27 – Season 8_V2.pdf (198.8kB)
SHOE/APPAREL ORDERS
If you attended our Welcome Back party, your shoes/leotards should be here by next week! You can pick them up in the shop! If you still need to be sized, you can get sized by Tavja, Hallie, Whitney, Scout or Reagan the first week of classes. Please plan to arrive about 20min early as we will be trying to accommodate a large number of people needing to order & get sized.
DANCE SHOP
The dance shop has lots of fun studio merch for you to check out when you drop your dancer off or pick them up! This is also the location to get sized for any required shoes or apparel. We will be stocking the shop with merch throughout the season & we offer gift certificates too!
We are so lucky to have the same amazing staff in our shop this season!! Hallie Lopuch will be in the shop on Monday/Tuesday, Whitney will be in the shop Wednesday, Scout on Thursday & Reagan on Friday. Tavja and I are always available so don’t be shy & let us know if you need us.
LABEL YOUR BELONGINGS
Please be sure to label all of your belongings — especially shoes for the Littles & Combo classes. This will really help with the shoe/apparel mixup problem that sometimes happens.
Also, be sure to check the Lost & Found often. We will be donating items on a regular basis this season.
STUDIO M DANCE FAM – FACEBOOK GROUP
If you aren’t already a member of our Studio M Dance Fam page, please request to join!! This is used as a digital bulletin board for all things dance & Studio M related. Sell old dance shoes, find new sizes, plan play dates, offer shuttles, etc. https://www.facebook.com/groups/329363027967124
CLASS ETIQUETTE REMINDERS
Please be aware of standard dance class etiquette: no street shoes in the dance studios, only water (not sparkling water or flavored water) in the dance studios, no gum or food in the dance studios, bathroom visits before class. Please be sure that your dancer is not wearing jewelry to class as it could get caught on something and be a safety issue…especially dangly earrings.
ZOOM
We are encouraging parents of Combo, Levels 1, 2, 3, 4, Pre-Pointe, Medley, Acro & Pom to watch class via the Zoom link located on the dashboard of your parent portal. This is an easy way to observe class since we are not allowing parents to stay in the building during class times. Feel free to come in to pick up or drop off your child but remember that our space is limited. If you choose to watch class, please be sure that your CAMERA IS OFF & that your MICROPHONE IS MUTED.
The Zoom recordings will also serve as the best way to make up a class. If you miss a class, you can email the studio for access to the recordings for up to two weeks after missed class.
REMINDERS
- If your dancer will be missing a class, please send us an email so we can notify the teacher & add the absence to the system.
- Only Tots & Littles parents allowed to stay in the building during class. One parent/dancer. Minimal siblings.
- We have a NEW water fountain/water bottle filler so make sure your dancer has their own water bottle.
- If your dancer is sick at all, please stay home and use our Zoom option. Parents are welcome to watch class with this option.
- We will continue to use hand sanitizer upon entering & leaving the classroom, running air filters, cleaning between classes & fogging weekly.
- We want to avoid all the germs!
- LABEL ALL BELONGINGS WITH YOUR DANCER’S NAME OR INITIALS. #MABELSLABELS (Look up the Performance Company fundraiser)
UM HOMECOMING
We will be in the UM Homecoming Parade this year & we would love any and all to join us! 8yrs old and above can join the Company in a short dance number that they will repeat through the parade route. Other ages can ride in the trailer or walk behind. Please add the following days/times to your calendar:
October 2nd: Parade Choreo Rehearsal; 4pm-6pm (8yrs and above) October 3rd: Parade; Time TBD
IMPORTANT DATES
The Important Dates document is below. Please refer to this as often as possible to set yourself up for the most organized dance season!
Attachment: Important Dates 26-27_V2.pdf (160.1kB)
PARENT PORTAL
Don’t forget to log in to your Parent Portal to access everything related to your account: schedule, transaction history, enrollments, etc. Here is a helpful instructional video to walk you through the platform. The Parent Portal link is located below.
INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVR8Ilp3v04&t=22s
PARENT PORTAL LINK: https://app.jackrabbitclass.com/jr3.0/ParentPortal/Login?orgId=538031
Upcoming…
- October 15th & 16th: Studio M Closed – MEA School Break
- October 16th-19th: Montana Dance Arts Association Fall Workshop
- October 19th-23rd: Recital Costume Measuring Week
- October 26th-30th: HALLOWEEN COSTUME SPIRIT WEEK
- October 30th: BOOING!! Performance Company FUNdraiser
As always, please let us know if you have any questions.
We can’t wait to see you all!!
Happy Dancing,
Meagen