PATTY
HARPER
DANCE
STUDIO
Patty Harper Dance Studio
November Newsletter
Happy Thanksgiving
Wishing you all a wonderful and safe holiday with your family and friends!!
The studio will be closed November 25-28
Dear Dancers and Parents,
A chill is in the air and things are definitely busy at PHDS! Classes are full of happy, hard working dancers. Those dancers not participating in the Christmas show deserve to have a show as well! Parent Visitation Days for classes that are not in “Once Upon a Christmas Eve” will be November 18-21.
Fundraiser
Thank you again to all who participated in our annual fundraiser. We have gotten our final tally and appreciate, more than you know, all the orders turned in. Pick up your cakes and jerky on Friday, November 22, at the studio, 3:00 to 7:00pm, in the back.
Christmas Quilt
The beautiful quilt, made and donated by Claudia Diltz, is now on display in the lobby. Stop by and make a bid! It's fabulous!! Last bid will be accepted on November 21 at 7:30pm.
Once Upon A Christmas Eve
We hope everyone is making plans to come see our Fabulous and very professional Christmas show on Saturday December 14th at 7:00pm at the Abilene Convention Center. All the dancers that are participating have been working hard in their classes and attending weekend rehearsals. KEEP IT UP! Our guest dancers will be here November 24-27 to rehearse all principal roles!
Tickets
Since our first Christmas Show in 2008, we have sold tickets at a discount for our dancers and families, at the studio. We are no longer able to do that, Contractually all tickets must be sold through the Abilene Convention Center from now on. For those of you that hated to wait in line, this may be a great big “WooHoo” as you can now order tickets online. Beware of the extra fees attached to these online tickets though.
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PHDS has nothing to do with these fees and does not profit in any way from them. Our ticket prices have not changed....$25.00 per adult and $10.00 per child, 12yrs and younger. Your least expensive route for tickets is in person at the Convention Center box office with cash or check and you may have to wait in line. Tickets will go on sale November 18 . The link to online tickets is https://www.etix.com/ticket/p/82566505/once-upon-a-christmas-eve-abilene-abilene-auditorium
Costumes
Costumes are being passed out weekly. Costume contracts and rental fees are due by Thursday November 21.
Christmas Parade
The Abilene City Sidewalks Parade will be Tuesday December 3. Some dancers will be invited to ride on our Fabulous Float and will be contacted soon. All of our elves will participate and ride on the float. We will send out more information when we receive it.
Christmas T'Shirts
Our 2024 Christmas T Shirts are ready to order. We are not using Leveret's Ink this year so use the link provided below. The online store will close November 21. All shirts are $20 and come in black and forest green. T'shirts will be ready when we return from Thanksgiving Break.
T-Shirt Link: https://stores.inksoft.com/patty_harper_dance_studio_2024/shop/home
Christmas Boutique and Flowers
The Fabulous M&M's are busy preparing early for our Christmas performance. For your convenience, you may pre-order flowers for your dancer in the office. All proceeds from the boutique go toward scholarships for summer intensive studies for our dancers.
*December’s Tuition must be paid before dancers are allowed to perform! All Christmas Show classes will not meet again until January. We call this recovery!!!
Final Rehearsal Notes
Carefully read your new schedule for rehearsal times. Everyone has been great about the many
rehearsals, coming on time and respecting other dancers and teachers. I am so proud of you!!!
These are a few things to remember when you go to the theatre.
1. Put your name in everything you take to the Civic Center.
2. Bring lots of bobby pins and safety pins.
3. Arrive early for your rehearsal and find your dressing room. You may wait in the audience until
you are called to the stage.
4. Always bring your costume to the theatre in a covered bag. Leave them at the theatre throughout
the rehearsals and performances. Never wear your costume outside!!!
5. No panties under your costumes and always wear tights with feet!
6. All hair should be slicked back out of your eyes and hairnets should secure all buns.
7. Dress rehearsal means costume and makeup.
8. No food, soda, or gum backstage around any of the costume!!!
Please remember Ms. Mary is working when you get to the theatre. If you have any questions ask the
stage managers. No one is allowed on the pit at any time during rehearsals and no horseplay in the
audience or any other place in the theatre. No video cameras or flash photography allowed in the audience during the performances.
Wayne Henington will be in the red carpet lobby to take professional pictures Thursday Dec. 12th from 5:30 to 9:00, and Friday Dec.13th from 5:00 to 9:00. Rob Westman will be backstage to take orders for a professional DVD.
All soloist must make arrangements for your flower bouquets to be presented onstage. Please give
them to the stage managers before your performance. Flowers for other cast members will not be taken
onstage at curtain call.
Decembers tuition must be paid before the show. No one will be allowed to perform with a past due
account. Check in the office if you have questions about your account.
All costumes, with no exceptions, must be returned to the studio on Monday , Dec 16 between 5:00
and 7:30. Do not wash anything, we will clean all the costumes, pack them and return them to the
warehouse until next year. This process takes many days of hard work. DON'T HOLD UP THE PROCESS!!!
After the show, dancers will have no more classes at the studio unless they take a class that did not
perform in the show such as lyrical or a beginning level class. We call this Christmas recovery! Classes
will resume on January 6th.
Parents, thank you so much for all your cooperation and patience over the past few months. Dancers,
thank you for all your hard work and time. I know we are going to have a great performance that we can
all be proud of!!