A Christian Dance Studio located in Jacksonville, Florida
Welcome to the FFAM dance Studio blog!!

We hope that you are able to find all the information you are in search of. Come back often for updates and new information.

Sunday, December 29, 2013

Change of schedule in the new year...

Happy New Year! We hope that everyone had a great holiday season celebrating with family and friends. We are looking forward to getting back into the grove of our normal schedules, especially dance. When classes start back, the teachers will begin working on their recital dances. Yea!
We will be sizing for costumes the first week back and ordering them on the 10th. If your dancer is not able to come on their scheduled day please contact me so that we can meet up at the studio on another day. It is very important that we order all costumes on the 10th! If you have not paid your dancers costume fees that were due on December 15th, please do so by the 10th. Otherwise we will not be able to order your dancer's costumes.
Another note for parents is that our schedule is changing starting in January. The teachers had some changes in their personal schedules and we are having to move classes around in order to accommodate. As well as having some students dropping and now not having enough students to keep the class as is.
Beginning tumble has been changed to Mondays, 4:15-5:00
Technique with Miss Gabby has been changed to Mondays, 4:15-5:00
Int/Adv tumble with Miss Kirsten has been changed to Mondays, 6:15-7:00

We are going to be canceling the Tuesday, Intermediate 1 tap class. We will be moving the remaining students to another class instead. We will be contacting those parents to let you know Miss Amelia's recommendations.

We apologize for any inconveniences anyone has due to these changes. We tried to make changes that we hope would work for most everyone and the teachers.

Please contact us with any questions at weareffam@gmail.com

Happy New Year!
Blessings,
Melissa Bliss, FFAM Associate Dance Director

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Costume Fees

Costume Fees are due by December 15th. The dance studio will be open On Monday December 9th and Tuesday December 10th from 4:00-6:30pm. You can bring it by during those times or bring it to Carolyn at either of our Holiday Performances at the St. John's Town Center on December 5th or 12th @ 6:30pm. If none of those are a good option costume fee may also be mailed to Carolyn directly, please email us at weareffam@gmail.com and we would be happy to give you her address. If you are not going to be able to pay by the 15th please email us and let us know. Any costume fees not paid by the 31st of December will incur a late fee. We will be ordering costumes at the end of the first dance week in January and any student with an outstanding costume fee balance will not have their costumes ordered unless something has been set up with Carolyn. Some of our costume companies have an 8 week turn around time, so it is imperative that we get them ordered quickly in the new year.
Costume fees for the Pre1, Pre2 and Pre3 classes are $60 total.
Costumes fees for Beginning, Intermediate and Advanced are $55 per technique.
There is no costume fee for tumble tots, beginning and int/adv tumble, or technique classes.
 
Please contact us if you have any questions or concerns.
 
We are very excited to get back to dancing in January as that is when all the real fun begins with recital prep. ☺
 
Blessings,
Melissa Bliss, FFAM Associate Dance Director

Monday, December 2, 2013

Mall Performance Information...

Please come out to the St. John's Town Center and support 30 of our dancers who will be performing 6 different songs. Miss Gabby and Miss Grace will also be performing a duet together that is wonderful. We will be set up in between Coldwater Creek and Anthropolgie and begin at 6:30 on Thursday the 5th and 12th.

For those performing, we need you to arrive at 5:45 to begin stretching and working out some of the jitters. Performers need to wear black leggings, leotard (preferably black) and the purchased red or green dance shirt (color is dependent on class). Please bring the appropriate dance shoes too. Miss Amelia's tap class needs to wear black socks or Christmas socks. All hair should be pulled up in a bun please. (If to short it must be pulled out of the face)
If there are any questions, please email us at weareffam@gmail.com.

We are having extra practices this week and next, please do your best to have your dancer present.
Monday, 12/2 & 12/9
Int1 Jazz 4:00-5:00 (Gabby)
Beg Tap 5:00-5:45 (Abby)
Beg Ballet 5:45-6:30 (Gabby)

Tuesday, 12/3 & 12/10
Int1 Jazz 4:00-5:00 (Gabby)
Beg Tap 5:00-5:45 (Abby)
Int2 Lyrical 5:00-6:00 (Gabby)
Adv Tap 6:00-7:00 (Amelia)

Wednesday, 12/4 & 12/11
Adv Ballet 4:30-5:30 (Grace)

We are very grateful that to have this opportunity to perform at the mall and hope to bring the message of the true reason for the season to many people.
Thank you to all the parents and grandparents that do all they can to get their dancers to the extra practices and performances. We greatly appreciate each and everyone of you!

Blessings,
Melissa

Saturday, August 10, 2013

FYI...

All the Pre classes are combos (i.e Pre 1 Pre 2 Pre 3). Meaning the classes are from 4:00-5:30 and in that time they get 30 minutes of tumble, 30 minutes of tap and 30 minutes of ballet. The cost is $55 total per month with a $60 costume fee.

Friday, August 9, 2013

Registration Reminder

This is just a quick reminder that we will be having sign ups for this season of Dance (beginning Sept. 3, 2013-May 2014), this Saturday, Aug. 10 at Faithbridge Church in front of the studio from 9a.m.-12p.m. The registration fee is $25 through Aug. 15 (we will have a second sign up that evening from 5:30-7:30pm in front of the dance studio as well as a sign up table in between Sunday Services on Aug. 11 and 25). If you register after Thursday, Aug. 15, the registration fee will increase to $30. If you would like a registration form prior to coming to sign up, please send us a request via email ( weareffam@gmail.com ) and we will email you one to download and print. Please make all checks out to Faithbridge Church. We will be scheduling a "new student's" open house in the near future to allow time for any Q and A and to go over our code of conduct. We will email information on a date and time for the open house in the next 2 weeks.
Remember....if you have any friends/family that you send to us and they register for the dance year, you will be given a "registration exempt via referral of a friend". So think about the Mom's in your play groups, MOPS classes, your children's grade school friends, etc. who might be interested in enrolling their child in a Christian Dance Ministry and give them info about FFAM.
We look forward to seeing all the returning faces and the new ones too!

Thursday, July 25, 2013

From Melissa...

Hello FFAM Familes! Summer break is flying by fast and it is now the time when we as parents start planning our kids extracurricular activities for the new school year. We have our new dance schedule posted on the blog ( www.weareffam.blogspot.com ) under the studio information and schedule tab. Classes will begin back on Tuesday, September 3rd.
We will be having registration days on the following dates:
Saturday, August 10th, 9am-12pm
Sunday, August 11th, between church services in the Atrium
Thursday, Agust 15th, 6pm-8pm
Sunday, August 25th, between church services in the Atrium
Sunday, September 1st, between church services in the Atrium
Registration fee is $25 per child, after August 15th it will be $30 per child.
We did make some changes to the classes we are offering and also the groups. We will only have one beginner group and now two intermediate groups. Placement in Intermediate I, Intermediate II and Advanced is up to the instructors and directors. It is not based off of age, but based off of skill level. We truly want to see our dancers succeed and have fun. We want the instructors to be able to push them will the skills they are learning while at the same time the dancers feel comfortble with where they are at. Please drop us an email if you are unsure where your dancer or tumbler would best fit. I'm excited to announce that Miss Gabby is also going to be teaching a technique class on Monday nights. In this class no routines will be taught, but students instead will focus on perfecting their leaps, turns, flexibility, etc.
We also have a couple of new instructors and one of our former instructors returning this year. Miss Jenni will now be teaching our beginning and int/adv tumble classes on Monday eveing. Jenni has been a gymnast since the age of 5, and has competed for North Florida Gymnastics, TNT Gymnastics, and the UF Rec team. Miss Mikayla will be teaching ballet to our Pre classes Mon-Wed. She has been dancing since she was little and is a current student at East Coast Ballet. Miss Grace will be rejoining us on Thursdays. Grace studied dance at Jacksonville University and after graduating spent a year in the Philipines teaching and performing dance with Ballcenter Inc. in Cebu.
 
We hope that everyone is having a wonderful summer! We have missed seeing all of our sweet dancers and tumblers and are looking forward to things starting back up this September. Please let us know if you have any questions or concerns.
Blessings,
Melissa Bliss, FFAM Associate Dance Director

Tuesday, April 30, 2013

From Rhonda...

Hi all FFAM families. The recital is just 11 days, ELEVEN days away!!! WOW! Hard to believe we have already completed another year of dance. There are a lot of questions re: the recital that can be answered by referring to the blogspot (www.weareffamblogspot.com) or by referring to the sheet that Melissa Bliss put together re: last week of dance practices that you received last week. Please read those before asking any of the staff questions. We are getting a lot of duplicate questions that can be answered by looking back at the emails, blog spot or sheet we have already provided you with.
In addition, if you haven't already provided me w/ a picture of your child in their costume I need it sent to me via email or a hard copy ASAP so that the slide show can be completed this wknd. I will need the picture no later than this Thursday, May 2, in order for your child to be a part of the slide show. I don't want any child left out.
Yearbooks will be available to order through next Wednesday, May 8 (our last regularly scheduled classes). You may order one year book for $20 or 2 for $30. You will need to pay when you order them. They will not be available for pick up until after the dance recital. I will provide you with a pick up date when Kim Saltier (please thank her when you see her for taking pics throughout the year of your child for the yearbook) let's me know the date they will be available.
On the night of the rehearsal, May 9, 4:30pm, FFAM staff will be selling slices of pizza for $1 or a slice of pizza w/ chips and a drink combo for $2. Rehearsal night usually last from 4:30-7:30(ish). Your child is free to leave once they have completed their practice dance. The kids often get hungry around dinner time. We want to help you out by having something quick and available for them to have that night. All of the money made from this pizza sell will go directly to the dance ministry.
On the night of the recital, May 10, 6:30pm, FFAM staff will be selling long stem roses for $3 for one or $5 for three. If you want to purchase them for your little dancers, Christina Parcell will be at the front selling them. All of the money made from selling the roses will go directly to the dance ministry.
We have your child's FFAM Tshirts available. Pending your dance acct is up to date w/ us (you have paid all current dues), we will provide them to you this week w/ the number of tickets you have paid for. Please do not let your child wear the FFAM Tshirt until the night of the recital. They are considered a "costume" and should be treated the same.
 
Mrs. Karen Mims, Ms. Gabby's Mom, is going to be available this Thurs, May 2, to assist w/ any costume alterations you may have. She will be at the studio from 5:30-6:45pm.
I think that covers all of it!! LOL If I have forgotten something or you cannot find the answer you are looking for from prior emails, the blog spot or sheet from Melissa, please feel free to find a staff member (Rhonda, Melissa, Jenny or Carolyn) and we will gladly answer your questions.
I am SO LOOKING forward to our dance recital. I pray that it is a blessing to SO MANY!! If you have lost family members or friends that you have been praying for, this is a great opportunity to invite them to be blessed in a way they will never forget. It is in a non threatening environment and you never know how God will plan to use your invitation to a simple Christian Dance Recital to open the heart of your lost loved one.
Blessings,
Rhonda Surber, FFAM Dance Director

Monday, April 22, 2013

Schedule for week of recital (5/6-5/10)

We are running classes the week of the recital to ensure that the performers get as much practice as possible. We want everyone to fell self confident in themselves when they get up on stage. Some classes have been shortened, and others moved to a different day. The Beg A tumble class will not be meeting though. Below is the revised schedule. It also has information for rehearsal and recital on the bottom. We need all performers to arrive at 4:30 for rehearsal. Each group will have a dressing room area to stay in for both evenings. The night of rehearsal performers may leave as soon as they have completed all of their run throughs. Also that night we will not have any added backstage help, so parents are responsible for their children. For the night of the recital we need all performers to arrive by 5:45. This night we will have added backstage help including sitters in each room. Parents and family are to stay in the performance are for the entire recital. Performers will not be allowed to leave until they have been dismissed.

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Recital Time!!!

Our recital preparations is well underway. The classes are all busy learning their dances and tumble skills and our office staff is busy getting all the behind the scenes work done. Most all of our costumes are in with a few stragglers coming in in the coming days and weeks. We are trying hard to make sure that all the needed information is making its way to all of our families. Here are some things to know...
All performers are to wear hair in bun unless told otherwise from their teacher. (Tumbling tots can wear hair however, just needs to be out of face) If tap shoes have ties they need to be the same color as the tap shoes; so for all but one class that is black, Pre3 is wearing tan.
We have a sign up sheet in the waiting room where we are asking for parents to volunteer to help us out with some necessary duties the nights of rehearsal and recital. We desperately need parents help as doing it all is to much for our staff. We greatly appreciate it!
More will be added as we get closer to our wonderful recital!

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Recital....

Recital Date has been confirmed...
May 10th @ 6:30pm 
  • Regular classes will end on May 2nd
  • Full Dress Rehearsal for recital will be May 9th. Performers need to arrive at 4:00pm
  • Recital night performers need to arrive at 5:30 with hair ready(bun) in their camisole leotard (BegA-Adv), recital shirt and black leggings or dance shorts
  • If tap shoes have ties they need to be the same color as the shoes; black ties on black shoes and tan ties on tan shoes.
  • In the coming months we will have a sign up sheet for parents in the waiting room for parents to help out on rehearsal and recital night.
  • Also closer to the recital we will be selling tickets and yearbooks

Above is a new tab dedicated to Recital info and costumes. Please check it out G

I'm sure this is more that I have for gotten and will add as needed. Please email us at weareffam@gmail.com if you have any questions or concerns

Monday, January 7, 2013

Welcome back and some reminders

We will begin back on Monday, January 7th!
 
Reminders:
  • Please have your child come dressed in the proper attire for dance. This includes leotard with tights, dance leggins, dance skirts or capri's. This does NOT include Jeans, Tshirts that are not tucked into dance pants or leggins and no school uniforms (ie: skirts). There is no specific color of leotard or tights your child needs to wear, however, if they come in Jeans, School Uniforms or any unacceptable dance attire they will have to sit in the class and watch and not participate that day.

  • Please have your child come to class on time. If your child is :15 min or more late they MUST wait until the next class to participate. It is a distraction to the other students and the teacher has already completed the warm up and is into the lesson by that time, also it puts them at risk for injury due to not being properly stretched.
 
  • If you have not paid your recital costume fees yet, they are past due and you will need to pay them ASAP. If you need additional time to pay the fee, due to an extreme emergency, please speak w/ Rhonda Surber or Carolyn LaFond. We will begin sizing for costumes this week.
 
  • If your little ones have outgrown their dance shoes and you are interested in ordering them through the studio, we will be placing an order on Jan. 18. Please let us size your child from our sizing kit and we will place the order on Jan. 18.
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