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Leadership Sign up now! A Unique Focus At GPS Dance, we believe the greatest gift we can give the artistic community is a dancer who not only has a broad knowledge and strong technique, but who can apply those talents in a spirit of confidence and compassion with a commitment to community service. Dance can be a powerful tool for developing individual leadership skill. The process of learning dance teaches our students to set goals, work effectively in teams, creatively solve problems, and a host of other character building attributes. We recognize that only a small percentage of our students will become professional dancers, while all of them will become professional people! At GPS Dance, we are committed to helping them become the most successful people possible. Grace Barton, owner and Studio Director, holds her BFA from The University of Hartford, Hartt School and is also a member of the university’s faculty, teaching Ballet. Grace's training includes extensive study with the School of the Hartford Ballet, and in the Martha Graham Modern technique. Grace has performed in NYC and the surrounding areas with Off Center Dance Theater performing various solo and ensemble roles. At GPS, we don’t just accept difference—we celebrate it, we support it, and we thrive on it for the benefit of our students and our community. We are committed to providing opportunities for all regardless of race, color, religion, sexual orientation, citizenship, disability or gender identity.

Circus Arts Dance Cirque Classes For Ages 5+ Introduce your child to something new and unique. Dance Cirque Circus classes have arrived in Newtown! Watch the excitement as your child looks forward to each class as they meet new friends, gain confidence and learn new skills in this super fun class. Classes Includes: Interactive circuits, lyra, silks, juggling, hula hoops and more all under the supervision of our fully qualified teachers. Little Monkeys Classes For ages 2-5 Calling all PRESCHOOLERS! Little Monkeys Circus classes are HERE! Watch your little one gain confidence and learn new skills in this super fun class. Classes Includes: Basic tumbling, interactive circuits, balance beams, silks, juggling, hula hoops and more all under the supervision of our fully qualified teachers.

Building Confidence & M emories To Last A Lifetime. Princess Ballerinas classes combine the power of imagination, the magic of music and the joy of movement to help children blossom through dance. Does your child love to twirl, play make believe, and dress-up? Then she will LOVE becoming a Princess Ballerina! Each week she’ll hop, skip and twirl through an imaginary adventure! By encouraging your child’s creativity and independence in a fun and supportive atmosphere you’ll see your child blossom before your eyes! Princess Ballerinas classes feature: Unique theme-based classes that will keep your child excited for dance class week after week! Caring Instructors who can’t WAIT to share their love for dance with your little one! Princess Ballerinas classes also offer fun bonuses like coloring pages, sticker charts and award certificates to celebrate your child’s success along the way! What Happens In A Princess Ballerinas Dance Class? Each class begins by warming up our muscles, stretching and reviewing our ballet positions during warm-up. We practice our Princess Ballerina dance moves (and review their fancy French names) like relevé, plié, and jeté. We travel to magical lands and pretend to be things like beautiful flowers, fairies, birds, bees, and butterflies. We practice our Princess Ballerinas dance routine that we can’t WAIT to perform for you! Each class ends with your child getting a stamp or sticker to reward and celebrate her progress and success! Watch your Princess Ballerina blossom!

Inspiring the leaders of tomorrow. Classes open to all ages and experiences CLASSES We've Moved To The Of Sandy Hook! 4 Riverside Rd, Sandy Hook Center Now Registering for SUMMER 2024!! Class & Camp Schedule Welcome to The Graceful Planet Studio of Dance, Acro & Circus Arts! The Graceful Planet Studio of Dance is committed to providing the Sandy Hook and Newtown community high-quality dance classes to enhance the overall development of your child. We provide a safe and child-centered environment to encourage our students to explore dance with qualified, nurturing teachers. We believe that dance training encourages young people to develop a positive self-image as they increase awareness of their physical being. Along with improving coordination skills and developing muscular awareness, dance classes give children the freedom to express themselves through movement.​ Our classes include: Princess Ballerinas, Dance Cirque, Lyrical, Contemporary, Modern (Graham), Jazz, Hip Hop, Ballet, Pointe, Acro and FUN! At The Graceful Planet, movement has meaning. Dancers are creative thinkers, self-confident, and academic achievers. We are members of the National Dance Education Organization, the Connecticut Dance Alliance and sponsors of a National Honor Society for Dance Arts chapter.

Hey There This is your About Page. It's a great opportunity to give a full background on who you are, what you do, and what your website has to offer. Double click on the text box to start editing your content and make sure to add all the relevant details you want to share with site visitors. All About Me This is your About page. This space is a great opportunity to give a full background on who you are, what you do and what your site has to offer. Your users are genuinely interested in learning more about you, so don’t be afraid to share personal anecdotes to create a more friendly quality. Every website has a story, and your visitors want to hear yours. This space is a great opportunity to provide any personal details you want to share with your followers. Include interesting anecdotes and facts to keep readers engaged. Double click on the text box to start editing your content and make sure to add all the relevant details you want site visitors to know. If you’re a business, talk about how you started and share your professional journey. Explain your core values, your commitment to customers and how you stand out from the crowd. Add a photo, gallery or video for even more engagement. Call 123-456-7890 Email info@mysite.com Follow

Our Teachers write smith Grace Barton Owner & Artistic Director Brandon Ghent Faculty Caitlynn Pia Faculty Cailee Harvey Faculty desc desc desc desc

Welcome to the Gra ceful Planet Studio of Dance! This will serve as your guide to The Graceful Planet and its philosophy of dance education. We take our roles as mentors and teachers in your child’s life very seriously. It is our objective to inspire a passion for the art of dance in every child who passes through our doors. In the process, we strive to set the right example and help your child (and you) create memories that will last a lifetime. Philosophy The Graceful Planet Studio of Dance is committed to providing high-quality dance classes to enhance the overall development of your child. We provide a safe and child-centered environment to encourage our students to explore dance with qualified, nurturing teachers. We believe that dance training encourages young people to develop a positive self-image as they increase awareness of their physical being. Along with improving coordination skills and developing muscular awareness, dance classes give children the freedom to express themselves through movement. Key contact information for The Graceful Planet Studio of Dance: 4 Riverside Rd, Sandy Hook, CT 06482 Website: www.gracefulplanet@aol.com Phone: 203-426-8215 Text or Call Email: gracefulplanet@aol.com * fastest way to contact Grace STAYING INFORMED We work hard to make the dance experience organized and fun. Keeping you informed is one of our primary goals. Please read all newsletters and other school information. Notes and important updates are sent via email and posted in your parent portal. If you have any questions please check our website for the answers. If you cannot find the answer please contact me at gracefulplanet@aol.com Weather Cancellations School closures due to severe weather conditions will be announced at least 1 hour before your class. Notifications of weather cancellations will be emailed, posted on our Facebook page, and announced on the school’s outgoing voicemail message. Usually if the Newtown Schools close for weather we do too. Dress Code Requirements The Graceful Planet Studio of Dance maintains a dress code to encourage concentration and a sense of inclusiveness (variations in attire can be distracting and contribute to feelings of inequality). Uniformity in dancewear allows the teachers to assess how well the students are implementing the technique being taught, problems with alignment, and other important aspects of dance training. Students should carry their dancewear, shoes, and other belongings in a dance bag. Please print your child’s name on the bag as well as on all of its contents. Dance shoes should never be worn outside. Long hair must be hair tightly secured and styled away from the face. The Graceful Planet Studio of Dance also offers dancewear and shoes for individual purchase at any time during the school year in our online dance shop www.shopnimbly.com/gracefulplanet Tuition and Expense Policy Please call for details on discounts, payment plans and additional classes, 203-426-8215. There is a $25 registration fee per family. PAYMENT PLANS All accounts must be enrolled in our auto pay payment plan program or paid in full at registration. Payment plans require a minimum of a 25% deposit. Payments are scheduled for the 1st of the month. Returned checks or denied auto-payments will be charged a $25 fee. REFUND POLICY All payments are non-refundable and cannot be applied to any other semester or programs at The Graceful Planet. Please be mindful of this and choose your payment plans with care. Tuition does not include dancewear, shoes, costumes, recital tickets, or special events. We accept Master Card, Visa and Discover, as well as cash and checks. Arrival and Departure We encourage students to arrive 5 to 10 minutes before class starts. For their safety, children under age 10 should be picked up immediately after class. Students ages 10 and older must be picked up no more than 10 minutes after their class is completed unless arrangements have been made, after all, it takes a village. Attendance All students are expected to attend their regularly scheduled classes. Each class offers a step forward in the educational process. A missed class could leave a child one step behind the other students. After the holiday break, choreography for the recital will be taught and rehearsed. It is important for children to feel completely confident with the choreography and the year-end performance. Missing class during this period could result in frustration. Tardiness Dance is a physical activity that requires the body to be warmed up in order to execute movement safely. Late students miss the proper warm-up and therefore may sustain injury. Students who arrive more than 10 minutes late may be asked to observe class for reasons of personal safety. Illness Colds, flu, and other contagious diseases occur frequently and spread easily among children. To help protect your own child’s health and to minimize the possibility of contagion, please keep your child at home if you observe any of the following symptoms: Nasal discharge that is green or yellow Complaints of ear pain Persistent cough Severe sore throat Eyes that are pink, burning, itching, or producing discharge Diarrhea or vomiting Fever If these symptoms or other conditions deemed contagious are observed in your child during a class, you will be called to pick up your child immediately. When your child has a fever, please keep him/her at home until the temperature returns to normal. If there are any lingering signs of illness, such as glassy or watery eyes, listlessness, and drowsiness, please keep your child at home. This will help to ensure that the illness has passed and that your child will be well enough to resume class activities the following week. General Policies Use of the school telephone is limited to emergencies only. Parents and students should never interrupt a class in session. Only water is allowed in the studios. No food, drinks, or gum. We love babies and young children and appreciate the chance to meet our students’ siblings. However, our priority is the safety of every child on the school premises. Children must be supervised at all times and are not free to run around the lobby or studio areas. Please do not dispose of dirty diapers inside the school. No cell phones or computers may be used during class time. (This means no emailing, Internet use, or text messaging.) In the waiting area you are welcome to use your electronic devices. Never speak negatively about teachers, students, or parents from other schools. All students must show respect for their teachers at all times. Inappropriate behavior could result in dismissal from the school. Annual Recital All students are invited to participate in our annual recital to be held each spring. The recital offers our students a professionally directed performance that allows them to present to their families and friends the results of a year’s hard work, dedication, and progress. A big part of dance training includes learning through performance. Although performance opportunities can help prepare some students for a possible career in dance, they also contribute to children’s success in non-dance activities. The experience helps build self-esteem and confidence, which can result in better in-school presentations, improved social skills, and strong college and job interview skills. The rehearsal process is a tremendous learning experience as well. It helps the children develop retention skills, and by working with their classmates on a group performance, they learn the positive aspects of working as a team to create the best end result. Recital tickets are sold several weeks before the production. Tickets will remain on sale until we are sold out. If tickets are still available they will be sold at the door. We are all looking forward to having an amazing year! If you have any questions or concerns Grace is always available!

Tuition is calculated hourly. Discounts are given for multiple classes and paying in full. Families with two or more students take each student's schedule separately when figuring out tuition. Dance Cirque and Little Cirque have a separate registration fee. Tuition is auto deducted on the 1st of the month and does not include recital costumes. Please email Grace at gracefulplanet@aol.com for current tuition prices and payment plans. ​

GET IN TOUCH PHONE & EMAIL Text or Call Us At: +1 (203) 426-8215 gracefulplanet@aol.com ADDRESS 4 Riverside Rd., Sandy Hook, CT 06482 We've Moved! Send us a message and we’ll get back to you shortly. Email Subject Your message Send Thanks for submitting!

DANCE & ACRO CLASSES Acro centered on fundamental acrobatic technique to increase flexibility, strength, balance, coordination, endurance, timing, body awareness, self-discipline, and confidence. Classes focus on proper hand placement and body alignment with emphasis on the muscles and flexibility required to perform proper technique. Ballet Ballet is a strong foundation for all dance forms and will maximize technique and longevity in a career of dance. It provides grace, poise, and technique needed to be proficient in all other areas of dance. Ballet classes will help dancers with posture, flexibility, fitness, balance, self-discipline, and self-confidence. ​ Princess Ballerinas Princess Ballerinas (ages 3-5): Princess Ballerina class combine the power of imagination, the magic of music and the joy of movement to help your preschooler blossom through dance. Unique theme-based classes that will keep your child excited for dance class week after week! Princess Ballerinas classes also offer fun bonuses like coloring pages, sticker charts and award certificates to celebrate your child’s success along the way! Dancer may wear any dance attire, leather Ballet shoes are required. Combo Classes Hip Hop/Acro Combo.: Best of both! Dancers will need Hip Hop shoes available in our online store. Ballet/Jazz Combo.: Have fun learning Ballet and Jazz! This class is designed to introduce young dancers to a variety of dance styles. Dancers may wear any dance attire and long hair must be pulled back in a ponytail. Pink leather Ballet shoes and tan slip on Jazz booties are required. Contemporary Contemporary combines Ballet and Modern techniques with musical and emotional expression with a strong focus on Modern techniques (contractions and release, off-center balances and suspension) as well as musicality and self-expression. Hip Hop Hip Hop incorporates a variety of old and new urban dance styles. The dancing represents body movements that go with the beat and rhythm of hip hop music. Hip hop dancing is very dynamic and helps the dancers improve flexibility develop body balance, and coordination. Jazz Jazz dance is an exploration of style and presentation. Classes emphasize musicality and body alignment, conditioning, stretch and strengthening, rhythm and stylization as well as fun and innovative choreography. Turns & Jumps Technique This class is designed to work on strength, flexibility, and the 'tricks' of dance. Improve your dance technique through this power packed class! Modern & The Martha Graham Technique Graham technique is based on the opposition between contraction and release, a concept based on the breathing cycle which has become a "trademark" of modern dance forms. Its other dominant principle is the "spiraling" of the torso around the axis of the spine.