En Avant Newsletter

A Note from the Director

This year at En Avant, my heart keeps coming back to one word: community. Not just “the people in the building,” but the way we show up for one another, how we speak to and about each other, and the way dance connects us beyond the studio walls. I want every dancer and every family to feel that they belong here — not because of ability or achievement, but simply because they are part of our studio family.

This year we’re introducing something new and fun to aid in building community and encouraging growth in our kindergarten to level 4 dancers: Blue Ribbon Tickets. Dancers can earn Blue Ribbon Tickets when they demonstrate kindness, effort, teamwork, responsibility, leadership, perseverance, growth, or encouragement of others. Each ticket becomes an entry into our Dancer of the Month drawing — one dancer will be chosen at random from that month’s ticket entries, which means every act of growth and character truly counts.

Blue Ribbon Tickets also connect to our new Class of the Month recognition. Instead of rewarding the biggest class, we’ll be celebrating the most growth and community-minded class. The winning class will be the one with the highest average number of tickets per dancer that month. This helps reinforce that community isn’t about size — it’s about how we show up and treat each other. For our teams, we’re also celebrating collective effort in another fun way: when a team earns a certain number of tickets together, they’ll be invited to a special team-only event. Because community is something we build together.

We’re also growing opportunities to connect beyond class time. In 2025, our classes visited two different continuing care homes to perform for their residents and our teams performed twice at local community events. This year, you’ll see us out in the broader community more frequently through performances and service projects, with even more opportunities for dancers to share their light with others.

My hope is that every dancer here feels seen, safe, encouraged, and valued — not just as a performer, but as a person. Dance is the vehicle; character, confidence, friendship, empathy, and joy are the destination. If your dancer is learning to clap for others, invite someone new into conversation, include a quiet classmate, and speak kindly about themselves and others, then we are succeeding.

Many families have asked how they can help support our growth and community-centered goals this year. Here are a few simple, beautiful ways:
- Encourage your dancer to cheer for others and welcome new classmates
- Model speaking kindly about all dancers, recognizing perseverance and growth over perfection
- Join us at events both inside and beyond the studio walls when you’re able — you truly belong here too
- Partner with us in modeling warm, respectful communication
- Help your dancer see teamwork and effort as accomplishments worth celebrating

I am so grateful for each of you. Thank you for trusting us with your dancers and for helping us cultivate a place where we don’t just learn to dance — we learn how to care for one another. I cannot wait to see the growth of our dancers and the community we build together this year.

With gratitude,
Briley