September Newsletter
1. WELCOME TO OUR 22nd DANCE SEASON 😊
We would like to give a warm welcome back to all MKDA dancers & families and wishing all NEW MKDA dancers a fantastic 1st year as part of this great big family! We are thrilled to welcome everyone in our happy place where all dancers feel included, welcomed and free to be themselves.
Our season begins on Monday, September 14th!! Mark your calendars!
2. DANCE SCHEDULE – REVISION #5
PLEASE NOTE!! As predicted, the schedule is always subject to change depending on enrollment, and therefore, we’ve had to make more changes to the schedule. Some classes had to be combined, and some had to be cancelled altogether. Our office administrator, Julie Bouwman, has already been in touch with students we’ve had to transfer to other levels.
Please refer to REVISION #5 which was sent by email on September 2nd, or you can visit our website:
https://www.themkda.com/schedule/
3. RENOVATIONS TO STUDIO B
We are still expanding Studio B, but the project needs to be pushed back and be done in two parts because we cannot get this BIG project done before the start of this season. We will start renovations to Studio B while the studio is closed during the Christmas break, and we will get the second part done right after auditions in June 2027.
4. OUR TEACHING TEAM!
We encourage you to look on our website to see the faces of the talented and skilled teachers we have on staff this season:
https://www.themkda.com/our-team/
We also want to introduce our assistants who will be helping with the younger groups:
- Kylee Desilets
- Ryan Ouellette
- Emily Carrière
- Ana Myburgh
- Harlow Killins
- Ellah Ashe-Belec
- Kayden Garon
5. DANCE WEAR REQUIREMENTS
We encourage you to visit our website to find out what attire/shoes is needed for your child’s class:
https://www.themkda.com/forms/
Simply click on the rectangle that says “Dance wear requirements”.
Stefanie, from The Trophy Shoppe, also has a copy of our dance wear requirements. You can visit The Trophy Shoppe for all your dance wear needs, located at 21 Father Costello Drive in Schumacher: 705-264-3444.
6. DANCING WITH THE DOCS EVENT
As we’ve done for the past 3 years, MKDA teachers are involved and volunteering their time for the Timmins & District Hospital fundraiser called “Dancing With The Docs” to be held at The Dante Club on Thursday, October 22nd.
We are always proud to be active members of this community and giving our time for this event is very important to us. Since the event itself and dress rehearsal are during the week, we will be cancelling classes on the following two days. Please mark your calendars:
Wednesday, October 21st
Thursday, October 22nd
7. OFFICE HOURS
There will be no set office hours during the year. If you require assistance from our office administrator, Julie Bouwman, you can contact her by email to organize a time to meet: office@themkda.com. Julie is quick & efficient at responding to emails.
Julie will be in the office during the first week of Term 1 (week of September 14th) to make sure everyone has a smooth beginning and to answer any questions.
8. SECURITY GUARD
Shane Lebrun will continue to keep all dancers & families safe! For all new families: Shane is our security guard, and you will see him at the studio throughout this entire season.
9. OBSERVING CLASSES & CHILD SUPERVISION
We have two spacious observation areas at MKDA and televisions for parents to observe class. However, observing class is a privilege and we ask parents to keep noise and distractions to a minimum while watching class.
WATCHING CLASS FROM THE STUDIO A STAIRWELL IS NOT PERMITTED as this creates too many distractions for our dancers.
Furthermore, if a dancer has a “break” during their dance night, they CANNOT be left unsupervised. If our security guard sees a dancer that is unsupervised during their break, he will advise the teacher, and the teacher will call the parent.
We encourage all parents to read our MKDA policies from our website and familiarize yourself with page 3 of our policies:
https://www.themkda.com/forms/
10. HELP WANTED!! HIRING A SECOND SECURITY GUARD FOR TUESDAYS & FRIDAYS!!!
Spread the word and help us find a security guard for Tuesdays & Fridays at the studio!
Hours:
- Tuesdays: 4:00 PM – 10:00 PM
- Fridays: 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Job Description:
- Someone 18+
- Comfortable in confrontational situations
- Monitoring the door and making sure nobody off the streets walks in
- Doing a walk around the building inside & outside at the end of the night
- Walking students to their vehicles at night if they feel unsafe
- Calling 911 in case of emergency
Be a part of a safe, positive and inspiring environment for our dancers.
Please contact Melissa Kelly-Lavoie if interested:
melissa@themkda.com
11. YEAR AT-A-GLANCE – MARK YOUR CALENDARS!
Term 1 will begin on Monday, September 14th
Thanksgiving: Studio closed from October 10th–12th, 2026. Classes resume on Tuesday, October 13th, 2026.
Dancing with the Docs Hospital Fundraiser Event: MKDA staff members volunteer their time for Dancing with the Docs, therefore classes will be cancelled on Wednesday, October 21st & Thursday, October 22nd.
Santa Claus Parade: Saturday, November 14th
Term 1 will end on Saturday, December 5th, 2026.
Term 2 will start on Monday, January 11th, 2027.
Family Weekend: Studio closed from February 13th–15th, 2027. Classes resume on Tuesday, February 16th, 2027.
March Break: Studio closed from March 13th–19th, 2027. Classes will resume on Saturday, March 20th, 2027.
Easter: Studio closed from March 26th–29th, 2027.
Stage Rehearsals: Will run from March 31st–April 12th, 2027. Detailed schedule will be given in February.
Dance Pictures: Will be held at MKDA Studio A on April 2nd–4th, 2027.
Dress Rehearsals: Will be held on April 13th & 14th, 2027.
Recital: April 16th, 17th, 18th, 2027.