School Year Schedule 2013-14

Classroom etiquette
- Dancers should arrive 5-10 minutes prior to class starting.
- Dancers who are late should apologize to the instructor after class
- All dancers should come with the specified AGE APPROPRIATE dance
clothes for the genre of dance being studied.
- No Gum chewing during class
- It is tradition that the dancers clap for the instructor at the conclusion of each
dance class.
- To protect our dance floors and the cleanliness of the dance space for
others please remove your street shoes prior to walking in the dance rooms.
- Dancers are encouraged to call the studio when they are planning to miss a
class.
- It is usual that a dancer would spend more than a single year in each dance
level.
Schedule changes
- Classes can be cancelled, combined and even added to the schedule
depending on registration and demand.
- BDC will close due to weather when the Beaverton School District does and
make-up classes will be scheduled as needed.
Holidays
BDC will be closed for the following holidays:
- Spring Break (Beaverton School District)
- Memorial Day
- Thurs-Sun of Thanksgiving week
- Winter Break (Beaverton School District)
School Year
Schedule
2013-14
503-670-7008
Www.billingsdance.com
Tuition
Contents
Studio History………………….. 2
BDC Staff ……………………… 3-4
Class Schedule……………………5-6
Important Dates…………………….7
Dress code/Policies……………….8
Save The Date……………………..9
Tuition/payment policy…………..10
drop in class = $17 per class
Tuition Payments
- If you choose to bring tuition in to the office every month, this tuition
must be paid during the first week of every month. Tuition paid after
the 15th is subject to a 10% late fee per month with a minimum late
fee of $10 per month.
- It is highly encouraged that month to month tuitions are set up on an
auto debit that can be set up to run on the 5th or the 20th of every
month. This auto debit is easiest through a checking account
- We do not pro-rate or give refunds for absences. Tuition fees are like
a membership fees to a gym and if you miss your workout your
membership are not reduced.
- A $25 fee will be added to every returned check
- Tuition fees are calculated based on the total number of classes in
any given school year. Some months have 5 weeks while others may
only have 3 but the monthly tuition will never change.
- There are no refunds on costumes or recital tickets.
- Recital costumes usually run from $50-$75 and are ordered at the
beginning of January. Costumes always require SOME alterations.
Save
The
Date
The History
BDC (formerly Billings Dance Center) has been a pillar of
December
21st
excellence in the Portland dance community since first opening
their doors in 1932 under the name Richard Billings School of
Dance. Under the direction of Mr. & Mrs. Richard Billings, the
studio quickly set the bar for dance education and over the
years saw hundreds of thousands of students come through
their doors to receive a high quality dance education. After
directing the studio for more than forty years the studio was
then passed down to the next generation. Dick and Mary
Louise Billings then took their place as the directors of Billings
Dance and Performing Arts Center in 1972. They directed the
studio until 2009 and during their tenure BDC saw tens of
thousands of dancers come through the studio’s doors to
receive the high quality dance education that is now become
expected of Billings Dance Center. The current chapter for our
studio is under the careful direction of Tony Loupe. Tony is a
Portland native and is a very accomplished dancer, teacher and
choreographer. He has been teaching since the age of 14 and
regularly travels across north America to teach at dance
conventions and speak to other dance educators about the
lessons he has learned to this point in his career. Tony takes
his role as creative director very seriously and intends to
continue providing the highest possible level of dance education
while not losing site of the fact that dance is and should be fun
and age appropriate. Tony knows that he has big shoes to fill
and looks forward to the challenge of taking BDC to the next
level.
go bdc!
The Staff
Tony Loupe is the owner and creative director of BDC. Tony is a Tap Dance
specialist with 30 years worth of experience. His experience includes having studied and/or
performing with most of the American Masters of Tap including; Steve Condos, Diane
Walker, Brenda Bufalino, Terry Brock, Charles “Honi” Coles, Gregory Hines, and Savion
Glover to name a few. Tony is a product of the award winning Jefferson High School Dance
Program and went on from there to have an exciting performing career that took him around
the world as a teacher, performer and choreographer. Tony teaches everything from an
intermediate class to his award winning Tap company class. His classes are known to be
very challenging yet fun at the same time.
Pamela Allen is a Pacific Northwest native and a very accomplished dancer, teacher and choreographer. She has worked with the likes of Chris Judd, Rhonda Miller, Keith
Clifton and Greg Russell to name a few. She has a lengthy career of teaching that
includes owning her own award winning dance studio, serving as the director of the
Tri-Cities Dance Association, teaching with the Universal Dance Association and being on
staff with Paula Abdul's dance convention "Company Dance". She is known for giving fun,
inspirational and technique building classes. Pamela teaches Jazz, Contemporary, and Tap
and is also one of BDC's performing company Directors.
Lindsey Andre is a Portland area native who has spent her life training in the Tap,
Jazz, Lyrical, Tumbling, Contemporary, Ballet and Musical Theatre genres including her
advanced training at the world renowned Edge Performing Arts Center and The Tremaine
Studio of Dance in L.A. During her time in L.A. she also found herself working with names
such as Mandy Moore, Desiree Robbins and Wade Robson. A very accomplished dance
instructor in her own right, she has taught for several local studios and been a guest artist
with other major dance intensives. She brings with her to the BDC family her fantastic
personality, her love for dance and dance education and a high pace, fun, rigorous dance
class. Lindsey likes making dance a challenge for every dancer and loves helping every
dancer rise to that challenge
Michelle Billings grew up in the Billings program and trained extensively in all
forms of dance including Ballet, Lyrical, Tap, Jazz and Gymnastics. She has gone on to
study Hip Hop and Jazz with many of the top choreographers in the country and is an award
winning choreographer in her own right! Michelle’s artistic choreography and high-energy
classes are always in high demand. As an accomplished gymnast herself, Michelle loves to
add the excitement of Gymnastics to her choreography. Michelle heads up our Jazz
Department and she is a great technician who loves to help students perfect their technique.
Her Turns and Progressions class is also a top notch technique class that is recommended for
all dancers!
Casey Davenport is a wonderful dancer who has made Ballet his life’s work. His
foundation training, discipline and dedication came from Caroline Kaiser, founding Director
of High Desert Dance Arts. He has also studied with John Gardner of Pacific Festival Ballet
and James Canfield of Oregon Ballet Theatre. Casey has also worked with many other
Master teachers in assorted Master programs. His study of music theory, anatomy and dance
medicine took place at the Pacific Northwest Ballet School. Casey will be teaching classes
from Ballet I to our Pre-Professional level. He is excited to be working with the Billings
students and we are sure his model of excellence will be a great example for our dancers.
The policies
Dress code
Creative Movement/Princess Ballet/Pre-Tap: Girls are expected to wear a leotard
and tights (booty shorts can be added for tap). Please make sure the hair is pulled
back away from the face for CM and Tap and that it is in a bun for Ballet. Boys are
expected to wear shorts or sweats (not too baggy so the lines of the body can be
seen) and a t-shirt or tank top. Shoes should be appropriate for the genre being
studied.
Ballet & Bitty Ballet: Girls are expected to wear a black leotard, Pink footed
tights and pink leather full sole ballet shoes. Hair is to be worn in a bun as
well. Boys are expected to wear black tights, white fitted dance shirt and
white ballet shoes.
Jazz, Contemporary & Lyrical: (AGE APPROPRIATE CLOTHING ONLY)
Girls may wear leotards, booty shorts, tank tops, t-shirts, tights and fitted
sweats and capris as long as they are not baggy so the body lines can be
seen. Boys may wear sweats, shorts, tank tops and fitted t-shirts as long as
the clothing is not too baggy so the lines of the body can be seen. Jazz shoes
MUST be worn in jazz and bare feet or foot mittens/toe undies are permitted in
Lyrical and Contemporary.
Tap: (NO JEANS ALLOWED) Boys and girls are allowed to wear form
fitting dance clothes that show off the lines of the dancers body and are not
So long that the drape around the feet. Hair should be pulled back from the
face and the dancer should wear tap shoes at all times. NOTE: Tappers
should NOT wear their tap shoes outside as it will ruin the surface of the
taps and over time ruin our tap floor as well.
Hip Hop and Break: Dancers should wear AGE APPROPRIATE
CLOTHING that is fitting for the genre. Feel free to let your dancer show
their personality and individual flavor during these classes. BUT also make
sure that the clothing worn isn't too baggy and the lines of the body aren’t
lost. All shoes should be shoes worn ONLY for this dance class (NOT ON
THE STREET)! Shoes off of the street are VERY dirty and even in just one
hour will make a dance floor absolutely filthy.
Class Observation
With the exception of class viewing weeks and the occasional invite during
the final minutes of a class by the instructor we ask that there be no
spectators inside the classroom during class time. Most of our studios can be
viewed through a window from the lobby and parents are welcome to do this,
but closed classrooms make for a much more friendly learning
environment and we appreciate your understanding in this regard.
The Staff (cont.)
Important Dates

Sept 3 - 1st Day of BDC classes

Oct. 31 - Halloween (Studio closes at 6PM)

Nov. 28-Dec 1 - Studio Closed for Thanksgiving

Dec 20 - Last day of regular classes before
Christmas break

Dec 21 - Breakfast With Santa

Jan. 6 - First Day back from Christmas break

Jan. 11 - last day to pay recital costume fees

March 24 - 30 - Studio Closed for Spring Break

May 18 - Topaz competition

May 26 - Studio closed for Memorial Day

June 10th - Last day of regular classes

June 11-13 - Recital Dress Rehearsals

June 14 - Spring recital
Jayne Calmer, our Gymnastic coach, occasionally surprises her students as she
easily slips into a split or smoothly throws a cartwheel. Jayne has an amazing background in
the sport of Gymnastics. She has shared some of her old press clippings with the kids to
show that she was actually on her way to the Olympics when knee injuries put her on the
sidelines. She did go on to have a very impressive college career and has done an excellent
job of motivating and instructing our dancers to be the best gymnasts they can be. Jayne is
very conscientious and is very highly respected from all of her students.
Jenny Church is an alumni of Billings. She teaches Princess Ballet and a very
high demand teen jazz class. She loves to start new dancers out on the right path of strong
technique while growing their love for dance. Jenny’s students are always so impressed with
her perfect stretch and want to learn her secrets. It would be hard to find a nicer, more positive teacher than Jenny and we are very fortunate to have her be a part of the BDC family.
Hun Kim is a young man with a great deal of talent. He initially came to Billings
years ago as a talented dance student. It was during his time as a student that his incredible
talents came to light. Hun has now been part of the BDC staff for the past 7 years and over
this time has developed a solid & fun curriculum for teaching the art of Break. His classes
are always a favorite for all who participate and break can help a dancer develop an upper
body strength and certain level of body awareness that can really be beneficial in the long
run and help to set a dancer apart from others.
Paige Isham has been dancing since the age of two and teaching at the age of
thirteen and from that point knew that it was her calling to inspire all ages how to dance to
the sounds of music and to express what was in their hearts through movement. She is a very
well rounded in her dance training. She has studied and taught extensively in the Ballet,
Pointe, lyrical, Jazz, Hip-Hop, Modern, Tap, Clogging, ballroom, tumbling, cheer and the
musical theater genres. Before joining BDC she spent two years on staff teaching for the
world renowned Arthur Murray school of ballroom dance. Paige has a very obvious passion
for all disciplines of dance and a fun loving infectious personality. In her words "I am so
excited to call Billings Dance Center my home and to be part of this family."
Damon Keller is a Portland area native and Jefferson Dancer Alum. He has trained
extensively in Tap, Hip Hop, Jazz, Modern, Ballet and African. His teaching credits included being on staff at the internationally renowned Edge Performing Art Center in Los Angeles, Ca and being a featured Tap teacher in the international dance convention circuit. He has
performed with Nike, Super Cr3w from "America's Best Dance Crew", Columbia Sportswear, TapSoundsUnderground, and is a Founding member of the BeatBangerZ
professional Tap Company to name a few.
Bunky Williams is the director of our Hip Hop department. Bunky is a Portland
Native and Jefferson Dancer alumni. He has extensive training in Jazz, Tap, Hip Hop, Ballet, Modern and African. He was a long time company member with the NW African American Ballet and has been a featured in shows with Nike, Columbia Sportswear and
Nordstrom's to name a few. Bunky is a master teacher known for his high energy and many
years of experience working with kids in the dance community.