December is an exciting time for Encore School of the Arts.

On Friday, Dec. 10, the Encore Dance Company performs The Magic of Christmas for local and regional school children.

Students will be encouraged to dance from their seats, sing as a choir, possibly appear onstage and participate in a pop quiz at the end of the show!

Snow will fall onstage, trees will grow before their eyes and toys will come to life.

On Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 11-12, at 3 p.m., the show will be performed for the public at the Performing Arts Center in Dowagiac Middle School.

The audience will be treated to the many new numbers that the school-age dancers have been rehearsing for the last few months.

You’ll enjoy Christmas classics while dancers perform a variety of dance styles including ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop and clogging.

The Grinch will make a special appearance along with other favorites like the precision wooden soldiers and the eye-high kicks of our “Future Rockettes.”

Tickets are $8 per person, and are available at Encore School of the Arts, or from Encore Dance Company members.

Closed — Encore School of the Arts will be closed for Christmas break from Dec. 20-30.

Ballerina Tea Party — Tickets have gone on sale for the Ballerina Tea Party on Sunday, Jan. 16, from 3 to 5 p.m. and will be available until Dec. 17.

Tickets are available for $10 per person at Encore School of the Arts and from company members.

The Tea Party is an annual fundraiser for Encore Dance Company where young guests ages 4-8 are invited to dress like ballerinas to enjoy delicious tea sandwiches, mini cupcakes, fresh fruit and pink lemonade.

They will also receive a gift bag, do a craft, have story time and participate in a dance lesson performance.

A great gift idea for that little ballerina in your life!

Children’s choir — Encore’s Music School will offer Children’s  Choir, directed by Melissa Whitaker-Auvil, starting on Thursday, Jan. 6, from 6:45 to 8 p.m. for fourth grade and up.

You can register your student at the Encore School of the Arts during regular hours, Monday through Thursday from 4 to 9 p.m.

Cost is $10 per student for the weekly class.

Art classes — The Encore Visual Arts School will also offer brand new art classes, including printmaking, jewelry, drawing, mixed media and other classes for both children and adults starting in January.

See our Web site at www.encoredancedowagiac.com for descriptions, times and fees.

Fitness classes — including low-intensity aerobics, yoga, Cardio and Core, as well as her favorite — Extreme Fitness — will be taught by fitness instructor Ann O’Keefe.

The one-hour classes will be modestly priced.

Drop-ins will be welcome.

Looking for a personal trainer? Michele Harlow will work with you to reach your fitness goals one-on-one — or bring a couple friends for a reduced rate.

See our Web site for class descriptions, times, and cost — or call (269) 783-0881 for more information.

Unveiling — Encore School of the Arts will be unveiling a new logo in the new year!

Designed by Muta Mwenya, a graphic design student at Southwestern Michigan College from Stevensville, the gold and black logo will be stunning on dance clothing, posters and T-shirts alike!

We can’t wait to show you!

Give! — Remember that Encore Dance Company is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization and needs your contributions to continue to offer quality arts programming for both young and old.

Please make your contributions to our new Scholarship Fund and enjoy the deduction on your 2010 taxes!

There are children in our community who watch others enjoy dance, music and art classes, but cannot do so themselves.

Wants list — Can’t give money? You can support us in many ways! We are in need of many things that will add to the lives of young and old at the Encore School of the Arts.

We’d love to have another piano, we could use more music stands, art supplies, easels, pole lamps, ladders, unused fitness equipment.

A more extensive list can be found on our Web site. We can arrange for pick up as well.

Thank you in advance!

Volunteer! — We are always looking for able-bodied volunteers to help with even little things.

We need someone who can plow the parking lot in snowy weather; we need a handyman who would volunteer to do little fix-it jobs around the school.

There is always a leaky pipe to be fixed or curtains to re-hang.

Thank you for your help!