SCHOOL POLICIES
1. AWARDS – As a reward for their hard work and effort, ALL DANCE STUDENTS receive one (1) achievement trophy at the end of the dance season regardless of the number of classes per week that they enroll in.
2. ATTENDANCE – As a courtesy to our faculty, PLEASE CALL IF YOUR CHILD IS GOING TO BE ABSENT. As we are a very progressive school, attendance is very important. Students need to be in class each week.
3. SNOW DAYS- In the event of inclement weather, please call the school or check the web site to see whether or not classes are on. Many times, we are in the office, even when the classes are canceled. PLEASE CHECK BEFORE YOU COME! There are no refunds for classes canceled due to inclement weather. Classes may be made up if desired.
4. TUITION – If dance school tuition is not paid by the 10th of every month, a $6.00 late fee will be imposed. We regret that students who are delinquent in tuition payments are ineligible to continue classes until balances are paid in full.
5. CONDUCT – There will be ABSOLUTELY NO GUM CHEWING, DRINKING (except water), EATING OR SMOKING in the Studios or Offices at anytime! Students and Parents are expected to behave respectfully at all times to teachers, staff members and other students. Gross misconduct will not be tolerated.
6. NOTICES – We give the students quite a few notices during the year. Please check the student’s dance bags and pockets ESPECIALLY after Christmas Holidays. These notices are important and often the students forget to give them to their parents. Important notices are usually also posted on the web site.
7. CLASS OBSERVATION – Parents’ observation week will be in early December. Observing the class at other times is not allowed. You are invited by the teacher periodically throughout the year toward the end of class so that parents can check their child’s progress!!
8. SAFETY – For safety reasons, students are not permitted to wait outside of the studio buildings for parents. They are also not allowed to visit stores in the vicinity.
9. PICKING UP CHILDREN – Parents, please pick up your children promptly after class.
10. Students should bring plastic water bottles with them to class.
11. Students should bring all dance bags inside the studio with them. Dance World is not responsible for money or any personal belongings that are lost or stolen. Do not bring valuables to class!
12. Check the website frequently for school closings, reminders and announcements.
DRESS CODE – BODYWEAR
BODYWEAR FOR PRE-SCHOOL, COMBO I, COMBO II,
TAP/JAZZ COMBO AND ALL TAP & JAZZ CLASSES
GIRLS
-No jewelry and/or dangling earrings can be worn.
-Any color leotards and tights. Leotards and booty shorts may be worn. Please, no
rips or runs in tights.
-NO sweatshirts and cover-ups (unless permitted for Hip Hop).
-Hair must be pulled up or back away from the face. PLEASE – LONG HAIR
MUST BE IN A PONY TAIL OR SUITABLY WORN SO AS
NOT TO GET IN THE STUDENT’S WAY.
In levels I and above, leggings and Jazz pants are permitted (these are normally spandex and come in long, Capri length and booty shorts) and must be form fitted to the body. Sweatpants are not permitted. Jazz pants, leggings and booty shorts must be worn with a leotard or sports bra.
BOYS
-Athletic shorts and t-shirts
-Sweatpants and t-shirts (teachers need to see the line of the body) No baggy
clothes please!
BALLET UNIFORM
All dancers in Ballet 1 through Advanced Ballet (not Preschool, Combo 1 and Combo 2 Students) will be required to wear a black sleeveless or black short sleeved leotard (any style) for ballet class. This can most likely be purchased at the dancewear store where you buy your dance shoes. It is important for your teacher to see the lines of your neck and shoulder.
Biketards or Booty shorts may NOT be worn for ballet class. Usually we order ballet uniforms through our school in different colors but we will keep things simple this year and go back to our color coded leotards next season.
Students need to wear PINK or WHITE tights (not flesh toned) and pink or white ballet slippers.
Boys may wear shorts and a t-shirt (preferably black shorts and white t-shirts).
Students may take Pointe once they reach Grade 4 Royal Academy of Dance Program. Please do not buy pointe shoes if you are a beginner pointe student. Your teacher will provide information on this.
Hair ABSOLUTELY MUST BE IN A BUN!
DANCE SHOES
IMPORTANT – We do not sell ballet, tap or jazz shoes. We recommend:
|
Capezio |
KaShe Dance |
Required Dance shoes (you may start with any tap or jazz shoe that you presently have but these
shoes will be required by recital time):
| TAP – ADULT (black) | TAP – CHILD (black) | JAZZ SHOES – CHILD AND ADULT (black) |
|---|---|---|
| Capezio – Adult Mary Jane #3800 Bloch – Tap-On Tap Shoe #S0302L |
Capezio – Shuffle Tap Shoe #356-C or 356 (Adult) Capezio – Jr. Tyette #N625C or #N625 (larger sizes) Bloch – Tap On Tap Shoe #S0302G |
Capezio – Jazz Ankle Boot #EJ2 or #EJ2C (child) Bloch – Elasta Bootie Jazz shoes – #S0499 |
BALLET SLIPPERS – ANY STYLE IN THE COLOR OF PINK OR WHITE. BLACK FOR BOYS.
BALLET UNIFORMS
All dancers in Ballet 1 through Advanced Ballet (not Preschool, Combo 1 and Combo 2 Students) will be required to wear a black sleeveless or black short sleeved leotard (any style) for ballet class. This can most likely be purchased at the dancewear store where you buy your dance shoes. It is important for your teacher to see the lines of your neck and shoulder. We will not be ordering leotards for you this year.
Biketards or Booty shorts may NOT be worn for ballet class.
Usually we order ballet uniforms through our school in
different colors but we will keep things simple this year and go back to our color coded leotards next season.
Students need to wear PINK or WHITE tights (not flesh toned) and pink or white ballet slippers. Boys may wear shorts and a t-shirt (preferably black shorts and a white t-shirt).
Hair is always worn in a bun for girls in ballet class.
CLASS PLACEMENT
WE CARE ABOUT OUR STUDENTS! WE TAKE THE TIME TO INDIVIDUALLY EVALUATE EACH STUDENT’S SKILL AND PROGRESS LEVEL FOR CORRECT CLASS PLACEMENT EACH YEAR.
At Dance World Academy, we are very careful to place each student in an appropriate class where they will be sufficiently motivated and challenged according to their physical ability, talent level, and the number of times that they study per week. We believe that dance when taught with care and discipline is an excellent activity for all children and teens. Our program builds self-confidence, self-discipline, concentration skills, memorization skills and perseverance. Our program is designed so that students can master realistic and attainable dance skills based on their age and experience levels. Our 35 years in the dance business has shown us that when our students achieve, it bolsters their self-esteem. They are proud of themselves!!
Parental support is very necessary in helping students understand that they are a unique individual whose level of natural talent and physical ability differs from their friends or others in their dance classes. Students will not all progress at the same rate. In maintaining a high quality of dance education, it is therefore sometimes impossible to keep the same students together in a class year after year. Many students may need extra help and a slightly slower pace to help them master new steps in a class. The most important thing is that a student “enjoys” the class and “feels comfortable” in it. A “comfortable” learning environment is sure to yield progress. Remember, it is very common to see two children of the same age and with the same number of years of dance training with extremely different capabilities. WE STRONGLY ADVISE THAT EACH PARENT ACCOMPANIES THEIR OWN CHILD TO REGISTRATION AND DOES NOT COME WITH FRIENDS. WE WOULD PREFER TO DISCUSS THE PLACEMENT OF EACH CHILD PRIVATELY WITH EACH PARENT.
1. PLEASE DO NOT BE A “COMPETITIVE” parent and want your child in a certain class because “you” think it is more advanced or a “harder” class. Class placement is the teacher’s decision. After all, that is what he/she is trained to do. We cannot stress enough that since every child is not equally talented, they cannot all show the same progress rate.
2. BEWARE OF BECOMING THE CLASSIC “DANCE MOM” or “STAGE PARENT” who pushes his/her children beyond their capabilities just to be able to “brag” about the “difficult’ classes that they are taking or how “advanced” their children are. Children of these type parents usually become so frustrated with their dancing that they “quit” and never realize the joy of dancing. These children usually always themselves as “failures” because they can never live up to their parents’ “impossible” expectations for them. What a shame! Pushing a child too hard and too fast may also do harm to their body through injury. Dance training takes time and patience.
3. Dance World Academy prides itself on having a “friendly” and “family-like” atmosphere with enough “healthy competition” to make each dancer develop into the best that he or she can be. Although we provide excellent instruction for each and every student, we feel it is also our responsibility to encourage any students that the teachers see who have exceptional talent. From time to time, our teachers must make decisions whereby certain students are chosen for solos, competition groups, special classes, special parts or special auditions. These decisions are not easily made and are thought out carefully. The parents and teachers must work together to help students understand that not all students can be chosen for all things. We want our student body to be “happy for” and not “jealous of” each other. We at Dance World sincerely try to give as may students as are ready, “special dance experiences.”
4. The teacher’s judgement must be respected first and foremost. It is normal for every parent to view his or her child as “the best dancer in the class”. But remember – THE TEACHER IS LOOKING AT YOUR CHILD THROUGH TRAINED, EXPERT EYES. If your teacher’s judgement is not respected in all areas of your child’s dance training, your child SHOULD NOT BE STUDYING WITH HIM OR HER!
5. The number of times a student studies per week may also have an important influence on how quickly he or she progresses. For instance , a student who has studied jazz dancing for five years on a once a week basis may find himself in a class with a student who has studied jazz for only three years but has also been taking two additional ballet classes and a tap class each week. Naturally, the second student has been dancing more intensively and this will tend to speed up his progress.
6. Ballet is the most important dance form to be studied as it is the basic technique from which other dance forms derive. Ballet encompasses all the fundamentals of dance movement while developing posture, grace, flow of movement and poise. You cannot become an advanced dancer in any subject without the study of ballet.
7. ATTENTION PARENTS OF NEW STUDENTS- BEWARE OF USING PHRASES LIKE “My child has had X number of years at _______ School of Dance and was in their most advanced classes. Therefore, she should be in your most advanced classes too!” This may or may not be true. There is no certification required in this country to open a dance school and because of this, the training ranges from excellent to horrible. Dance World Academy has established itself as an institution of “excellence in dance training” and is recognized nationally as such. Please give the Director and teachers the opportunity to observe your child in class for a few weeks, so that he or she may be placed at the proper working level.
We at Dance World Academy view dance as education and feel that everyone, regardless of their talent level, can derive many benefits from dance instruction. Our classes and curriculum are all built around the philosophy that good dance training promotes confidence, self-discipline, perseverance, and teamwork. It is important that students work toward their own personal improvement and not get overly concerned with competing with others. We want the students to be focused on “doing their personal best” and on having fun. We know that we can count on your support and cooperation to help your children understand this message. We encourage all of our students to work hard to become the best dancers that they can be, but they must work at a level which is suitable for them. Many students are easily discouraged when they are placed in too difficult a class. We want dance to be a happy and glorious experience for each student. REMEMBER, GOOD DANCE TRAINING IS BASED ON TRUST IN THE TEACHER THAT HE/SHE ALWAYS HAS THE STUDENT’S BEST INTEREST AT HEART!
ROOM POLICY
PLEASE KEEP OUR WAITING ROOM COMFORTABLE
URGENT! PLEASE READ
HELP US TO REDUCE CONGESTION IN THE WAITING ROOM
Dear Parents,
Our waiting room areas are designed only for a parent to “drop-off” and “pickup” their child(ren) from dance class. Please help us to reduce congestion and crowding in our waiting area by following the suggestions and rules listed below:
No strollers or baby carriages are permitted in the waiting area at any time. We do not have the room for these.
Do not wait for your child while they are in dance class if possible. Drop them off and pick them up. If you must wait, please do not bring siblings with you. Our waiting area is not large enough for this and it is not a “play area”.
Bring your child “dressed in their dance clothes” to class. Do not use the bathrooms as a “changing area” after class. Please take your child home in their dance clothes and change them at home.
There is no eating or drinking (other than water) in our waiting area at any time.
Put tuition in an envelope and let your child bring it in. Always make certain to write your child’s name on the check, especially if the last name is different from yours.
You can also pay tuition by “mailing it in to us.” Our addresses are:
Dance World Academy Dance World Academy
226 Main Avenue 334 Lakeview Avenue
Passaic, NJ 07055 Clifton, NJ 07011
Regarding parking – please do not double park when picking up older students. Please circle around the block until student comes out of studio door.
PLEASE FOLLOW THE POLICIES ABOVE. THANK YOU.
