CAN I WATCH MY CHILD IN CLASS?
All classes are on closed circuit television, viewable in the lobby.

DO I NEED TO STAY WHILE MY CHILD IS IN CLASS?
We only ask you to stay if you feel your child might have a problem separating. As long as you leave us a cell phone number in case of an emergency, you can leave. Please take little ones to the bathroom before class starts.

WHAT IS THE DROP OFF/PICK UP POLICY?
We ask that you let us know who is authorized to pick your child up. We cannot release any child for any reason to anyone other than those who have authorization. Please be prompt both when dropping off and picking up.

HOW MUCH WILL IT COST TO PARTICIPATE?
Tuition is an hourly price based on 34 classes per school year which we have divided into 10 equal installments. We utilize "Power Pay", an automated billing system for all payments. Each account holder must provide the studio with a debit or credit card that we bill tuition to on the first day of each month. Checks are accepted but must be received before the first of the month to avoid charges going on your credit card. It is the account holder’s responsibility to keep payment information current. If tuition remains unpaid after the first of the month, a $25 late charge will be assessed. No refunds will be given for registration fees or tuition. We do not pro-rate or refund for missed classes. Students may make up missed classes within a two month period.

At Realdance, there are no contracts, "recital fees" or "recital packages". Your child will be cast in one recital routine per dance hour, requiring one costume, which they will be measured for in November. They usually come in child and adult small, medium and large. Our measurements and your size recommendation will be considered when ordering their costume. When in doubt, we will get the larger size. The cost of the costume will be $85 plus tax for child size, $90 for adult size. Second costumes for select combo classes will be $55.

We will be ordering the costumes during the Thanksgiving break and payments will be due in full on November 25th. This might sound very early, but there are only a limited amount of companies that mass produce recital costumes, and most dance studios follow the same timeline. We order early to be sure we have the costumes for picture day in March. If your child will not be dancing in the recital for any reason, we must be notified before Thanksgiving break to avoid having your card automatically charged. Since we must pay the costume companies in full upon placing the order, we cannot order any costume that has not been paid for.

Recital tickets will be sold in April, and will be about $20. There is no minimum or maximum purchase. You will be seated on a first come first served basis in the order that you registered. Returning families who pre registered in May of '09 have priority seating for recital '10.

Photographs will be professionally taken of your child by Donner Photographic at the end of March, by appointment only. We ask that they be present for their group photo, even if you do not opt for individual photos, as they will be printed in the program. DVD's of the recital will also be available for purchase and they will be $65.

WHAT IF MY CHILD DROPS OUT?
Whether or not you can get a refund on your costume depends on the company its ordered from as they all have different cancellation policies. Registration fees and tuition are non refundable. Please let us know if you are considering "dropping" a class. Quite often, a simple schedule change can eliminate the problem. We ask that you please submit a withdrawal in writing so we may delete your credit/debit card information from the system. BILLING DOES NOT CEASE UNTIL WRITTEN WITHDRAWAL IS SUBMITTED.

IS MY CHILD REQUIRED TO PRACTICE?
Practicing any skill will help your child's proficiency. The more proficient they become, the more they will enjoy their training. In the spring we will have a "video day" where you will be invited in to video tape your child's recital routine so they have it at home to practice with. We understand they have busy schedules, but encouraging the children to practice would be greatly appreciated. We also instruct them not to wear their tap shoes at home. They can practice tap in their ballet shoes.

WHAT WILL MY CHILD BE LEARNING? WHY ARE THEY WORKING ON THINGS THEY'VE ALREADY BEEN TAUGHT?
As any athlete will tell you, physical movements must be repeated thousands of times in order to achieve one's personal best. You will see much repetition in the pursuit of helping our students "be the best they can be". Imagine how many free throws Michael Jordan has practiced over the years. He probably couldn't even begin to count. You will see them execute the same steps many times hoping for improvement each time. In our program, we will follow a syllabus which we have compiled ourselves in order to instruct your child in movement appropriate to their age group. It is possible to physically damage a child if they are introduces too early to certain skills. Developing a dancer is a process. You might be thinking "my child is only doing this for fun, not to train for a career". We believe the children should be trained properly in all aspects of dance regardless of whether or not they are training to dance professionally. They will be asked to say "good afternoon" to their teachers and to applaud each other and their teacher when class is over, as well as say "thank you". We will ask that they respect each other, their teachers and their studio. We thank you for trusting us to train your children properly. We encourage their (and your!) questions! We are educators, and are proud of what we are teaching our students ..... whether its how to do a plie or shuffle, or basic dance studio etiquette

WHAT IS THE DRESS CODE?
As stated in our brochure, our dress code is Black leotard (no attached skirt please!) for all classes. Pink tights for ballet, tan tights may be worn for all other classes.
Black jazz or Yoga pants (no sweats or other colors) may be worn for jazz, tap and hip hop. Hair in a bun (with hairnet and bobby pins) for all classes.
For the little ones, please remove the tap shoe ribbons. You can replace them with clear elastic or tap ties if there is already not an elastic closure.
No exceptions please. The dress code is strictly enforced.

HOW WILL I KNOW WHAT EVENTS ARE COMING UP DURING THE SEASON?
We will periodically send home notices in your child's folder with important reminders. You can find this folder in the lobby labeled with you child's last name. We will also post them on our website, www.realdancestudio.com. We will post pertinent information in the lobby as well.

Some additional reminders.....
~If you are ever late for class, please put your child's shoes on outside the dance room. Please have them enter quietly as not to distract the others.
~Please call if you child will be absent
~In case of inclement weather, please call the studio before coming in. Our cancellation does NOT always coincide with the schools. If we have power, we will have class.