Shannon's School of Dance

The FIRST of 10 tuition installments must be paid at the time of registration. (in addition to the registration fee)

There is a $40 discount for paying for the year in full in September. (After October the discount drops to $20)

A Confirmation of account information will be sent to you so that you may evaluate and inform us of any discrepancies that need to be corrected. No statements will be mailed out unless your account gets past due. Each parent will receive a payment coupon book in late September. Your payment coupon book must be used for tuition installments, costume fees, etc. from October thru June to assist you in your account maintenance. If you use your payment coupon booklet your name will be entered into a monthly drawing to win discounts and/or prizes! It pays to use your payment book properly! If you don't use your payment book and the coupons you won't know valuable information and you won't get any surprise discounts etc!!! You snooze, YOU lose!

Tuition paid by installments, will be due the first week of every month, regardless of number of classes that meet in that month.

Installments are still due and payable unless the studio is notified of withdrawal PRIOR to the 10th of the Month. Tuition installment will still be due for that month if withdrawal notification is made after the 10th of said month. If your child stops coming to class, please do not assume that we know they have discontinued classes, or rely on someone else to tell us. We need to hear from the parent/guardian so that monthly charges to the account will discontinue. If we don't hear from you, you will still be charged for tuition and WILL get statements in the mail. You will still be responsible for charges due until the studio is properly notified.Tuition is an annual fee, broken down into 10 installments for your convenience. This yearly fee can be paid up front in full, monthly, or for special circumstances- quarterly. It is not rasied for 5 week months nor is it lowered for less than 4 week months including holiday closings.

TUITION INSTALLMENTS REMAIN THE SAME REGARDLESS OF THE NUMBER OF CLASSES THAT MEET PER MONTH.

Tuition is based on a yearly fee divided into 10 equal payments. All tuition is non-refundable. REGISTRATION FEE IS ALSO NON REFUNDABLE! There are no refunds for classes missed. Cancelled classes and classes missed due to absence can be made up in comparable class days/times. Tuition is due the first of every month and a $15 late fee will be applied to the account after the 10th of the month. You may choose to keep a credit/debit card on file with the studio to be charged the first of every month to avoid late fees, however a $1 office fee will be added to the monthly payment for this service.

TUITION IS NOT ALTERED FOR MISSED CLASSES. For the best instruction possible, please keep absences to a minimum. Due to recital work, there are no make-ups after May 1st. Tuition more than 1 month in arrears may result in dancer not being permitted to return to class until paid. Account MUST be paid in full to participate in recital.

Discounts are available for registering in the Spring or paying in full for the year June thru September- If you use your payment book properly, by turning in the coupon with payment each month, you will be entered into a monthly drawing which you win you $credits$ towards your account, or other dance related items! (some restrictions may apply, discounts may not be combined) We will also be using our facebook page ShannonsSchool ofDance so people can win special discounts as well! Every little bit helps! Usually if we have a price increase we give you an opportunity to avoid it by offering a time sensitive offer.

The First Installment is non refundable unless the parent or guardian lets us know prior to the first class meeting of the season. Please allow 8-16 weeks for your refund.

Please click HERE to notify us of withdrawal of classes or a future absence of class.

GUARANTEED NUMBER OF CLASS DAYS: (this needs updating !!!)
Monday = 29 class days
Tuesday = 32 class days
Wednesday = 32 class days
Thursday = 31 class days
Saturday or Adult sessions = 6 class days per session.

*Holidays, planned closings, snow days are not included in these figures- those days do not count. These figures are based on actual class meetings.

* Classes cancelled due to instructor illness, special circumstances etc and classes missed by students who are absent, may be made up in a comparable class day/time. Makeup days are also scheduled if needed by the instructors.

Payments in full for the year should Not be made unless the parent or guardian is confident that the student will continue for the whole duration of the dance season. REFUNDS ARE NOT GIVEN FOR FULL YEAR PAYMENTS AFTER OCTOBER 9, 2011, AND WILL BE SUBJECT TO A $80 ADMINISTRATIVE FEE. THIS FEE WILL BE DEDUCTED FROM THE TOTAL PAID. Please allow 8-16 weeks to process your refund.

If a student withdraws after October 9th, and they have paid in full for the year, they will only receive that refund as a credit to their account and not as a cash refund. The credit will be void after one year from the date of the student's withdrawal.

Students MUST wear a cover up over dance clothes upon entering or exiting the studio building.

Students must be properly dressed for classes in order to participate. Students not wearing proper attire for more than two weeks will not be allowed to participate in class. ALL STUDENTS WHO TAKE TAP MUST HAVE TAP SHOES! PLEASE DO NOT TRY TO MAKE YOUR OWN TAP SHOES. ( Yes, this has happened before! Seriously!)

HAIR MUST be put up! PLEASE BUY A PACK OF HAIR ELASTICS AND KEEP IT IN STUDENT'S DANCE BAG- PLEASE TRY TO PUT THEIR HAIR UP FOR THEM BEFORE CLASS B/C IT UPSETS A CHILD TO NOT BE PREPARED. The instructors or assistants cannot be responsible for getting your child's hair up and also start and/or conduct class on schedule if they must fix hair.

Students MUST be potty trained before starting dance classes. Please do not send your child to class unless you took them to the restroom and had them go. THEY WILL HAVE TO GO AT THE STUDIO, IN THE BEGINNING, MIDDLE, or END OF CLASS IF YOU DO NOT GET THEM TO GO PRIOR TO CLASS! When asked, a small child will often times tell you that they "do not have to go"... FOR THE SAKE OF THE CLASS, PLEASE SEE TO IT THAT THEY GO ANYWAY! :)

Students are expected to be present and on time for all classes. It is very important that all dancers get the appropriate warm-up needed to avoid injury. Tardiness, which is relatively better than absence, still affects student progress. Please make it a priority to get your child to class on time. This, along with inattendance, can contribute to a child's slow progression, exclusion from the group, insecurity with material they are not familiar with, as well as inhibiting the success of the class as a whole. Please notify the school if your dancer will be absent.

PLEASE DO NOT SEND YOUR CHILD TO DANCE CLASS SICK. FOR THIS REASON, WE NO LONGER HAVE PERFECT ATTENDANCE AWARDS!

PLEASE DO NOT TREAT A CHILD WITH A FEVER WITH PAIN RELIEVER AND SEND THEM TO DANCE..THE FEVER INDICATES SICKNESS AND THE PAIN RELIEVER ONLY TEMPORARILY HELPS THE FEVER...IT DOES NOT MEAN YOUR CHILD IS NOT STILL CONTAGIOUS!

IF YOU KNOW YOUR CHILD, OR THEIR SIBLING, HAS A CONTAGIOUS ILLNESS- CHICKENPOX, STREP, FLU ETC- PLEASE DO NOT EXPOSE THE STUDIO BY BRINGING THEM TO DANCE.

Shannon's School of Dance reserves the right to refuse participation in the recital for excessive absences.

All students and parents ( as well as siblings) will be respectful at all times to the instructors, other students and parents Profanity, negative attitudes, and gossiping should not be brought into the studio under any circumstances.

SHANNON'S SCHOOL OF DANCE RESERVES THE RIGHT TO CHANGE THE CLASS LEVEL FOR ANY STUDENT WHO IS UNABLE TO PARTICIPATE AT THE LEVEL OF THE CLASS THEY ARE REGISTERED IN. SHANNON'S SCHOOL OF DANCE ALSO RESERVES THE RIGHT TO DISMISS ANY STUDENT WHOSE BEHAVIOR OR INATTENDANCE IS FOUND TO BE A DETRIMENT TO THE CLASS.

Students, parents, and siblings are asked to clean up after themselves and respect all property.

While classes are in progress, please do NOT open the dance room doors. It is very disruptive to the dancers , as well as the instructors. Please do not interrupt dance classes to talk to teacher unless it is an emergency. We have had complaints from students about interruptions in their ballet classes. PLEASE Do not enter the classroom unless it is an EMERGENCY. Do not enter classrooms to have a conversation with any student or teacher unless it is related to an URGENT situation that must be attended to immediately. Blatant interruption of class will not be tolerated , as it wastes the instructors time, and directs attention away from the students who are paying to receive dance instruction! Please do not assume this does not pertain to YOU, as this rule applies to everyone at the dance school. When one dance class ends, another begins- Please respect our schedule and all of the parents paying for their children to receive instruction.

PLEASE do not wait until arriving at the studio to use the restroom. Teaching a class and having to hold their attention is very hard, especially when people are going in and out of the room, (men, women and children), through the classes already in progress. It is considered very inconsiderate to interrupt a dance class while it is in progress. Please use the restroom, prior to arrival at the studio. The restroom is for student and teacher use predominantly. Please be considerate of this. Another problem with large groups of siblings/parents/visitors going to the restroom at the studio is STOPPED UP TOILETS! We have to tend to "potty" situations weekly due to the amount of traffic the restroom sees daily. PLEASE have your children, dancers and non dancers, and all adults in your party, use the restroom before leaving to come to the studio. Due to the location of the restroom being " inaccessible" to the waiting area , the studio restroom is not a "public restroom"- it is specifically for the dancers. Having so much use, drives up our costs in many ways, takes us away from class time to deal with "issues"..having to spend extra time mopping and sanitizing..etc. We understand sometimes you just have to go, but we seriously need to curtail the traffic that is so disruptive, to and from the bathroom!

When arriving at the studio- please talk in hushed tones, as we are trying to instill in EVERYONE that the dance studio is a quiet place. This enables us to spend less time trying to get the children calmed down, focused and ready to learn. If everyone entering the studio puts this into practice, the result is a quiet, calm environment that is conducive to learning. ( and maybe parents can read a book or look at a magazine with some peace and quiet) Our office staff needs to make phone calls and talk with parents and at times it is so loud that this makes it impossible!

The lobby is NOT a play area. Siblings of students in class are expected to sit quietly and must remain supervised at all times.

Siblings and dance students should be under the parents control before and after classes- parents should not allow their children to run crazy like raging maniacs in dance rooms- the dance studio should be respected and not treated like a racing track. Props in the classroom are not play toys to entertain siblings. Please do not allow your little one to enter dance rooms and entertain themselves with our props for class- These are sterilized after each class and we need these to be off limits to everyone that is not a student, or instructor at the studio.

Parents and siblings are not allowed to occupy dance rooms that are not being used. Please keep siblings occupied with QUIET toys from home and do NOT use the dance rooms as play or work areas. Please do not use dance rooms or office as a changing area. Please do not use an empty dance room to make phone calls, sew, do school projects, eat pizza etc. Please respect our space.

Please do not solicit for other schools etc. while sitting in the lobby. If you are not happy with dance instruction, please do not blatently solicit another dance instructor, dance school, dance team etc. while sitting in our waiting area. Please be respectful of our studio by doing that elsewhere. It makes people uncomfortable and is upsetting to students who may be listening. If there is a problem, make an appointment to speak to the director.

Please do not obstruct the stairwell and upstairs entrance to make or take a phone call.

Do not bring chewing gum into the studio building. Gum is not fun to clean up and is also a choking hazard for dancers in class.

If food is brought, it must be properly cleaned up- continued messes will lead to food not be allowed at all at the studio!

IT IS NOT THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE TEACHER TO SEE TO IT THAT STUDIO POLICIES ARE ADHERED TO. IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE PARENT/GAURDIAN TO ENFORCE AND ADHERE TO THERE RULES AND MAKE CERTAIN THAT THE STUDENT AND PARENT UNDERSTANDS WHAT IS EXPECTED OF THEM.

Parents may drop their child off and go to the store if they feel confident in doing so.

If your child is having some separation anxiety, it is suggested that you give them several different opportunities to be away from you prior to dance class. This will make their first time at dance class a much better experience!

If for some reason, your little one is scared or apprehensive about class, but has no problem at school, or the babysitters, etc..we understand these things happen and we will work with you on trying to get your dancer comfortable. We do not mind allowing a mom of an upset child to sit in class to help ease their anxiety for a short period of time.. ( maybe a few weeks) We can then wean your time in the class so that the separation is a gradual one and then you can exit the dance room for the entire duration. Moms in the room are a distraction, so if we allow this, it is only for special circumstances and has to be as low key as possible. If you feel your child is NOT going to do well the first few classes due to separation anxiety... chances are , you are right! Sometimes with little ones starting pre-school and dance all at the same time (or perhaps baby sister or brother is on the way?) can cause your child to not act themselves or to be more clingy then usual. Sometimes they just aren't ready for dance class and might need to wait a bit.

We have seen it all, and can help you adjust! Let us know if there is a problem, maybe we can help you adjust.

Parents, siblings and observers are not permitted in the classrooms at any time unless you have permission. We need your dancer’s complete attention. We have observation windows to track your child’s progress periodically, however, in an effort to respect the students’ privacy, we encourage parents to not get into the habit of standing in front of the windows the entire duration of class. We currently have a see through blind in the windows so that students are not as distracted by the observers. In the future,this may be changed to one that obstructs view entirely and opens and closes when we deem necessary. Dance class is not only a place to learn technique-the students are also learning about who they are and how to relate to one another. Students need to feel safe in a classroom , not as if they are on display.

During the months of April and May we normally block the windows with black paper so that the students can focus on what they are rehearsing and not be distracted. This also makes the time leading up to the recital more exciting as the children anticipate getting to show their family what they have been working on!

Please do not stand in the window and take pictues with the flash, or videotape. This causes the students and the teachers to get a little anxious!

Please drop-off and pick-up your child within 15 minutes of class time, as we are very busy and cannot provide your child with the attention they deserve to be safe. Late (more than 15 minutes) pick-ups will be charged a fee.

Please do not park at the curb for pick-up- it jeopardizes the safety of our students and other drivers. Please have your child wait inside until someone comes in to pick them up. We cannot supervise them if they are waiting outside of the building.

All students are expected to participate in our annual recital. This is an exciting and rewarding experience when students can demonstrate their talents and abilities. It helps develop confidence, self-esteem, and a sense of accomplishment. We encourage families with multiple costume fees to make monthly payments (separate check from installment fees) so that it won’t become a burden to pay.

(It is very rare that a student chooses not to participate, but we understand that they have other interests and life can get busy. Just please let us know from the beginning)

RECITAL COSTUMES WILL ONLY BE ORDERED FOR THOSE STUDENTS WHOSE FEES HAVE BEEN PAID IN FULL. LATE FEES WILL BE CHARGED. PLEASE LET THE STUDIO KNOW AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, IF YOUR CHILD WILL BE UNABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE RECITAL, WHICH IS TENTATIVELY SET FOR THE FIRST WEEKEND IN JUNE. PLEASE TRY NOT TO BOOK BEACH TRIPS FOR THAT WEEK OR THE WEEK AFTER THAT JUST IN CASE LIFE DECIDES TO PLAY A CRUEL JOKE ON US AND WE HAVE TO CHANGE IT TO THE SECOND WEEKEND... THE RECITAL DATE IS TENTATIVE.....MEANING...SOMETHING COULD HAPPEN!

ALTERATIONS ON COSTUMES MAY BE NEEDED AND ARE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE PARENT/GAURDIAN. COSTUMES ARE NOT CUSTOM MADE. COSTUME FEES ARE NON REFUNDABLE.

PLEASE NOTE: PROPER TIGHTS NEEDED FOR RECITAL ARE LISTED ON THE GENERAL INFORMATION PAGE!

STUDIO CLOSINGS
We follow weather closings for Mecklenburg Public Schools. To keep it simple, when they close due to weather situations, we do as well. This may seem silly at times, but it guarantees that everyone knows immediately about whether the studio is closed or not. Having to call to find out is very stressful to the parent, and also the studio owner when they have to make a decision that might be difficult, in haste. It is also difficult to contact everyone if we do have classes..so, to keep it simple, this is our policy.

WHEN MECKLENBURG PUBLIC SCHOOLS CLOSE DUE TO WEATHER CONDITIONS, WE CLOSE AS WELL.

WE DO NOT OBSERVE TEACHER WORK DAYS, ETC. OF MECKLENBURG COUNTY- WE ONLY FOLLOW WHAT THEY DO IN REGARDS TO WEATHER CLOSINGS.

WE DO NOT FOLLOW MECKLENBURG PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEMS FOR ALL TYPES OF CLOSINGS, JUST IN REGARDS TO WEATHER.

OTHER
We reserve the right to drop from our registry any student for any reason, including: excessive tardiness or absence, disruptive behavior from students, parents or siblings, non payment of tuition, or other charges , bounced checks, etc. ALSO SEE ASTERISKS BELOW*

Please be certain we have appropriate email addresses, phone, and cell numbers on file so that we may contact you.

Please observe the following:

*STUDENTS MUST USE THE RESTROOM BEFORE PUTTING ON DANCE CLOTHES, SO THAT CLASS TIME WILL NOT BE INTERRUPTED FOR POTTY BREAKS. PARENTS, STUDENTS AND SIBLINGS MARCHING ACROSS THE BALLET ROOM TO GO TO THE RESTROOM IS EXTREMELY DISTRACTING FOR THE CLASS THAT IS IN PROGRESS AT THAT TIME. We will crackdown on this if it gets excessive!!!!

*Proper Shoes MUST be worn for all classes!

*Hair Must be properly secured in a bun or french braid- Shorter hair styles must be pinned off the face and neck. bobbie pins, hair elastics and hair nets are essential to making a clean tight bun, Untidy, unsecured hair is a safety concern and prevents the teacher from viewing the students body placement. It is also a distraction to the student in class because they continue to mess with it, wastes valuable class time ..and it drives the instructors nuts. :)

*No watches or jewelry can be worn in class. (only post earrings)

*No undergarments are to be worn under any leotards or tights. Tights ARE a dancers undergarments!

*All t-shirts , camisoles, pants etc, are to be removed prior to class unless it is jazz pants in jazz/tap class.

*Elastic must be sewn on all ballet shoes.

*Attendance is imperative to a student's progress. If classes are missed repeatedly it affects the whole class, not just the student who is not there. Please be considerate to the teachers and your child's fellow classmates, by trying to get your child to classes on a REGULAR basis. Inattendance slows everyone down.

*Dance attire and fee information is located on the General Information page-

* Only students who take ballet, will be able to advance at a faster pace.

We have class levels based on Age. Please select the class that reflects the age that your child will be when classes are started. Normally, if a student turns 3 BEFORE the first of October, we will accept them into the 3 year old class if they are potty trained and have good strong basic social skills. All other classes we are holding true to the age guidelines unless we have determined through class observation that that student needs to be moved from the class. We have to have a starting point in determining levels, and age is our starting point. If we did not have age as some type of guideline for level differentiation , classes would be overpopulated and students would not progress at the appropriate rate and would be held back. We also do not determine class levels, days and times on parent carpools, or friend associations.

Advancement from one class level to the next is not automatic; therefore, students will receive an evaluation at the end of the dance season (IF necessary an evaluation will be given out during other times in the year if we feel something needs to be addressed immediately) These evaluations will assess effort, attendance, technical development, strengths and weaknesses, conduct, and potential and will also include suggestions for improvement. The evaluation will be the main deciding factor for class placement. New students will undergo evaluation at the beginning of the dance season in the recommended class/classes, or if necessary, in private, in order to determine which class/classes at our studio will be appropriate according to their current level of technical ability. A student may be moved to a higher class or a lower class at any time during the season as the instructors and Director sees fit.

It is not uncommon for students to spend two to three years in a level. It may take that long to accomplish all of the necessary skills needed for advancement. Dance progress should not be compared to Academic progress.

******* Just to emphasize the importance of entrusting your child to us:

The information below was borrowed from another dance studio and some of the wording has been changed to reflect our thoughts on the subjects:

http://www.ultimatedanceflorida.com/id31.html again, we have changed some of their wording, however this just really tells it like it is!:

We are extremely careful and dedicated to choosing the correct class level for each student. It is very important to remember that all students are individuals with very different talents, skills, and ability levels and they 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 that may come easily to others. Some students require a different learning approach than others, or may be more shy and need more affirmation to bring them to their true potential as a dancer. This is carefully considered when placing students in a class. The most important thing is that the student "enjoys" the class and "feels comfortable" in it and is "happy". A "happy" 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. It is also common to see students that are in different grades at school in the same dance class. We do not base a student's class placement on their height or appearance.

1. PLEASE DO NOT BE A "COMPETITIVE" PARENT and want your child in a certain class because you think it's more advanced or a "harder" class. Class placement is the teacher's/director's decision. After all, that's what 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. In addition, dance teachers know from experience that some children progress faster as part of the "top half" of a class, while others progress faster in the "bottom/younger/newer" half of a class. Unlike academics, where progress can sometimes be measured with a score or a grade, dance progress cannot be measured as simply. There are many factors that cannot be judged by the untrained eye - flexibility, natural ability for movement, the speed at which a dancer picks up choreography, his/her ear for music & beat, his/her performance quality, command of a room or stage, the student's personality , and also the actual skill level & step vocabulary he/she posesses. Many students "know" many steps, but do not yet have the technique or musicality to execute them with style, which is key in dance. (In other words, we don't just move dancers "up" because they "know" or "can do the step," but base our choices as much if not more on the quality of how it is done - whether it can be done in combination, with style, and with control.) These are the things that make dance an art, not just a sport.

2. BEWARE OF BECOMING THE CLASSIC "STAGE MOTHER" who pushes her children beyond their capabilities just to be able to talk about the "difficult" classes that they are taking or how "advanced" their children are. Children of these types of parents usually become so frustrated with their dancing that they "quit" and never realize that dancing is supposed to be "fun". These children almost always perceive themselves as "failures" because they can never live up to their parents "impossible" expectations for them. Dance builds grace, confidence, posture and balance, and is a lot of fun - not every child who dances for a year or fifteen years will become a professional, but the memories & benefits last a lifetime!

3. ATTENTION NEW STUDENTS AND PARENTS Please beware of using phrases like, "my child has had x number of years of training at x 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 to open a dance studio, so therefore the type of training a student gets will vary. Please give the Director and teachers the opportunity to observe your child in classes, so that he or she may be placed at the proper working level based on what their technical abilities are at the time of enrollment and understand that placement can change throughout a season.

4. PROFESSIONAL JUDGEMENT 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 them!

CONCLUSION. 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, AND THAT IS OUR #1 PRIORTY!

If you have a question about class placement, please contact us . We reserve the right to move students to classes and/or age levels as we see fit. You must trust our judgement. A student's ability in the dance class has nothing to do with Academics, which grade they are in , or who their friends are. If we see that a class is too easy or difficult for a student we will notify the parents as to which class we feel they will benefit the most in. Class placement is decided by the director and instructors only. NO EXCEPTIONS.

If your child plays sports, check this information out!

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/319617/ballet_training_for_athletes.html