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dance t-shirt. No sport shorts or shirts will be allowed in dance class. No females will be allowed to wear t-shirts to class and all clothing must be black!! I will not
any color either. If your child comes to class in non-dance wear, she/he will not be allowed to participate in that class. There will be no exceptions to this rule.
Dance requires discipline and part of that discipline is wearing the correct dance gear. All outer clothing and footwear will be left in the locker room, not in the
waiting area. No dance bags will be allowed into the studios, these must be kept in the locker room under the bench or on top of the clothes racks. All coats will
be put on a hanger and not left on the floor in the locker room. We will not allow any bags or coats to be left on the bench as this bench is for changing shoes
only.
Students will wait for their class in the designated waiting area. Upon arrival, students must change up in the locker rooms, hang their outer wear up accordingly and
then wait in the waiting area for their class and for their junior instructor to line them up in the hallway. The bathroom is not to be used for changing into dance
gear; you must use the locker room for that. All students must keep the noise to a minimum while waiting for their dance class and they also must be respectful of
their junior instructor who is in charge of these classes until they are brought into their respective studios. We will not tolerate any running, screaming or
disrespect in the hallway of any kind.
All ladies taking classical pointe will be allowed to wear pink tights and black leotards to dance class, period. No dance pants will be allowed into the classical pointe
classes. A classical pointe student must either wear a black leotard or a leotard with a pink or black skirt; no dance dresses will be allowed in any pointe class. No
pink leotards will be worn to class and no former costumes. It is simple; black leotard, pink tights, pink or black skirt, pink ballet shoes or pointe shoes. NO
BLACK BALLET SHOES! Hair must be worn in a bun. No ponytails or loose hair will be allowed. Hair must be worn neat at all times and not in the dancers
face. No exceptions!.
All students must be enrolled in a regular dance class before they will be allowed to take classical pointe. The only exceptions to this rule are for college students
who wish to continue taking pointe class. I will not allow any student to quit their regular dance class and take pointe only, this does not make for a well rounded
dance student. I will strictly enforce this rule so please do not ask for your child to be an exception as it will not happen.
Students will be allowed to take classical pointe if they are 10 years or older. Students must exhibit extreme love of dance and be committed to their art before
they will be allowed into a classical pointe class. Miss Colleen will have the final say on all new pointe students. Students 5-9 years old will be allowed to take pre-
pointe. These students will be instructed in classical pointe technique, will learn how to tie their laces on regular ballet shoes yet, will not receive their pointe
shoes. If there is a student that is in this age group that exhibits potential for regular pointe classes, she/he will be moved. This is at the discretion of the
teacher and she has the final say. All classical pointe dancers must earn their pointe shoes either by November 15 of the fall class or January 15 of the Spring
class. Please note that the instructor will decide when this happens and even though your child is in a regular pointe class, she may not earn her pointe shoes her
first year. We know what is best for your child and we will decide when your child is ready for her pointe shoes. All pointe dancers in pre-pointe and pointe class
will need 2 pairs of pointe/ballet shoes per year. A clean pair will be required for all performances and for recital. SPECIAL NOTE: Pointe dancers
will not be allowed to go online to purchase pointe shoes, all shoes will be fit in our studio; this is for the health of your
child’s feet.
Dancers 5 years and older will be placed into dance classes by skill. This decision will be made collectively by all the TMDA dance instructors. All new students (6
years and older) must audition for dance and then will be placed into a dance class based on his/her knowledge of jazz and tap. Four classes have been designed for
students who show desire to better their dance skills and show amazing dedication to practice. The four troupe classes are expected to know their choreography
each week without exception. A troupe student is only given once chance for missed knowledge of dance choreography and the 2nd time will be placed into another
class. The top Troupe Class has only 16 members so please know that your child may exhibit some of these qualities from year to year however there might not be
room for your child in the troupe class or another troupe class (mini troupe will never be larger than 18, Tiny 18 and Petite 16). All Troupe students and their
parents will be required to sign the Troupe Contract as this is not just an honor to be in the troupes, it is hard work.
Our decisions on dance placement are final. (We will move students within the first month of dance if we
feel we have made a mistake.)
No students will be allowed into the dance store without a parent. If you need to purchase any dance items, please ask the Office Secretary (OS) to allow you into
the dance store. You may bring your child in the dance store with you but they can not be left alone in the store. If you need to try on any apparel, please use
the locker room and not the bathroom. All items must be paid in full at time of purchase. We ask that parents not “hang out” in the dance store as the OS’ s have
duties they need to attend too. Please do not go near the VCR station as these are all connected to each other and if one VCR is disturbed, they all stop working.
No one will be allowed to sit at this station except for the OS’s. If you are paying your tuition bill, please place your payment in the envelopes at the office window
and pass it to the OS’s. There is no need to come into the dance store if just paying tuition as this will keep the traffic down in the dance store.
Because dance requires different technical shoes, we are unable to tell you which ones each student will need each year until music has been selected for that
class. The safest dance shoe to practice with in class is the dance sneaker. I recommend the dance sneaker for all students 8 and older. If your child is
performing soft shoe Celtic, she/he will be required to purchase a gore boot and this will be needed for class and not just performances. All students will be
required to purchase tap shoes; beginners may purchase the lower end tap shoe while all advanced students must purchase the slip on gore taps. Shoes you might be
required to purchase are as follows; sneaker, gore shoe, slip on taps, beginner taps, greacian sandal, lyrical sandal, ballet shoe, character shoe, pointe shoe. Your
child may be asked to purchase a more technical shoe, depending on the level of his/her class. Before ordering your child’s shoe, please make sure of his/her shoe
size as there is a $10.00 restocking fee on all shoes. Please try on a similar shoe that you will be purchasing as all dance shoes run differently. For example, my
shoes size is an 8 and I wear an 8 jazz sneaker, a size 8 gore shoe, a size 7 ½ tap gore shoe, a 5 lyrical ballet shoe and 4 ½ grecian sandal. You must try on all
shoes before purchasing.
There will be costumes that need to be purchased throughout the school year. All dance groups will perform at least 2 routines for recital so please be expected to
buy 2 costumes. Dance groups that meet for 1 ½ hours will most likely dance to 3 routines and will then purchase 3 costumes. I will try to keep the cost for these
costumes to a reasonable price as I shop at discontinued outlets for all dance costumes. Because I shop at discount factories, sizing and availability are limited.
If I cannot buy the correct size costume for your child, I will always order larger and then you will have to have your costume tailored to your child. Larger is
always better as children grow through out the dance year. Buying costumes for over 300 hundred dancers is no easy task so I ask that you be patient, be
understanding and most of all, be grateful that I do not buy at retail costume stores. I most often buy these costumes at 50-70% off the retail price so please,
know that I am doing my best to buy every class beautiful and appropriate dance costumes. Dance show tights are required for each costume and this year, YOU
WILL PURCHASE YOUR TIGHTS WHEN YOU PURCHASE YOUR COSTUME!. I have instituted this rule as I am always purchasing extra
tights at the last minute for parents who refuse to purchase tights immediately. Therefore, everyone, without exception, will be required to purchase their show
tights at the time of every costume purchase. If all you need are black tights, then you will only be required to purchase tights once. Ladies taking pointe will
purchase 1-2 costumes for the year. Pointe girls who earn a lead role in the pointe musical may have to purchase more expensive costumes, please be prepared for
this. Because of the rising fuel prices, I have already seen an increase in costume prices in the new catalogs. For the year 2009-10, please budget up to $60.00
per costume per dance and up to $75.00 for pointe costumes. This does include props, i.e., hats, umbrellas, gloves, etc..
A schedule of costume prices for all classes will be posted in the waiting area and on the website by Ocotber 15, 2009. This schedule will list costume prices for
each class and when payment is due. Costumes are ordered by September 1st, so please know that you will be billed for these costumes as soon as dance classes
resume. I also will NOT refund anyone for costumes already paid for and you decide to quit TMDA! These costumes are ordered just for your child, please
remember that!!! If you do not purchase costumes by their due date, a $5.00 late fee will be added each week to your child’s costume price. I have said I would
do this in this past, and I have not, however due to lack of space and volume, I will adhere to this rule very strictly this year. No students will be allowed to take
spring classes until all costumes for the year are paid in full and I will not make any exceptions for this. Please do not ask for special considerations with respect to
costume purchases as all office secretaries are instructed to assess late fees if costumes are left in the office boxes.
Dance tuition payments will be made twice through out the dance year: September 15 & 16, 2009 and January 19 & 20, 2010. All tuitions not paid for by September
24, 009 and January 28, 2010 will have a $10.00 late fee added to it each month per student. It is not up to the OS to run after this payment. The secretaries
are primarily in the front office to do all of your video taping (which is very time consuming and a perk of The Maine Dance Academy) and to pass out/order supplies
but, they become backed up by late payments. No costumes will be passed out until your tuition fee is paid for and this will be true for recital tickets as well. Those
of you who have a difficult time making these two payments and need assistance can either apply for a scholarship to TMDA or set up a payment system with your
office secretary. (Please, we ask that you apply for a scholarship only if you desperately need one and that you ask for a payment schedule only if this is your last
option. Keeping track of tuition payments is always hard as we are continually researching bills for these costumers. This takes up a lot of valuable secretary time
and that is a luxury we just do not have. Thanks for your cooperation.) You will need to fill out a payment schedule and sign it and keep to this payment schedule
or late fees will be assessed to your account. Your office secretary will answer all of your dance, costume and supply questions. If they are unable to answer your
questions, then they will meet with your child’s instructor for the correct answers. Please help your office secretary out, they have a tough job to do in a limited
amount of time. Tuition fees are non refundable after the first 2 weeks of each semester. Dance costumes will never be refunded as these costumes have been
ordered specifically for your child only. Snow days will be rescheduled at the instructors discretion. Thank you so much for your cooperation.
Secretaries will NOT be at your discretion during pointe nights this year. All bills must be paid on Tuesday and Wednesdays of each week.
Private lessons for students are available through TMDA. All private lessons must be scheduled through the front office with the OS. All private lessons will be
taught by Junior Instructors and will be taught on Thursday & Fridays. If you want a specific instructor or a specific Junior Instructor, this will be first
scheduled with them and then we will contact you with the time of the private lesson. Private lesson will be billed at $35.00 per hour for a Junior Instructor and
$50.00 per hour for an Instructor. This fee will cover the cost of the instructor and the studio fee and it will be due when the private lesson is scheduled.
No junior instructors employed by TMDA will be able to offer private lessons on their own. All private
lessons must be held at and paid through TMDA.
If you want music cut for your child, the cost will be $20.00 per hour. Cutting music is very time consuming so please schedule this through the OS. You will be
expected to pay for this immediately when your music is cut and you receive your edited version.
We will not copy our edited versions of our music for you any longer. This has become too time-consuming for us. If you absolutely need a copy of our edited
versions, the cost will be $5.00 per song and this again will have to be scheduled through the front office.
Each child must practice daily. We learn at a rapid pace at TMDA thus if your child gets behind, she/he not only will become frustrated, but she/he will also slow
the rest of the class down. Practice makes for better for we all know that no one is perfect. We will speak to the child the first 2 times about not practicing and
then we will speak to you, the parent. If we can not get your child to practice then we will place your child at a lower level, as we cannot stop to re-teach dance
combinations each week that is why we tape all choreography for your children. Please encourage your child to practice. I will reward practicing dancers by placing
them in the front line, this is only fair. We cannot allow dancers who do not practice to be in the front as they will throw all other lines off. I will stick with this
rule for classes with age groups of 6 and older. All dance schools have this rule, so please understand that we are just being fair and trying to encourage our
dancers to take an interest in what you all are paying for. Thank you for your understanding as parents of these wonderful little dancers.
If your child misses more than 2 consecutive weeks of dance, we will call you. If your child has been sick, we will do our best to catch them up to the rest of the
group. If they miss 3 weeks, we will assume they have quit dance and we will give that spot to another dancer. If your child is missing class due to an injury, she/he
will not be part of the dance that he/she has missed. If your child is missing class due to any other reason than illness, she/he will still be required to have her/his
classes taped and know her /his choreography when she/he returns. If they do not, they will not be allowed to participate in that dance. We will enforce this rule
without exception as it is not fair to the other students that have been to class regularly and know their dance. We are trying to be fair to everyone.
New dancers coming in the January semester will not be allowed to participate in any dances learned in the first semester. Please do not ask, it will not happen.
All TMDA dancers are required to perform at all functions that his/her group is asked to perform at. Part of learning dance is performing dance and remember,
your child is part of a group which only functions, at its best, with all of its members. Exceptions to this rule are illness and vacations. If you cannot make it to a
function, it is your responsibility to tell your office secretary that your child will not be performing. You will be told well in advance when your child will be performing
so please make arrangements to have your child at these performances. Do not assume that your child is the only one that will not be able to be at an arrangement;
if all parents felt that way, we would sometimes end up with very few students at a performance. If you do not show up to a performance and you have not
notified your instructor or office secretary, this will be considered a missing of a class and your child will have to sit out of the next performance. Please
understand that the reason we are doing this is so that we will be able to count on your child at all the performances.
Parents will be allowed into the studio for “Parent Watch” once a month. This will be the first dance day of each month and it will be the last 10 minutes of class.
You will be quickly up-dated on any new announcements, we will allow you to ask questions concerning the new newsletter and you will also be allowed to see what your
child’s choreography has been for the previous month. This will be your chance to encourage your dancer and applaud his/her hard work. No outer shoes from any
parent will be allowed into the new studios. All shoes must be removed before entering the studio. Absolutely no exceptions.
We can handle crying children so please allow us to comfort them. If we cannot handle them, we will come looking for their parents. It is our experience that your
children listen to us so much better without their parents watching. We hope you understand. There will be no drinks of any kind allowed at all in the new studios.
When your dancer changes his/her shoes, they will be allowed water at that time. The drinks create a mess in the studio and take up much valuable dance time with
clean up.
Students must go to the bathroom before class time. Dancers will not be allowed a bathroom break during class time. As soon as we allow one dancer to go to the
bathroom, all the other dancers want to go too!!! This creates unnecessary loss of very valuable class time. Please, have your child use the bathroom before
she/he enters dance class.
Leaders will be chosen in some dance groups. A leader is chosen on his/her ability to replace the dance instructor; to lead the group with out the aide of the
instructor. Leaders are chosen by their dance ability, knowledge of the choreography and their capability to direct the group. It is solely the instructor’s decision
to choose the leader and their decision is final. We employ professionals and each and every instructor is 100% objective. We understand that most dancers want to
be leaders and we will make our decision based on the above criteria with that in mind.
All orders need to be placed by the end of each month. I will order new supplies the first Monday of each month. Orders must be paid in full before any items will
be ordered by TMDA. Again, no exceptions!!
All classes will be videotaped, so please keep a pen drive in your child’s dance bag at all times. These pen drives need to placed int the studio basket at the
beginning of each class. This recording of the dance choreography is an essential part of your child’s learning experience and we feel that by offering this to your
children, they will develop into better dancers. If your child misses class, he/she is still expected to have the choreography taped. Please bring your pen drive down
to the office or send it with another dancer as your child will be expected to know his/her choreography the following week. The OS will not tape for you if it is not
your child’s class time. This bogs the OS down; you will have to bring your tape to your child’s class only, to have it taped. There will be some occasions that your
OS is free and it will be her discretion if she has time to record another classes tape for you. Remember your OS is also busy ordering, filling in supplies, taking
payments and recording for 2 classes. Please be patient.
Junior instructors are an essential part of all the dance classes. They will assist in lining up students in the hallway, taking attendance, filling in evaluations on each
child, stretching and progressions. They will also help teach choreography. These instructors are to be respected and listened to, just like your head instructor.
They are an integral part of your child’s learning experience and classes could not be run efficiently without them. Thus, each class has two highly qualified dancers
teaching your children.
If any of you need to speak to Colleen or your dance instructor, please do not do this during class time. Your 0S’s are be able to answer all of your questions and if
they cannot, your OS will contact your instructors for the answer. If you need to speak to your instructor, you can email them at Miss(their name)
@themainedanceacademy.com. Nothing can be done about your concerns, if you do not channel them in the correct direction. If you have any complaints, please
refrain from making them in the student waiting area.
Your children must be watched at all times while you are waiting for class. Please do not leave any children unattended. We are not responsible for unsupervised
children in the waiting areas and we also expect the noise level to be kept at a minimum while classes are being held. All dancers must have dance bags to keep
their shoes in. TMDA will never be responsible for lost or stolen items. Absolutely no running in the hallways and please, keep small children in your care at all times.
All children must be picked up immediately after their class has finished. There are too many children coming in and out for us to make sure each parent is there.
It is your responsibility to be at class at the correct time. The instructors will not be responsible for any children that are left after class has been let out.
No children, parents or junior instructors will be allowed into the front office unless they have school business. There are too many things going on in the office for
anyone to be in there except for the OS. Please respect this rule so that all the office dealings can be done efficiently.
No students will be allowed in the teacher’s room at any time. This is only for teachers, junior instructors and Office Secretaries. All students must wait in the
waiting room or the locker room for their classes, NO EXCEPTIONS!
Dance will only be cancelled if all area schools are cancelled. Please consult the web for cancellations before leaving for dance if you have any doubt about the
weather. This cancellation will be posted on the moving cursor on the web site. All cancellations will be made by 1pm of the dance day in question. It will be to the
discretion of the dance instructor if any dance classes will be re-scheduled. Dance classes will be rescheduled on Mondays.
The green studio is available for renting for birthday parties and dances. These must be scheduled at least 2 weeks in advance of the date desired. On special
occasion, the purple studio will also be available but by special request only. Rental fee is $50.00 for a 2 hour party with a $25.00 deposit fee. You will be allowed
to use the music system but you will need to furnish your own CD’s. You will not be allowed in earlier to decorate, this will be part of your rental fee time.
Dance scholarships are available. Dancers must be in good standing at TMDA (been in dance at TMDA for at least one full year) and they must also exhibit high
interest in dance and for becoming a better dancer. Dancers that do not practice on a regular basis will not be eligible for these scholarships. These scholarships
have been designed to help the most needy of our students and these students must also show high interest in dance. Please ask yourself this question before
applying for one of these scholarships, “Will my child be able to take dance without this scholarship?” If your child is given a scholarship to take pointe and
decides not to stay in pointe, then this scholarship is not transferable to his/her jazz class. Our decisions will be final on all scholarships awarded. Scholarships do
not cover costumes, dance shoes and/or supplies.
The Maine Dance Academy will keep you posted on all news via it’s website at www.themainedanceacademy.com. A newsletter will be posted the first Monday of
each month on the web and also on each studio wall. If you have news to share with the TMDA family, i.e., a new birth, a pageant winning, please email your
exciting event to misscolleen@themainedanceacademy.com. A calendar of events will be posted each month as well and we ask that you print off this calendar and
post it to your refrigerator door for reference.
Thank you so much for choosing The Maine Dance Academy for your child’s dance education. I and all of my dance instructors are committed to making dance
enjoyable and challenging for your child. We promise to give you our best while bringing out the best in your children. We all love what we do and we hope your
children will grow in their appreciation and respect for the art of dance. Good luck and enjoy your dance year at TMDA!
any color either. If your child comes to class in non-dance wear, she/he will not be allowed to participate in that class. There will be no exceptions to this rule.
Dance requires discipline and part of that discipline is wearing the correct dance gear. All outer clothing and footwear will be left in the locker room, not in the
waiting area. No dance bags will be allowed into the studios, these must be kept in the locker room under the bench or on top of the clothes racks. All coats will
be put on a hanger and not left on the floor in the locker room. We will not allow any bags or coats to be left on the bench as this bench is for changing shoes
only.
Students will wait for their class in the designated waiting area. Upon arrival, students must change up in the locker rooms, hang their outer wear up accordingly and
then wait in the waiting area for their class and for their junior instructor to line them up in the hallway. The bathroom is not to be used for changing into dance
gear; you must use the locker room for that. All students must keep the noise to a minimum while waiting for their dance class and they also must be respectful of
their junior instructor who is in charge of these classes until they are brought into their respective studios. We will not tolerate any running, screaming or
disrespect in the hallway of any kind.
All ladies taking classical pointe will be allowed to wear pink tights and black leotards to dance class, period. No dance pants will be allowed into the classical pointe
classes. A classical pointe student must either wear a black leotard or a leotard with a pink or black skirt; no dance dresses will be allowed in any pointe class. No
pink leotards will be worn to class and no former costumes. It is simple; black leotard, pink tights, pink or black skirt, pink ballet shoes or pointe shoes. NO
BLACK BALLET SHOES! Hair must be worn in a bun. No ponytails or loose hair will be allowed. Hair must be worn neat at all times and not in the dancers
face. No exceptions!.
All students must be enrolled in a regular dance class before they will be allowed to take classical pointe. The only exceptions to this rule are for college students
who wish to continue taking pointe class. I will not allow any student to quit their regular dance class and take pointe only, this does not make for a well rounded
dance student. I will strictly enforce this rule so please do not ask for your child to be an exception as it will not happen.
Students will be allowed to take classical pointe if they are 10 years or older. Students must exhibit extreme love of dance and be committed to their art before
they will be allowed into a classical pointe class. Miss Colleen will have the final say on all new pointe students. Students 5-9 years old will be allowed to take pre-
pointe. These students will be instructed in classical pointe technique, will learn how to tie their laces on regular ballet shoes yet, will not receive their pointe
shoes. If there is a student that is in this age group that exhibits potential for regular pointe classes, she/he will be moved. This is at the discretion of the
teacher and she has the final say. All classical pointe dancers must earn their pointe shoes either by November 15 of the fall class or January 15 of the Spring
class. Please note that the instructor will decide when this happens and even though your child is in a regular pointe class, she may not earn her pointe shoes her
first year. We know what is best for your child and we will decide when your child is ready for her pointe shoes. All pointe dancers in pre-pointe and pointe class
will need 2 pairs of pointe/ballet shoes per year. A clean pair will be required for all performances and for recital. SPECIAL NOTE: Pointe dancers
will not be allowed to go online to purchase pointe shoes, all shoes will be fit in our studio; this is for the health of your
child’s feet.
Dancers 5 years and older will be placed into dance classes by skill. This decision will be made collectively by all the TMDA dance instructors. All new students (6
years and older) must audition for dance and then will be placed into a dance class based on his/her knowledge of jazz and tap. Four classes have been designed for
students who show desire to better their dance skills and show amazing dedication to practice. The four troupe classes are expected to know their choreography
each week without exception. A troupe student is only given once chance for missed knowledge of dance choreography and the 2nd time will be placed into another
class. The top Troupe Class has only 16 members so please know that your child may exhibit some of these qualities from year to year however there might not be
room for your child in the troupe class or another troupe class (mini troupe will never be larger than 18, Tiny 18 and Petite 16). All Troupe students and their
parents will be required to sign the Troupe Contract as this is not just an honor to be in the troupes, it is hard work.
Our decisions on dance placement are final. (We will move students within the first month of dance if we
feel we have made a mistake.)
No students will be allowed into the dance store without a parent. If you need to purchase any dance items, please ask the Office Secretary (OS) to allow you into
the dance store. You may bring your child in the dance store with you but they can not be left alone in the store. If you need to try on any apparel, please use
the locker room and not the bathroom. All items must be paid in full at time of purchase. We ask that parents not “hang out” in the dance store as the OS’ s have
duties they need to attend too. Please do not go near the VCR station as these are all connected to each other and if one VCR is disturbed, they all stop working.
No one will be allowed to sit at this station except for the OS’s. If you are paying your tuition bill, please place your payment in the envelopes at the office window
and pass it to the OS’s. There is no need to come into the dance store if just paying tuition as this will keep the traffic down in the dance store.
Because dance requires different technical shoes, we are unable to tell you which ones each student will need each year until music has been selected for that
class. The safest dance shoe to practice with in class is the dance sneaker. I recommend the dance sneaker for all students 8 and older. If your child is
performing soft shoe Celtic, she/he will be required to purchase a gore boot and this will be needed for class and not just performances. All students will be
required to purchase tap shoes; beginners may purchase the lower end tap shoe while all advanced students must purchase the slip on gore taps. Shoes you might be
required to purchase are as follows; sneaker, gore shoe, slip on taps, beginner taps, greacian sandal, lyrical sandal, ballet shoe, character shoe, pointe shoe. Your
child may be asked to purchase a more technical shoe, depending on the level of his/her class. Before ordering your child’s shoe, please make sure of his/her shoe
size as there is a $10.00 restocking fee on all shoes. Please try on a similar shoe that you will be purchasing as all dance shoes run differently. For example, my
shoes size is an 8 and I wear an 8 jazz sneaker, a size 8 gore shoe, a size 7 ½ tap gore shoe, a 5 lyrical ballet shoe and 4 ½ grecian sandal. You must try on all
shoes before purchasing.
There will be costumes that need to be purchased throughout the school year. All dance groups will perform at least 2 routines for recital so please be expected to
buy 2 costumes. Dance groups that meet for 1 ½ hours will most likely dance to 3 routines and will then purchase 3 costumes. I will try to keep the cost for these
costumes to a reasonable price as I shop at discontinued outlets for all dance costumes. Because I shop at discount factories, sizing and availability are limited.
If I cannot buy the correct size costume for your child, I will always order larger and then you will have to have your costume tailored to your child. Larger is
always better as children grow through out the dance year. Buying costumes for over 300 hundred dancers is no easy task so I ask that you be patient, be
understanding and most of all, be grateful that I do not buy at retail costume stores. I most often buy these costumes at 50-70% off the retail price so please,
know that I am doing my best to buy every class beautiful and appropriate dance costumes. Dance show tights are required for each costume and this year, YOU
WILL PURCHASE YOUR TIGHTS WHEN YOU PURCHASE YOUR COSTUME!. I have instituted this rule as I am always purchasing extra
tights at the last minute for parents who refuse to purchase tights immediately. Therefore, everyone, without exception, will be required to purchase their show
tights at the time of every costume purchase. If all you need are black tights, then you will only be required to purchase tights once. Ladies taking pointe will
purchase 1-2 costumes for the year. Pointe girls who earn a lead role in the pointe musical may have to purchase more expensive costumes, please be prepared for
this. Because of the rising fuel prices, I have already seen an increase in costume prices in the new catalogs. For the year 2009-10, please budget up to $60.00
per costume per dance and up to $75.00 for pointe costumes. This does include props, i.e., hats, umbrellas, gloves, etc..
A schedule of costume prices for all classes will be posted in the waiting area and on the website by Ocotber 15, 2009. This schedule will list costume prices for
each class and when payment is due. Costumes are ordered by September 1st, so please know that you will be billed for these costumes as soon as dance classes
resume. I also will NOT refund anyone for costumes already paid for and you decide to quit TMDA! These costumes are ordered just for your child, please
remember that!!! If you do not purchase costumes by their due date, a $5.00 late fee will be added each week to your child’s costume price. I have said I would
do this in this past, and I have not, however due to lack of space and volume, I will adhere to this rule very strictly this year. No students will be allowed to take
spring classes until all costumes for the year are paid in full and I will not make any exceptions for this. Please do not ask for special considerations with respect to
costume purchases as all office secretaries are instructed to assess late fees if costumes are left in the office boxes.
Dance tuition payments will be made twice through out the dance year: September 15 & 16, 2009 and January 19 & 20, 2010. All tuitions not paid for by September
24, 009 and January 28, 2010 will have a $10.00 late fee added to it each month per student. It is not up to the OS to run after this payment. The secretaries
are primarily in the front office to do all of your video taping (which is very time consuming and a perk of The Maine Dance Academy) and to pass out/order supplies
but, they become backed up by late payments. No costumes will be passed out until your tuition fee is paid for and this will be true for recital tickets as well. Those
of you who have a difficult time making these two payments and need assistance can either apply for a scholarship to TMDA or set up a payment system with your
office secretary. (Please, we ask that you apply for a scholarship only if you desperately need one and that you ask for a payment schedule only if this is your last
option. Keeping track of tuition payments is always hard as we are continually researching bills for these costumers. This takes up a lot of valuable secretary time
and that is a luxury we just do not have. Thanks for your cooperation.) You will need to fill out a payment schedule and sign it and keep to this payment schedule
or late fees will be assessed to your account. Your office secretary will answer all of your dance, costume and supply questions. If they are unable to answer your
questions, then they will meet with your child’s instructor for the correct answers. Please help your office secretary out, they have a tough job to do in a limited
amount of time. Tuition fees are non refundable after the first 2 weeks of each semester. Dance costumes will never be refunded as these costumes have been
ordered specifically for your child only. Snow days will be rescheduled at the instructors discretion. Thank you so much for your cooperation.
Secretaries will NOT be at your discretion during pointe nights this year. All bills must be paid on Tuesday and Wednesdays of each week.
Private lessons for students are available through TMDA. All private lessons must be scheduled through the front office with the OS. All private lessons will be
taught by Junior Instructors and will be taught on Thursday & Fridays. If you want a specific instructor or a specific Junior Instructor, this will be first
scheduled with them and then we will contact you with the time of the private lesson. Private lesson will be billed at $35.00 per hour for a Junior Instructor and
$50.00 per hour for an Instructor. This fee will cover the cost of the instructor and the studio fee and it will be due when the private lesson is scheduled.
No junior instructors employed by TMDA will be able to offer private lessons on their own. All private
lessons must be held at and paid through TMDA.
If you want music cut for your child, the cost will be $20.00 per hour. Cutting music is very time consuming so please schedule this through the OS. You will be
expected to pay for this immediately when your music is cut and you receive your edited version.
We will not copy our edited versions of our music for you any longer. This has become too time-consuming for us. If you absolutely need a copy of our edited
versions, the cost will be $5.00 per song and this again will have to be scheduled through the front office.
Each child must practice daily. We learn at a rapid pace at TMDA thus if your child gets behind, she/he not only will become frustrated, but she/he will also slow
the rest of the class down. Practice makes for better for we all know that no one is perfect. We will speak to the child the first 2 times about not practicing and
then we will speak to you, the parent. If we can not get your child to practice then we will place your child at a lower level, as we cannot stop to re-teach dance
combinations each week that is why we tape all choreography for your children. Please encourage your child to practice. I will reward practicing dancers by placing
them in the front line, this is only fair. We cannot allow dancers who do not practice to be in the front as they will throw all other lines off. I will stick with this
rule for classes with age groups of 6 and older. All dance schools have this rule, so please understand that we are just being fair and trying to encourage our
dancers to take an interest in what you all are paying for. Thank you for your understanding as parents of these wonderful little dancers.
If your child misses more than 2 consecutive weeks of dance, we will call you. If your child has been sick, we will do our best to catch them up to the rest of the
group. If they miss 3 weeks, we will assume they have quit dance and we will give that spot to another dancer. If your child is missing class due to an injury, she/he
will not be part of the dance that he/she has missed. If your child is missing class due to any other reason than illness, she/he will still be required to have her/his
classes taped and know her /his choreography when she/he returns. If they do not, they will not be allowed to participate in that dance. We will enforce this rule
without exception as it is not fair to the other students that have been to class regularly and know their dance. We are trying to be fair to everyone.
New dancers coming in the January semester will not be allowed to participate in any dances learned in the first semester. Please do not ask, it will not happen.
All TMDA dancers are required to perform at all functions that his/her group is asked to perform at. Part of learning dance is performing dance and remember,
your child is part of a group which only functions, at its best, with all of its members. Exceptions to this rule are illness and vacations. If you cannot make it to a
function, it is your responsibility to tell your office secretary that your child will not be performing. You will be told well in advance when your child will be performing
so please make arrangements to have your child at these performances. Do not assume that your child is the only one that will not be able to be at an arrangement;
if all parents felt that way, we would sometimes end up with very few students at a performance. If you do not show up to a performance and you have not
notified your instructor or office secretary, this will be considered a missing of a class and your child will have to sit out of the next performance. Please
understand that the reason we are doing this is so that we will be able to count on your child at all the performances.
Parents will be allowed into the studio for “Parent Watch” once a month. This will be the first dance day of each month and it will be the last 10 minutes of class.
You will be quickly up-dated on any new announcements, we will allow you to ask questions concerning the new newsletter and you will also be allowed to see what your
child’s choreography has been for the previous month. This will be your chance to encourage your dancer and applaud his/her hard work. No outer shoes from any
parent will be allowed into the new studios. All shoes must be removed before entering the studio. Absolutely no exceptions.
We can handle crying children so please allow us to comfort them. If we cannot handle them, we will come looking for their parents. It is our experience that your
children listen to us so much better without their parents watching. We hope you understand. There will be no drinks of any kind allowed at all in the new studios.
When your dancer changes his/her shoes, they will be allowed water at that time. The drinks create a mess in the studio and take up much valuable dance time with
clean up.
Students must go to the bathroom before class time. Dancers will not be allowed a bathroom break during class time. As soon as we allow one dancer to go to the
bathroom, all the other dancers want to go too!!! This creates unnecessary loss of very valuable class time. Please, have your child use the bathroom before
she/he enters dance class.
Leaders will be chosen in some dance groups. A leader is chosen on his/her ability to replace the dance instructor; to lead the group with out the aide of the
instructor. Leaders are chosen by their dance ability, knowledge of the choreography and their capability to direct the group. It is solely the instructor’s decision
to choose the leader and their decision is final. We employ professionals and each and every instructor is 100% objective. We understand that most dancers want to
be leaders and we will make our decision based on the above criteria with that in mind.
All orders need to be placed by the end of each month. I will order new supplies the first Monday of each month. Orders must be paid in full before any items will
be ordered by TMDA. Again, no exceptions!!
All classes will be videotaped, so please keep a pen drive in your child’s dance bag at all times. These pen drives need to placed int the studio basket at the
beginning of each class. This recording of the dance choreography is an essential part of your child’s learning experience and we feel that by offering this to your
children, they will develop into better dancers. If your child misses class, he/she is still expected to have the choreography taped. Please bring your pen drive down
to the office or send it with another dancer as your child will be expected to know his/her choreography the following week. The OS will not tape for you if it is not
your child’s class time. This bogs the OS down; you will have to bring your tape to your child’s class only, to have it taped. There will be some occasions that your
OS is free and it will be her discretion if she has time to record another classes tape for you. Remember your OS is also busy ordering, filling in supplies, taking
payments and recording for 2 classes. Please be patient.
Junior instructors are an essential part of all the dance classes. They will assist in lining up students in the hallway, taking attendance, filling in evaluations on each
child, stretching and progressions. They will also help teach choreography. These instructors are to be respected and listened to, just like your head instructor.
They are an integral part of your child’s learning experience and classes could not be run efficiently without them. Thus, each class has two highly qualified dancers
teaching your children.
If any of you need to speak to Colleen or your dance instructor, please do not do this during class time. Your 0S’s are be able to answer all of your questions and if
they cannot, your OS will contact your instructors for the answer. If you need to speak to your instructor, you can email them at Miss(their name)
@themainedanceacademy.com. Nothing can be done about your concerns, if you do not channel them in the correct direction. If you have any complaints, please
refrain from making them in the student waiting area.
Your children must be watched at all times while you are waiting for class. Please do not leave any children unattended. We are not responsible for unsupervised
children in the waiting areas and we also expect the noise level to be kept at a minimum while classes are being held. All dancers must have dance bags to keep
their shoes in. TMDA will never be responsible for lost or stolen items. Absolutely no running in the hallways and please, keep small children in your care at all times.
All children must be picked up immediately after their class has finished. There are too many children coming in and out for us to make sure each parent is there.
It is your responsibility to be at class at the correct time. The instructors will not be responsible for any children that are left after class has been let out.
No children, parents or junior instructors will be allowed into the front office unless they have school business. There are too many things going on in the office for
anyone to be in there except for the OS. Please respect this rule so that all the office dealings can be done efficiently.
No students will be allowed in the teacher’s room at any time. This is only for teachers, junior instructors and Office Secretaries. All students must wait in the
waiting room or the locker room for their classes, NO EXCEPTIONS!
Dance will only be cancelled if all area schools are cancelled. Please consult the web for cancellations before leaving for dance if you have any doubt about the
weather. This cancellation will be posted on the moving cursor on the web site. All cancellations will be made by 1pm of the dance day in question. It will be to the
discretion of the dance instructor if any dance classes will be re-scheduled. Dance classes will be rescheduled on Mondays.
The green studio is available for renting for birthday parties and dances. These must be scheduled at least 2 weeks in advance of the date desired. On special
occasion, the purple studio will also be available but by special request only. Rental fee is $50.00 for a 2 hour party with a $25.00 deposit fee. You will be allowed
to use the music system but you will need to furnish your own CD’s. You will not be allowed in earlier to decorate, this will be part of your rental fee time.
Dance scholarships are available. Dancers must be in good standing at TMDA (been in dance at TMDA for at least one full year) and they must also exhibit high
interest in dance and for becoming a better dancer. Dancers that do not practice on a regular basis will not be eligible for these scholarships. These scholarships
have been designed to help the most needy of our students and these students must also show high interest in dance. Please ask yourself this question before
applying for one of these scholarships, “Will my child be able to take dance without this scholarship?” If your child is given a scholarship to take pointe and
decides not to stay in pointe, then this scholarship is not transferable to his/her jazz class. Our decisions will be final on all scholarships awarded. Scholarships do
not cover costumes, dance shoes and/or supplies.
The Maine Dance Academy will keep you posted on all news via it’s website at www.themainedanceacademy.com. A newsletter will be posted the first Monday of
each month on the web and also on each studio wall. If you have news to share with the TMDA family, i.e., a new birth, a pageant winning, please email your
exciting event to misscolleen@themainedanceacademy.com. A calendar of events will be posted each month as well and we ask that you print off this calendar and
post it to your refrigerator door for reference.
Thank you so much for choosing The Maine Dance Academy for your child’s dance education. I and all of my dance instructors are committed to making dance
enjoyable and challenging for your child. We promise to give you our best while bringing out the best in your children. We all love what we do and we hope your
children will grow in their appreciation and respect for the art of dance. Good luck and enjoy your dance year at TMDA!
| Class Schedule for 2011-12 & TMDA Policies for 2011-12 |
Each class has an instructor, junior instructor, and
a secretary
Each dancer also has their dance classes
videotaped for their own personal practice on a
pen drive.
a secretary
Each dancer also has their dance classes
videotaped for their own personal practice on a
pen drive.
| 2011-12 The Maine Dance Academy Policy |
All of our new dancers audition at the beginning of the
year, where we assess their talent level. Dancers are
placed in their classed based on talent not necessarily age.
year, where we assess their talent level. Dancers are
placed in their classed based on talent not necessarily age.
|
