Barbie’s Encore Dance Productions
2011/2012 Information/Policies
*****New Changes will be in bold*****
General Information
Registration
All registration fees must be paid in full before your child will be fully registered for class. This ensures that they have a spot in the classes they have registered for. Registration fees are non-refundable for any reasons.
Classroom etiquette
Please be on time for your class. Tardiness is very disruptive to the class and is detrimental to that student’s learning. Only students enrolled in a specific class and their teachers will be allowed inside during that class time. Please do not send siblings or friends as they are distracting to the class. If you arrive early for your child’s class, please respect the class in session and do not enter until we have dismissed. Parents are allowed to observe on Parent Observation Days only. Special and temporary arrangements may be made in extreme circumstances. Please do not open the door to the classroom while class is in session. The teacher will open the door to signal the end of class, and to welcome in the next class. No students will be allowed outside by themselves. Please come in to get your child, or (when available) our student teachers will walk them out. No gum is allowed in the studio (choking hazard while dancing). Only water will be allowed in class – NO FOOD OR OTHER DRINKS.
Classes
Class changes will not be allowed after October 1st, 2011. If you need to drop a class at any time during the year, you will need to fill out a drop class form. These can be found in the lobby with Mrs. Jen or Mrs. Misty. Not showing up for classes does not constitute a withdrawal from class. You will continue to be charged for tuition until the drop class form is completed.
Tuition
Tuition is due the first class of that month and deemed late if received after the 10th. After the 10th, you will be assessed a $10 late fee per child. Tuition and all other payments should be given to the studio office staff (Mrs. Jen or Mrs. Misty) in the lobby. She will write you a receipt at that time. You may check your balance with her also. She can also accept payment for costumes, shoes, etc. The studio office staff will be in charge of taking orders for new shoes, fitting new shoes, and also taking orders for anything else your child may need throughout the dance year (t-shirts, leotards, tights, etc.) If, for any reason, the studio office staff is not there, payments should be placed in the “Drop box” in the lobby. Please make all checks payable to “Barbie’s Encore Dance Productions” or “BEDP”. Checks should have the child’s name in the memo line and details of what that payment is for. Checks do not need an envelope. All cash payments must be in a sealed envelope with your child’s name on it and details of what that payment is for. Please don’t send loose cash with your child. All tuition prices are divided into equal payments for easy remembering. Holidays and other closings have already been factored in and no further adjustments will be made. Receipts will be given out the next class. All payments are non-refundable. No student will be allowed to participate in regular, troupe or private classes if their account is over 30 days past due. Any money received from delinquent accounts will first be applied to the past due tuition balances. No student will be allowed to perform in the Christmas show or Annual recital or any dance competitions unless their entire account is current.
****New this year*****
You will be able to pay and view your account online! Simply visit our website www.danceforbarbie.com to take advantage of this great feature!
Attendance
Of course we want every child to have perfect attendance, but when you do have to miss a class, please call and notify the studio in advance, if possible. Sometimes your child’s class will be canceled due to a holiday, bad weather or other emergency. This will occur seldom if ever, and no adjustment will be made to tuition. You may call to schedule a make-up class if there is a class similar to the one your child is enrolled in. Not all classes will have this option. Perfect Attendance is awarded at the end of the season at the spring recital. To receive this award, the dancer must have attended all classes and performances. We will have one make-up class in the spring that those who have only missed one class, so they can reclaim their perfect attendance. School events (concerts, PTA, etc.) are excused and do not have to be made up for perfect attendance.
Shoes
We are able to order shoes at wholesale prices. Shoes are available at the special registration price only if ordered and paid for at Open House/Registration. You may still order shoes after registration at our regular discount price. Your child can be fitted before or after her regular scheduled class time by the studio secretary. Shoes usually come back in around a week. Labeling shoes with your child’s name is crucial!! If your child needs a new pair of dance shoes at any point in time during the dance year, please see our office staff to order a pair. Shoes must be paid in full before you can receive them.
Dancewear
We do not have a specific dress code. However, please dress in some sort of dance attire (leotards, sports bras, cheer shorts, tights, jazz pants, etc.) Tights are not required in warm weather for younger classes. Always wear dance shoes. Students will not be allowed to dance in tennis shoes as it damages the floor. No school clothes!!!!! If a student is not dressed appropriately, she/he may be asked to observe class and not participate. Students participating in the Ovation technique classes and the Pointe class will be required to wear canvas split sole ballet shoes, leotard and ballet pink flat (not shiny) tights to that particular class. Hair must be pulled neatly back off the face, preferably in a bun. If you are not dressed appropriately, you may be asked to observe class.
Costumes
Please pay special attention to the size being ordered for your child because it is very hard to exchange costumes. We will be measuring for costumes during your child’s regular class time. Once the costume is ordered, payment is required because the costume is non-refundable. Christmas costumes must be paid for in full by October 1st. After the Holiday Show, many students enjoy wearing that costume to class, which is perfectly acceptable, as long as they are not supposed to wear it again in the spring (Shakerz and older). Spring costume balances are due by November 1st. Students cannot receive costumes until they are paid in full.
Holiday Fee and Recital Fee
Each student is required to pay a $15 Holiday fee due by December 1st. This goes to offset the cost of parade float rental, auditorium and lobby rental, AV techs for the Holiday show, custodial payment, and utilities during the Holiday show (heat, electricity).
***New this Year***
In the spring, each student is required to pay a $60 recital fee to help cover the cost of Gaston Day School auditorium rental (rehearsals, dress rehearsal and recital), AV techs, custodial payments, etc. This fee will include a professional video of the recital for each student.
Performances
Mt. Holly Fallfest
This will be an outdoor event held in downtown Mt. Holly in September. The students will show what they have learned so far this dance year, in other words, partial dances. The dancers need to wear a Barbie’s leotard and black tights or Barbie’s t-shirt and black dance/sweat pants or leggings depending on what class they are enrolled in. Also, please wear tennis shoes so dance shoes are not ruined on the pavement. Attendance is required for perfect attendance awards. All dancers will perform at Mt. Holly Fallfest.
Mt. Holly Christmas Parade
Our studio participates annually in the town parade. Students and parent volunteers ride a float, and the Cheer/Tumble class, Jr. Hip Hop, Sr. Hip Hop, Petite Ovation, Jr. Ovation, Teen Ovation, and Sr.Ovation Performance Troupes dance/march. You have two choices for paradewear. 1) Barbie’s Encore Sweatshirt - $22 child sizes, $27 adult sizes. This should be worn with black sweatpants or leggings. 2) Barbie’s Encore Windsuit – $85. You may want to order a little big for longer wear….we will keep this same windsuit for at least the next 5 years. Parent volunteers will need to wear Barbie’s Encore Sweatshirt or plain black. There are no classes held the day of the parade. The parade will go on rain or shine, unless the weather is really icy or snowy, then it will be postponed. Check the studio answering machine if there is a question about weather circumstances. Attendance is required for Perfect Attendance. Mt. Holly Christmas Parade is always the first Wednesday after Thanksgiving.
Mt. Hollydays
Dancers will perform at the Mt. Hollydays in downtown Mt. Holly in December. This is an in-studio demonstration for the town as a fundraiser for the Mt. Holly CRO (Community Relief Organization).
Holiday Show
Our holiday show is a mini-recital with each class performing one dance each to holiday music. The show is usually held at Mt. Holly Middle School Auditorium. Admission is $1. Dancers do not pay admission. Attendance is required for Perfect Attendance.
Mt. Holly Springfest
This is an outdoor festival on Main Street Mt. Holly. Dancers should wear the same as Mt. Holly Fallfest(leotards or t-shirts). Dancers will perform at least one of their numbers from the upcoming recital. Springfest is always the first Saturday in May. Attendance is required for Perfect Attendance.
Dress Rehearsal
We run our dress rehearsal just like the real show so we can identify short costume changing times, AV problems, etc. Students are required to attend dress rehearsal unless emergency situations arise.
Annual Spring Dance Recital
Our Preschool show will be that morning at 10:00 a.m. The Preschool show will showcase all Ballerinas and Twirlerz classes, Cheer/Tumble, Clogging I, Production, Mini Hip Hop, Mini Ovation Large group, Mini Pom, Breakdancers, Sr. Hip Hop, two of the Adult class numbers and any solos, duets or trios that are 5th grade or younger. Our evening recital, aka The “Big Show” will showcase Kickerz, Shakerz, Stepperz, Adult class, Pointe, Mini Elite, Petite Ovation, Jr. Ovation, Teen Ovation, Sr. Elite, Jr. Elite, Sr. Hip Hop and Sr. Ovation Performance Troupes. Awards will be given out at the end of each recital. Dressing room policy will be as follows: Dancers will not be allowed out of their dressing rooms if they are performing in the ongoing show. This means that, for example, if your child is a Twirler, she needs to stay in the dressing room during the preschool show, but she may join you in the audience for the Big Show. There will not be any running back and forth. It is very distracting during the performance and also confusing for the staff when we come to line up the dancers and some are out in the audience. Student Teachers will stay with their class during the preschool show, but we also need Parent volunteers. Please be respectful that the same parents are not having to work all during dress rehearsal AND recital. Everyone needs to “take a turn”. We will have sign-ups closer to time. Admission to the recital is $5 in advance and $7 at the door. That ticket can be used for both performances. Dancers do not need a ticket.
Special promotions
*Sibling discount – 2nd child gets 10% off tuition every month, 3rd child gets 20% off tuition every month
*Boys tuition is ½ price
Contact Information
Studio Phone number – 704-827-1844
Barbie’s e-mail – barbiedance1@hotmail.com
Jen’s e-mail – themoores704@aol.com