REGISTRATION
- To register a child in Ballet Etudes, an Application Form must be completely filled out and all registration fees paid. No child is considered registered unless the fees are paid and a form is on file.
- Registration fees for the school are not refundable for any reason and are not applicable to another year. The registration fee is an annual cost only.
- Registration fees and the monthly tuition must be paid at the school in which the the student is enrolled. Tuition is due on the first of each month.
TUITION
- The operating cost of each child in attendance at Ballet Etudes is based on a total yearly fee, beyond the initial registration fees. This fee is not based on the number of school days for the year, since our operating expenses continue whether or not your child is present. We try to make it easier on the parents by splitting the fees across the ten months anytime from the beginning of August to the end of June; therefore, the month of July is not included in the yearly total along with one other month. If the student begins class in August, their year is over in May. If they begin in September or later, they must continue through the end of June, even if it is after the examination. Tuition must be paid even if the student is absent any month or part thereof of the ten month school year.
- Tuition must be paid every month on or before the 15th day of the month. If a student registers on a day other than the first class of the month, the tuition will be prorated for the first month. The next month's tuition will be due in full on the first of the next month. Any tuition past due will be charged a late payment fee of $15 for each month the account remains unpaid. Checks returned by the bank are subject to $25 bank fee and handling charge.
- If you have a financial problem, please notify the office before the 15th and there will not be a late fee charged to your account. If tuition is not received within 30 days after the due date, your child will only be allowed to sit and watch class until the account is up to date.
- We have implemented several new policies and payment options to help you pay tuition on time each month. At the beginning of each month, an email notification is sent that tuition is due. You may avoid late fees by paying with a post-dated check before the 15th. We accept Visa, Mastercard, and Amex at the Hialeah studio. Also, you may request our E-Billing service and pay tuition through PayPal.
- Graduates will be exempt from paying class tuition if they are currently teaching or performing with Ballet Etudes Company. Graduates must perform in a minimum of 2 shows per year in order to maintain scholarship.
- Ballet Etudes reserves the right to cancel ballet classes when special circumstances arise. Said cancellations are not subject to tuition credit, but make-up class time may be scheduled withl permission from the Director.
ATTENDANCE
- Each teacher has absolute control of maintaining the attendance records for their classes. In the attendance book, absences will be recorded and passed on to the office to be noted in each student's record. To qualify as an excused absence, please notify the office in advance.
- Students with justifiable excuses will be allowed to make up classes so that they may keep up with corresponding class syllabus. Make-up classes have to be taken within a month of the absence. A total of 5 make-up classes are a courtesy that the school extends for justifiable absences only.
- A student that does not attend class for 30 consecutive days without excuse will lose all rights to the final examination and may be dismissed automatically by the Director.
- In addition to the final exam, it is necessary to complete 10 months of classes.
- Continued unexcused absences will bar a student from taking the final exam and therefore, passing to the next level.
DRESS CODE
Ballet:
- Girls wear black leotards, pink tights, and pink ballet shoes. Long hair must be in a neat and secure bun. Short hair should be kept away from the face. Corresponding group's flowers should be worn around the bun. Black ballet skirts may be worn only with the teacher's permission. No other color will be permitted.
- Men wear men's black tights, dance belt, T-shirt, white ballet shoes and white socks or black ballet shoes and black socks.
Flamenco:
- Girls will wear black leotards and pink tights just as in ballet. Girls must also wear a long, black character/flamenco skirt. A black skirt with white ruffles and black polka dots is also permitted.
- Long hair must be worn in a neat and secure bun and short hair kept away from the face.
- Corresponding level's flowers must also be worn on the side of the bun. The levels are as follows:
- Level I Beginner = white clavel (carnation)
- Level II Intermediate = pink clavel (carnation)
- Level III Advanced = red clavel (carnation)
- The required shoes are black flamenco or character shoes (with heels).
- Other items that may be used at the teacher's discretion: castanets, panuelos, or a flamenco fan.
Hip-hop:
- Black leotard or tank top with jazz pants or capris.
- Regular sneakers, dance or jazz sneakers, or jazz booties.
- Hair in a ponytail and away from the face.
SPECIAL REGULATIONS
- Student should be dropped off no earlier than 15 minutes before class begins and picked up no later than 15 minutes after class ends. Students may not be left unsupervised for any period of time longer than just stated.
- Visitors other than the student's parents must have proper authorization from the office before entering the school. Parents must strictly control and supervise children, and will be held responsible for any damage to school property by unattended children.
- Male relatives and visitors are permitted only within the office/lobby area.
- Once a student enters the school for class, they will not be allowed to leave the premises for any reason until they are picked up by their parents or ride. Students under 18 are not allowed to leave the school without a chaperone or express permission from the office. The school will not be responsible for any student that has left the premises.
- To avoid theft, cash, jewelry, and other valuables should not be brought to the school. Do not leave valuables in the dressing room. Purses and/or dance bags should be taken into class. The school is not responsible for any lost or misplaced items.
- Parents and students are expected to know and follow the daily schedule of classes, rehearsals, and other activities during the school year, and follow all notices posted on the bulletin board.
- Food will not be allowed inside the school, especially the studio area. Only water is allowed in the school. Litter must be disposed of in waste baskets. If you eat in front of the school, you must dispose of the litter, but not inside the school. There is no smoking or chewing gum allowed in the school.
- Students are expected to be respectful of all facilities and to be responsible for facility tidiness.
HOLIDAYS
All schools will be closed on the following dates:
- Labor Day
- Veterans' Day
- Thanksgiving Holidays
- Winter Break
- Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
- All Presidents' Day
- Good Friday
- Memorial Day
- Independence Day
- Nutcracker & Summer Performance
Exact dates of school closings will be posted on the school's bulletin board five days prior to the acutal holiday(s).
CLASSROOM GUIDELINES
- Be standing quietly in place when the instructor and the pianist enter the room.
- Do not talk in class.
- Do not lean on the barres.
- Do not lean on the mirrors.
- Be attentive to the instructor's remarks.
- Be alert to all corrections given to you and to others.
- Do not practice movements other than the one being conducted while the instructor is addressing the entire class.
- Do not sit or leave the room without the permission of the instructor, except in the case of an emergency.
- In the event of an accident, allow the instructor to supervise procedures.
- Maintain chessboard formations in the center exercises.
- Do not block the pianist's view of the instructor or of those dancing.
- After the class has ended, remain on the floor until the instructor retreats from the room to acknowledge the pianist.
- Do not enter class late without permission.
TRANSFERS
- Transferring from one Ballet Etudes studio to another, or from one class level to another, requires a completed Transfer Form, which is to be handled by the present teacher and approved by the Director.
- The teacher will accept a new student only for one of the following reasons:
- As a transfer student
- As a makeup class
- As a new enrollment
MEDICAL INFORMATION/LIABILITY RELEASE
Students and parents must recognize and understand the risks of physical injury inherent in dance training and be willing to assume those risks.
Upon registration, parents of underage students and students over the age of 18 will sign a release stating the following:
I agree that I will not hold Ballet Etudes, or any faculty member or employee, either liable for injuries sustained or illnesses contracted by me while in attendance and/or participating in Ballet Etudes.I agree to indemnify Ballet Etudes and all employees of the organization for all liabilities, costs, and judgments arising from acts or omissions committed by me ("the student") which result in injury or damage to any person or party or property on the school's premises.I understand that it is my responsibility to safeguard my personal property and realize it is not the responsibility of Ballet Etudes. I agree that I will not hold Ballet Etudes responsible for the loss or damage of personal property while in attendance and/or participating in Ballet Etudes. I also agree to abide by the rules, regulations, and policies of Ballet Etudes.
If the student suffers from any medical condition, please inform the office in writing.