POLICIES AND FAQS
Please Review Carefully as Part of a Student’s Enrollment
ATTENDANCE
Students should arrive five to ten minutes before class to get prepared. Arriving after your class has started is disruptive to the teacher and the other students. Dancers who arrive late must ask the teacher’s permission before entering the class. Students may be asked to sit and observe the class if they are later than fifteen minutes. Dancers are permitted six absences per class without consequence — more than six might result in the dancer not progressing to the next level the following year and/or removal from the recital dance for said class. If your dancer is injured he or she should plan to attend all classes and observe — any observed classes are not counted as absences.
CONDUCT
Our main goal at Westport’s Academy of Dance is to nurture excellence and to teach our dancers to be outstanding members of society. All of our students and their families are responsible for exhibiting the highest standards of behavior. We do not tolerate bullying, harassment or discriminatory behavior of any kind. If such behavior is exhibited, such parties may be removed from our program. The supportive and caring culture of the Academy is of the utmost importance to us. We thank you for helping to create a welcoming environment for our students and faculty.
DRESS CODE
We do have a dress code at Westport’s Academy of Dance. You can visit Attitude Dance & Active Wear in Norwalk to purchase all items as they are familiar with our dress code. Hair must be secured neatly in a bun for Ballet III and above, and pulled off the face for all other ages and disciplines. Jewelry is not permitted, aside from stud earrings, for safety purposes. Street clothes are permitted for Hip Hop classes only. Please review our full Dress Code by Discipline and Age Group.
FACILITY
Do not leave hairpins, empty water bottles, clothing, etc., in the studios or dressing room. You are responsible for your items and are expected to pick up after yourself.
Please - no running inside or outside the building.
Street shoes are not to be worn in the studios. Students must wear dance shoes only; parents and siblings are asked to remove their street shoes if they enter a studio. In order to preserve the integrity of their dance shoes. students should not wear dance shoes outside of the facility.
Animals are not allowed in the studios.
Parents are welcome to be in our waiting area; however, parents must assume full responsibility for the actions and behavior of all children under their supervision. Parents will be asked to remove children for rowdy behavior or excessive noise - noise is disruptive to the dance classes or any other function at the studio.
Parents assume all responsibility for breakage of studio property or damage to the facility done by their children enrolled or otherwise.
Only enrolled students are allowed in the studios and dressing area.
For the safety of all children, no one is permitted to stand on any furniture in the lobby area.
Absolutely no food or sports drinks are allowed in any of our studios or waiting areas. Sport - top water bottles are permitted.
Smoking is not allowed in or on any of the property.
Anyone caught stealing will be prosecuted.
PLACEMENT
Class placement is determined by many factors, dependent upon the age of the dancer who is enrolling. For all Ballet, Jazz and Hip Hop classes, students are placed along with their age group through 5th grade. For 6th grade and up, further discussions relating to a dancer’s previous experience and technique level are required to ascertain proper placement. . Tap classes are an exception — dancers with no previous experience must start in a entry level Tap class, regardless of age. Additionally all Intermediate level classes are open to dancers of any experience level who meet the age requirement.
TUITION
We have two payment plan options for our annual tuition: 1: Pay in full at sign up or 2: Pay 50% at sign up and 50% on October 1st. Costume and Media fees are due upon enrollment. We accept credit card payments (subject to a 3.5% processing fee) through our secure online system, or you can pay by check to avoid the processing fee. We offer a sibling discount of 5% for families with multiple students. All Tuition, Costume and Media fees will be non-refundable. Please see our "Program" page for tuition pricing. Please email us for more information.
Frequently Asked Questions
HOW LONG IS THE SCHOOL YEAR?
Our annual season begins in September and ends with our recital in late May/early June. We follow the Westport public school calendar — our vacation days will match theirs. If Westport cancels for inclement weather or cancels after-school activities, we do the same.
DO YOU STAGE A NUTCRACKER PERFORMANCE?
Yes! 2022 will bring our 41st Annual Nutcracker production to the stage. Dancers in grade 1 and above who are enrolled in the Ballet program are eligible. This is a separate commitment and rehearsals meet on weekends, outside of regular class time. The production is in early December and we perform at Staples High school. Please learn more about our performances on our Performances page.
DOES YOUR PRODUCTION OF ALICE HAPPEN EVERY YEAR?
Yes, 2023 will be the 9th annual production of Alice, a Jazz, Tap, Modern & Hip Hop version of Alice in Wonderland. Any dancers enrolled in the program who are in grade 1 and above are eligible. This is a separate commitment and rehearsals meet on weekends, outside of regular class time. The production is in early May and we perform at Bedford Middle School in Westport. Please learn more about our performances on our Performances page.
WHAT IS THE COMMITMENT TO PARTICIPATE IN THE SPRING RECITAL?
Classes rehearse for the recital during their normally scheduled class time. There is one dress rehearsal the week prior to the Recital where dancers will be called at a time other than when their weekly class(es) meet. There are no fees to participate in Recital, other than the costume fee per class. All costumes are the dancer’s to keep after the sow commences. Recital usually falls in late May/early June, depending on the calendar. Please learn more about our performances on our Performances page.
DO I HAVE TO WEAR MY HAIR IN A BUN?
All dancers in the ballet program in grade 3 and above are required to have a securely fitted bun for their technique classes! A secure bun gives the student freedom to concentrate on her technique instead of fussing with her hair. Dancers in grade 2 and below are simply required to have their air pulled off their face. Please see our Dress Code page for more information.
WHEN DO BALLET STUDENTS START EN POINTE?
Students are evaluated for pointe shoes when they get to level Jr IIA (6th grade, for most dancers). In determining pointe readiness, each student is evaluated by her length of study, weekly attendance, muscular strength, and anatomical makeup of the foot. Dancers will be told by their instructor when they are ready to be fitted for pointe shoes — they should not purchase them prior to that indication, as early use of shoes before a dancer is ready can lead to serious injury.
DO YOU HOLD CLASSES FOR BOYS?
While we don’t offer classes exclusively to boys at this time, boys are able to sign up for any of the disciplines we offer. Dance training will improve all aspects of boys’ athletic performance, including coordination, strength, balance and mental focus, and can supplement other sports commitments and we welcome any who wish to join our program.
WILL MY CHILD MOVE UP A LEVEL EACH YEAR?
We do our best to keep age groups together and move each dancer up a level each season. If dancers are dedicated and work hard in class this in generally achieved. However it is possible that a dancer may not posses the skills and/or maturity level to move up from one year to the next. When determining whether to advance a child from year to year our teachers evaluate a few things: 1) Is the child focused during class? 2) Does the child have good attendance? 3) Have they understood and executed the curriculum presented to them in class? Some dancers do need more time in certain levels, but these are considered special cases and parents will be notified well in advance if we anticipate that a dancer may not be ready to move up. We understand that dance is a social activity for our students as well as a physical one, and all efforts are made on the Academy’s part to make every child feel included and feel integral to their age group.