Signature Dance Studio updated 2022-2023 policies.
We have highlighted newly implemented policy changes for you in teal.
> Registration
All students are required to register prior to enrolling in any classes at the studio. Registration for each new dance year will be held ni July, for returning students, and in mid-August for new students. We will also have a late registration date in early September. Registration dates will be listed on our website, social media sites, as well as e-mailed to returning students. There will be a $25 non-refundable registration fee for all students (returning or new). Please note that registration is per child, and not per family. Cash or personal checks made to Signature Dance Studio will be accepted. Note: Should you be unable to attend registration dates – registration info may be mailed WITH payment to Signature Dance Studio at: PO Box 129 Homer, New York 13077.
The absolute final day to register your dancer for classes at Signature Dance Studio is October 15th.
> Tuition/Monthly Payments
Tuition will be paid monthly and is based on a 10-month payment schedule (Sept. - June). Tuition will be billed to your account the 25th of the previous month (with the exception of September). Tuition payments are to be paid in fully by the 10th of the month. All payments received after the tenth of the month will incur a $10.00 late fee. Please note, if your tuition is more than 3 full months past due, your dancer will not be able to continue participating in classes. Payments will be accepted in the form of cash and/or check and starting in September 2021, you will be able to make online payments via the Portal (more below). Please make checks payable to: Signature Dance Studio. In the event of studio closings, you will be notified on tuition date changes via email. Please keep in mind there will be a returned check fee of $30. All tuition payments are non-refundable.
We understand that there will be an occasion where you are unable to make it to class. If your dancer is sick, or you are unable to attend class, your tuition will still be due by the tenth of the month. Tuition can be sent to the studio via mail and will not be considered late if postmarked before the 10th. If you have questions or concerns regarding your monthly tuition, you MUST contact Miss Meg or your tuition may still be considered late.
Student account credit from fundraisers may be used towards tuition, HOWEVER you MUST still come to the desk at the studio to indicate that you would like to use your credit. Please do not assume that we know you are using your credit. If you do not communicate in-person that you would like to use your studio credit before the 10th of the month, your tuition will still be considered late. IN THE PORTAL IT WILL LOOK LIKE YOUR CREDIT HAS BEEN AUTOMATICALY APPLIED, HOWEVER, THAT IS NOT THE CASE. YOU MUST INDICATE THAT YOU WISH TO USE THE CREDIT FOR TUITION OR IT WILL STILL COUNT AS LATE.
In the event your child is no longer loving dance, they will not be obligated to continue. However, we do ask that as a courtesy to the studio, you call the office and let us know.
> The Parent Portal
We have taken steps and invested in a wonderful online program for our dance studio that allows all of our parents to view their account on a regular basis. This can help you keep track of your monthly tuition, your fundraising credits, costume fees, and so much more. We worked through a few kinks in the system this past dance season, and we know it will be an incredible tool for parents this year. We ask that you please take the time to log in to your portal at the start of the dance season and acquaint yourself with it. If you do not remember your password, please reach out and we will resend the link to you. You will be able to log in to the portal from our studio website should you forget how to access it.
**Please note: At this time, we still have family and parent volunteers at our front desk. We will have someone manning the office desk the first full week of classes of each month. However, there may be times when you do not see someone at the desk. If you need to make a payment, but there is not someone at the desk, please fill out one of the payment log slips and tuck your payment in the black drop box hanging on the wall at the studio. Teachers will no longer stop during classes to take payments and prefer not to take payments between classes. If you have a question for your instructor, please ask it quickly at the end of your dancers class.
> Studio Communication
Staying connected with the studio is crucial in making sure you know all that is happening. Please check your e-mails frequently as that is our MOST used form of communication. Please add signaturedanceny@gmail.com to your contact list. Be sure to check your spam and promotion folder periodically, as sometimes our e-mails may end up there as we e-mail from our website.
When needing to reach out to Miss Meg, please use studio e-mail and/or the STUDIO Facebook messenger only. I have been very lenient with accepting messages via my personal Facebook messenger, but we are asking that you do not contact us with dance-related questions via our personal pages. We realize that many of our circles cross in more ways than just dance, but please try to keep anything dance related to the dance pages. Thank you so much!
We will also NOT be answering messages via FB messenger while your kids are on the dance floor with us. If you have an emergency, or need to communicate with us quickly, please call the studio phone.
Furthermore, please allow for 1-2 business days for us to answer e-mails. We do not answer e-mails at all times of the day. Miss Meg works from home in the mornings and will try to answer e-mails as quickly as they come in, but please bear in mind that there are over 100 parents and one Miss Meg! Thank you for your patience moving forward as we work to streamline this more.
> Recital
We will have our recital(s) to be held annually in June at the end of each season. Please reserve a TENTATIVE date of Father’s Day Weekend Saturday each year for the show. The recital(s) will be held at the Homer High School Auditorium. Seating for our shows is assigned. Ticket sales begin one month prior to show time.
> Classes
A full dance season includes a minimum of 30 classes, beginning in September and ending in June. Additional rehearsals scheduled prior to performances (on-stage rehearsals) and other dance opportunities (ie: Business Showcase) will be considered classes, even if they are scheduled at times other than the regularly scheduled class time. These are included in your tuition and attendance is crucial. We have made sure that our scheduled holiday closings do not affect the full 30 minimum classes.
> Class Cancellations
In the event that classes need to be cancelled due to weather or circumstances out of our control, you will be notified via e-mail, our social media sites, as well as our new text messaging system. Please note: Though we follow the Homer School holiday closings, school closings will not always mean the studio is closed. Closings for holidays and other important dates can be found on the Studio Calendar page. Make-up classes will not be required for classes that must be cancelled due to inclement weather. In the event the Center for the Arts requires us to cancel classes, a make-up class will be offered. Please note for solo lessons, if your dancer cancels, the teacher MAY offer a make-up class, but is not required.
Any changes to the main dance class schedule will be announced in early September.
> Attendance
Whether taking one class or five classes, attendance during the dance season is crucial. If your dancer is sick and unable to attend class, please let the studio know. In the event your dancer has a minor injury, they are welcome to come, sit, and watch class in an effort to not fall behind. If your child has been throwing up, has a fever, coughing they cannot control, and/or is contagious, please consider the 24-hour rule before sending them to dance, just as you would for school. This helps keep it from spreading to other dancers as well as helps to keep our teachers well! Please note that as we enter the spring season and approach our June show date, attendance will be extra important! Thank you for understanding!
> Dancer Attire/Footwear
Dancers are required to wear appropriate dance attire during all classes.
*Ballet - dancers are required to wear black leotard with black shorts/skirt and tights. Ballet shoes required.
*Preschool - dancers may wear non-restricting clothing: leotards with shorts/skirts and tights. Please refrain from sending your dancer in anything that may distract them while in class. Ballet shoes/black tap shoes required.
*Lyrical/Contemporary - dancers may wear non-restricting clothing. Leotards with dance shorts/skirt are preferred. They will be required to have turning shoes.
*Jazz - dancers may wear non restricting clothing. Leotards with dance shorts/skirt are preferred. Jazz boots required.
*Hip Hop - dancers may wear non-restricting clothing; tank tops/shorts or leggings. A CLEAN PAIR OF SNEAKERS THEY HAVE NOT WORN OUTSIDE are required to change into before class.
Please make sure your dancer wears their hair UP for classes. For Ballet, buns are required. Absolutely NO Street shoes on the dance floor.
We will be cracking down on our ballet attire + hair policy this year. Dancers who do not have proper attire, shoes, and hair may be asked to sit out during class, especially for our competitive dancers and for ballet levels II and III. We have been lenient in the past, but will not be this year.
> Dancer Etiquette
It is very important that our students grow to be respectful, polite, well-rounded individuals. Our dancer etiquette expectations will help to encourage our dancers to be just that!
*Be prepared for classes: All dancers should be at the studio 5 minutes prior to classes to get prepared for class.
*Combo class entry: We will have all combo class dancers wait in the lobby until their teacher welcomes them into class!
*Teacher Respect: Dancers must show respect to all teachers and assistants. Dancers who do not show respect to our teachers or our studio, will not be able to participate in class time.
*Dancer Respect: Dancers are asked to be respectful to their fellow classmates and our older students are asked to remember that little eyes are on you! Our littlest loves are looking up to you - be great role models! Dancers who have been spoken to more than once during a class may be asked to leave the room and sit out the remainder of class.
*Respect our Studio: We ask that all of our dancers please pick up after themselves. We want to keep our studio space clean and tidy!
*NO food or Drink (OR GUM): Dancers may not have food or any drinks other than water on the dance floor. Water bottles must be leak proof. Dancers will be asked to spit gum out before classes.
> Photography
Throughout the dance season, many photos will be taken at the studio and at various events (recitals, open house, etc.) of dancers. Upon signing our policies agreement, you give permission for us to use the photos on our studio website and Facebook page. You also agree that you are not entitled to payment/royalties for these photos. For questions or concerns regarding this - please contact Miss Meg.
> Costumes
Each dancer will be required to purchase at least one costume per class. Costume prices will vary depending on dance style/ dancer age/size. Youth costumes will be $55 and adult costumes will be $60. Costume fees may be paid as early as the first day of classes and are to be PAID IN FULL no later than November 30th. Please note that once a costume is ordered, it cannot be returned and you are obligated to pay the costume fee in full.
A late fee for all costume balances unpaid will be charged starting on December 1st. A 10% late fee on the unpaid balance of costumes will be applied December 1st. This is a compounded late fee that will be applied at the start of each month following. This means, on January 1st, another 10% of the unpaid total balance will be charged in addition to the previous 10% charged.
> Fundraisers
We will offer a minimum of three fundraisers throughout the course of the year to help offset various costs throughout the season. Our first fundraiser, in the fall, will be Coffee Mania + Sinfully Sweet Café fudge. This fundraiser will be a full profit to dancer fundraiser and will be AUTOMATICALLY applied towards the balance on your costumes.
> Competitions
Signature Dance Studio will attend ONE competition this year in late spring. At registration, you will be notified if we feel the class your dancer is enrolled in is ready for competition or not. We will also hold a competition meeting to discuss all further competition possibilities.
> Studio Parking
Our studio is located inside of Homer Center for the Arts, and we take pride in being such an integral part of the most welcoming art community. However, we acknowledge that with the community atmosphere comes some challenges with parking, shared spaces, etc. There are often many classes happening simultaneously at the Center, which will limit parking spaces; please plan accordingly. During major Center events, parking may be limited to street only. In an effort to keep our dance families informed, we will be adding a list of ‘street parking only’ dates to our monthly newsletters! Thank you in advance for your patience and understanding.
> A note for parents
We know how sweet it can be to watch your dancer during their dance lesson. Parents are welcome to stay during their child’s class time, but will be asked to sit in our parent/student lounge or hallway waiting area. Parents will be not be allowed to sit in the main dance room and are also asked to keep the noise level down during class time. During the last five minutes of the last class of each month, parents will be invited in for a ‘Parent Preview.’
For any questions regarding our policies please contact the studio.
* All Signature Dance Policies are subject to change if deemed necessary.
** Updated policy July 1st 2021
