HDC Policy & Procedure Handbook (updated 041323)

Studio Handbook

Policies &

Safety Procedures

Tuition Payments:

∙ Tuition for all student program classes is based on the number of weekly classes taken by each child. Tuition is paid by the first class of each session and is non-refundable. If you have opted for our payment plan, then half is due by the first class and the balance will be due mid-way through the session. Our summer session is typically a 6-week session running in June and July with a flat tuition fee.

∙ Registration must be completed in its entirety at the beginning of each session to ensure our databases are up-to-date and each account holder is aware of their financial obligation. There are typically four sessions a year at HDC: Fall Session, Winter Session, Spring Recital Session, and Summer Session.

∙ Payment options and discounts

Student Registration will be $25 for one child or $35 per family when staff processes tuition payment. No student registration fee is charged when families register themselves online.
Discounts are progressive and increase based on the number of weekly classes in which a dancer enrolls. Discounts are included and outlined in the tuition pricing breakdowns for each session.
Limited scholarships are available for a maximum of 25% of tuition. Scholarships are intended to increase entry and access to dance education for families whose income level falls below 200% of the federal poverty line. An application must be filled out and reviewed by Annie Arnoult, Director of Hunter Dance Center.
Payment plans are available for a $30 fee. This fee is to cover the cost of administering the payment plans and the interest on the balance on the account that HDC must cover.

∙ Tuition penalties for failure to pay for Tuition:

You must leave a current Credit Card on file when signing up for our Payment Plan.
All past account balances must be paid in full to register for a new session.
Accounts more than 90 days delinquent will be submitted to a collections agency.
Returned checks are subject to a $20 RETURNED CHECK FEE.
Accounts must be current and all fees paid in full before students may receive costumes or participate in performances.

Withdrawals & Refunds:

Classes, during each session, are not considered class-to-class. A student is enrolled for the entire session once registered. A student may withdraw at any time with written notice. Withdrawals must be done at the front desk, and not with the instructor. A withdrawal form, available at the front desk, must be completed and signed. Please be advised that students are unable to return to class for the duration of the session after a withdrawal has been made. HDC has a NO REFUND POLICY.
No refunds will be given for absences, class cancellations (by the client/student), or withdrawals.

Students may do make-up lessons within the enrolled session for missed classes during the Fall, Winter, and Summer sessions. There are no makeups offered during the Spring Recital Session. (Refer to the Absences section below for policies on make-up lessons.)

Hunter Dance Center reserves the right to terminate lessons to any student without notice; in such a case, a refund for unused lessons will be given.

Attendance & Make-ups

Regular attendance is necessary to maximize the full benefit of dance instruction for every student in the class. We encourage parents/guardians to stress the importance of attending class and rehearsals. Repeated absence may result in a student being asked to withdraw from the class.
If a student will knowingly miss class due to illness, a conflicting activity, or appointment, they should notify the front desk prior to class by calling 832-962-8982 or emailing info@hunterdancecenter.com.
Class make-up is allowed in cases of illness, injury, or family emergency.
Make-up classes are offered as a courtesy (not a requirement) and must be used within the same session as the missed class. Make-up classes do not carry over to future sessions.
Students may make-up a missed class by attending any class of the same level or a level below.
Academy Program Scholarships are awarded to students who demonstrate their commitment to pre-professional study through excellent attendance, participation, and effort. Repeated absences (more than 10% in a session) will result in a withdrawal of the Scholarship. Missed Academy Program classes are required to be made up in another class of the same technique at or below your level.

Class Cancellations & Instructor Substitutes:

If Hunter Dance Center cancels dance classes due to events beyond its control (e.g., extreme weather, power outage), students in the canceled classes will be allowed to make up the missed class in a class at the same level or below before the end of the session.
Holiday closures are determined by Hunter Dance Center and will be posted on our website, in the lobby, and in our newsletters. In the event of weather emergencies that lead to the studio closing, notice will be made on the HDC website, Facebook page, and HDC Voicemail.
Hunter Dance Center reserves the right to provide a substitute instructor in cases where the regularly scheduled teacher is unable to attend a lesson.
HDC requires a minimum of six students enrolled in order to run a class. Tuition for classes that are canceled due to low enrollment will be fully refunded.
Please call us at 832-962-8982 or refer to our website (www.hunterdancecenter.com) or Facebook page for confirmation of all closures.

Health, Wellness and Injury Policies:

All students and their parent/guardians must sign Hunter Dance Center’s official liability release and photo release to be allowed to participate in Hunter Dance Center classes. Each release confirms that students are physically able to participate in the classes they are participating in and that they understand that all dance classes carry physical risk of injury.
Illness Policy: If your child is ill, please do not bring them to HDC. Make-up classes are available in cases of illness, injury or emergency. If your child has had a fever, vomiting or diarrhea in the past 24 hours, please do not attend class. Hunter Dance Center supplies hand sanitizer for students and visitors. Teach your child to use it before and after class. Restrooms are located in the second hallway to your right for hand washing.
Injury Policy: In the event of a minor injury (fall, scrape, strain, or sprain) the faculty will apply ice, elevate, and if necessary contact the parent or the emergency contact person(s). In the event of a medical emergency, HDC will call 911, and will attempt to reach the parent or the emergency contact person(s). To reduce injuries, our dance studios are equipped with state-of-the-art sprung floors.
Safety Policy: HDC teachers and staff are trained in best practices for safety and spotting in their each particular dance technique class. Students must listen to, attend to, and practice all safety measures taught by the teacher in class. If a student does not listen to/and or practice safe movement procedures as taught by a teacher, the student will not be allowed to participate in the activity. If the student repeatedly refuses to listen and/or practice safe movement practices and/or puts themselves or another student at risk, the student will be removed from the class and their parent will be informed. There are no refunds for students who are removed from class because of a lack of safe dancing practices.
Allergy Policy: In order to keep our severely allergic children safe, we request that students and families refrain from bringing nut food products and pets into HDC’s facility. Please do not eat in the dressing rooms or studios. Food is allowed in the lobby. Please clean up after yourself.

Communication:

Hunter Dance Center strives to keep parents and students well-informed with emails, lobby flyers, phone calls, personalized hand-outs, social media, and website postings/documents.
It is the parent/guardian’s responsibility to inform HDC of any changes in address, phone, and email and to maintain their subscription to our Constant Contact mailing list.
HDC’s administrative staff is available during regular class times and extended hours for assistance. Please call, email or stop by the studio with any questions or concerns.

Lobby Areas and Hallways:

Food and drink are prohibited in all areas of our facility except the lobby. No food or drink is permitted in the Studio 2, 3, 4 hallway. (Water is permitted.)
All electronic devices must be kept at zero volume or be used with headphones/earbuds so as not to disturb others.
No outside voices, running or horseplay in any of the facility’s hallways and lobbies.
Personal items should be stored in the cubbies in the main lobby or in the dressing rooms. Hunter Dance Center is not responsible for lost, damaged, or stolen items. Items that have been left behind in studios or lobbies will be put into “lost & found”. Periodically, throughout the school year, all unclaimed items will be donated to charity. Signs will be posted in the lobby area at that time.
Be sure to properly dispose of your trash and recycling, including water bottles.
We have observation windows for Studio 2,3 and 4 and an observation portal for Studio 1. Please be considerate of everyone trying to look through. The blinds in these windows may be closed at the discretion of the teacher. Please do not open the window blinds yourself.
Please do not move lobby furniture or chairs into the Studio 2, 3, 4 hallway. The hallways must be kept open and passable for fire exits.
The lobby is a quiet space, where both youth and adult students wait and prepare for classes. Parents and caregivers are expected to partner in the effort to keep the lobbies peaceful, quiet, and calm. Lobbies, hallways and dressing rooms are not a play area.
When your child is crying or angry and will not settle down quickly, we kindly ask that you remove them from the lobby by stepping outside or going for a walk or taking a bathroom break. Teachers and students in Studio 1 can hear everything that happens in the lobby, and tantrums are particularly disturbing to our young Tippy Toes.
We are lucky to have a number of wonderful parks, the hike and bike trail, Wonder Wild and MKT within walking distance from Hunter. We ask that you make use of these resources for hang outs/playtime and keep Hunter a quiet place for homework and other activities.
Please remember that HDC serves all ages. It takes a village, and our village includes three week old babies, professional dancers, and young professionals. We want everyone to feel welcome and able to prepare for class.
We expect quiet attention and excellent discipline of your children inside the classrooms. Allowing them to be loud and out of control in the lobbies makes it very difficult for them to access the self-control and self-discipline required of them in dance class just moments later.

Recital Performances:

Hunter Dance Center holds an informal “Parent Observation Day” inside the studio at the current time slot of your dance class during the last week of the Fall Session and the last week of the Winter Session.
We also hold a Recital the first weekend in June. Participation in the Recital is expected of Recital Session students. Recital Session includes much time and effort spent on learning and rehearsing performance skills through the development of a recital piece to be performed at MATCH on Friday, Saturday, and/or Sunday the first weekend of June.
Recital Performance information will be emailed to students as well as posted on our website at the beginning of our Recital Session.
Attending classes and rehearsals is crucial for performance participation. If a student has an excess of two absences in the last 10 weeks of Spring Session, they will not be able to participate in recital. No refunds will be given for recital session in this instance.

Observation Days:

∙ Parents/guardians and visitors are invited into the studio to watch their student’s class during scheduled Observation Days only. Observation week is scheduled for the last week of the Fall Session and reminders will be posted on our website, in the lobby, and via email.

Arrival and Departure:

The front door of HDC is the only entrance and exit for students and families. The back door of the building is an Emergency Exit only. Using this exit compromises the security of HDC students, faculty, and staff. A security camera is in place to monitor entrances and exits from this door.
We suggest that students arrive 10 minutes early to prepare for class.
Students will be asked to observe class if they arrive more than 10 minutes late. This is a safety precaution to avoid student injury.
If your dancer is 6 years old or older, we encourage dropping off your dancer to HDC. Students less than 12 yrs old must wait for class or pick up on the benches by the front desk, where they can be supervised. Students 12 yrs & older may wait quietly for class in the general lobby space.
Students should wait quietly for their class to begin. If the studio door is open, students may go into the classroom to stretch and prepare. Students should not open studio doors themselves.
Students should use the restroom and get water before class, not during class. (Adults, please help with this process/task.)
All dancers must wear clothing over their dance attire as they come and go into the studio. Dance shoes should not be worn outside the dance center.
Students should wait inside the building to be picked up by their parent/guardian.
A parent/guardian should accompany any student under 6 years of age into the building for drop-off and pick-up.
Parents for Tippy Toes and PreBallet Students should remain on the premises for the duration of the 45 minute class.
To ensure the safety of your children, parents for level 1 classes and above please arrive 5 minutes prior to the end of class. PreBallet and Tippy Toes parents please see previous bullet point.
Students are not to be left unaccompanied at HDC for an excessive time before and after lessons.
Students under 18 should not leave the building by themselves. Parents must give explicit written permission (email is fine) that will be included in the student file to HDC if a student is allowed to leave the building unaccompanied. HDC will not be responsible for students allowed, by their parents, to leave the building unaccompanied.
If a student leaves the building unaccompanied without explicit written permission to do so in their file, this is cause for immediate dismissal from the program.
Please remind your children to always remain in groups or with an adult if they are departing the studio premises.

Class Etiquette:

∙ Wait for the instructor's permission to enter the studio.

∙ Receive permission from the instructor before leaving class.

∙ No hanging on ballet barres.

∙ No food, drink, chewing gum, or electronics allowed in class.

∙ Follow Hair Policy and Dress Code at all times.

No Jewelry

∙ Keep a positive attitude.

∙ Students are encouraged to ask questions of their instructor as long as they raise their hand and the question is relevant to the class work.

∙ No talking, running or horseplay during class. Students are expected to treat each other, instructors, and staff with the utmost respect, using appropriate language and good manners in every aspect of Hunter Dance Center. Students who do not adhere to this request may be asked to sit out of class.

∙ Have fun!

Dress Code & Hair Policy:

∙ A dancer’s attire greatly determines the attitude toward their class work. Therefore, we require that the dress code is followed at all times. Instructors may not allow class participation by a student who regularly neglects this requirement.

∙ We require that all dancers wear cover-ups when coming to and going from the building. If t-shirts are worn as a cover-up, they should be worn with pants, shorts, or a skirt.

∙ All female students should wear pink tights and pink ballet shoes in all ballet classes. Please do not wear tights with holes or bad runs and be certain the elastic is properly sewn on all shoes. Underwear is not permitted underneath tights. This is a health hazard to the student.

∙ Leotards should be plain and solid in color, following the dress code for the appropriate class – without prints or designs. See our Dress Code Below for appropriate leotard color.

∙ Watches, bracelets, necklaces, and dangly earrings may not be worn during class. This includes rope bracelets, fabric bracelets, etc.

∙ A limited number of shoes have been donated to the studio. Students are welcome to borrow these shoes as needed. Please return all borrowed shoes when done.

∙ All ballet students must wear their hair secured neatly in a ballet bun. All jazz, modern, hip hop, tap and Aerial dance students must wear their hair secured away from their face and off their neck. Students who do not have their hair appropriately secured will not be allowed to participate.

∙ Please inquire at the front desk or visit our website for detailed instructions on how to style your hair.

STUDENT PROGRAM DRESS CODE

SCHOOL YEAR PROGRAM

Please note: All dancers level 1 and above must have hair in a ballet bun, french twist, braids, or otherwise tightly secured hairdo (off of neck and face and firmly secured to head) for ballet. Short hair must be cut close enough to the head to not move during class or be pulled back securely off of face (eyebrow and eyes must be clearly visible and hair not able to touch) and neck and secured tightly to the head with gel, or clips, and/or a headband tightly enough that it doesn’t move during turns or other dancing. Bangs must be cut short enough for eyebrows to be clearly exposed or pulled back with clips and/or gel for class. For recital and other performances, bangs must be slicked back so full forehead is exposed. For all other classes, hair must be pulled back securely off of face and neck. This means long bangs and/or short hair must be secured back completely out of dancers’ eyes and eyebrow area. If dancers do not have their hair secured back and bangs tightly secured out of their eyebrows and eye area, they will be sent to front desk where it will be done for them.

Important: No undergarments (other than dance belts) are to be worn with dance tights and leotard or leotard and leggings. Dance clothes are made with lining so that undergarments are not needed. Leotards with built in bras and chest support can be bought for dancers who need it. Bras and underwear are not to be worn under dress code.

Male Identifying Students

ALL CLASSES:

Plain white t-shirt and black dance pants, stretchy/athletic pants, or leggings. Please note, shorts are no longer dress code.
White socks and black shoes for Ballet, Jazz, or Tap.
Clean light-sole sneakers for Hip Hop.
Bare feet for Modern, Circus and Aerial.
If hair is long, it must be secured tightly away from face in a pony tail.
NO WATCHES, BRACELETS, CHAINS, or JEWELRY OF ANY KIND. Please understand this is a safety issue and will be strictly enforced.

Female Identifying Students

BALLET:

Leotard* is worn with pale pink footed tights and pink leather or canvas ballet slippers.
No attached skirts or footless tights permitted.
HAIR Must be in a bun for Ballet I and above (see link to directions for bun, if you need help.)

MODERN, JAZZ, AERIAL, ACRO, HIP HOP, BROADWAY BOUND:

Black full-length unitard, or black leotard and black footless tights or capri leggings. No shorts permitted. Light soled sneakers must be worn for Hip Hop. Black jazz shoes must be worn for Jazz. Jazz and Tap shoes for Broadway Bound.
If you have a ballet class immediately preceding your modern, you do not need to change for modern. Please wear your ballet dress code leotard and pink convertible (footed) tights for ballet and then roll up your tights for bare feet for modern.
Note: For Hip Hop, girls may choose to wear a plain white t-shirt and plain black athletic pants, instead of the black unitard/leotard dress code listed above.
Hair must be cleanly and tightly secured off the face and neck in a ponytail, braid, or bun for longer hair and tight headband for shorter hair.

Halter leotards, bare midriffs, embellishments and attached skirts are not permitted in any class.
NO JEWELRY, WATCHES, BRACELETS, CHAINS, EARRINGS, OR RINGS OF ANY KIND. Please understand this is a safety issue and will be strictly enforced.

We recommend the following leotard brands: Eurotard, Capezio, Motionwear, Mirella, Body Wrappers.

* BALLET LEOTARD COLORS (No skirts please!)

If the brand listed is not available, that’s okay! Please try and match the color as best as possible.

SUMMER CAMPS

Storybook Dance Theater Camps:

GIRLS: Solid color leotard, pink convertible tights, pink ballet shoes.*
BOYS: White t-shirt and black jazz/athletic/dance pants OR black athletic shorts just above the knee. White socks and black ballet shoes.**Ballet shoes are recommended but not required for storybook dance theater camps.

Aerial and Hip Hop Camps:

GIRLS: Solid color dance top (no midriffs allowed) or leotard, stretchy athletic/dance pants, Clean light-sole sneakers for Hip Hop. Bare feet for Circus and Aerial.
BOYS:White t-shirt and black jazz pants or stretchy/athletic dance pants or black athletic shorts just above the knee. Clean light-sole sneakers for Hip Hop. Bare feet for Aerial.

Ballet Camp:

GIRLS: Solid color tank or spaghetti strap leotard, pink convertible tights, pink ballet shoes.
BOYS:White t-shirt and black jazz/dance pants OR tights. White socks and black ballet shoes.

ODP Pre-Professional Intensive

FEMALE IDENTIFYING STUDENTS: Solid color leotard, pink convertible tights, pink ballet shoes and black jazz shoes.
MALE IDENTIFYING STUDENTS: Solid color t-shirt and black jazz/athletic/dance pants OR black tights. Black ballet shoes and black jazz shoes.