Studio Etiquette

Class Etiquette

• Be on time and ready for class. Show respect for your instructor and fellow dance mates
• Do not enter a class in session without first getting permission from instructor
• Do not sit or leave class without instructor’s permission, except in emergency.
• Be considerate of students around you
• Be attentive to the instructor’s remarks
  
• Be alert to all corrections/notes given to you and other students in the class
• Keep an open mind and do not complain
  

All formal dance training is rooted in respect for others and UDS upholds this proud tradition. Disrespect of any kind toward fellow students, parents and their families, instructors, or staff will not be tolerated.

Urbana Dance is committed to offering a high quality, well-rounded dance education to its students and the studio is a place for dance education requiring quiet and appropriately controlled behavior in all areas of the building. . Please be courteous by keeping voices low, as sounds outside the classrooms can be disruptive to student’s learning.

Please be responsible and refrain siblings from running, yelling, or opening/closing doors to the studios. Young children should not be left unattended. All hallways must remain open and clear for emergency exit, thus strollers are not permitted in the hallways.

Waiting Area
Our lobby area is small and your cooperation is appreciated to keep the inside noise level to a minimum while classes are in progress. UDS provides a study/snack area for families and students and is equipped with a microwave and refrigerator. Be considerate and clean up after yourself.

The shopping center provides several options while waiting for students. Feel free to mention Urbana Dance when frequenting these establishments. As always, please be prompt when returning to the lobby to pick up your student dancer, and remember we discourage students from leaving the lobby on their own.

Drop Off/Pick Up
Keeping your child safe is of utmost importance to us, both in the studio and upon arrival/ dismissal upon arrival/dismissal. UDS discourages pulling up to the curb for drop off and pick up, and waiting in the parking lot for our little ones 12 and under. All students are encouraged to remain in the lobby until parent pick up.  Please call the office as soon as possible if you are going to be late for pick up—your children worry about you! Limited staffing and space restrictions do not allow UDS to provide before and after class care. Due to abuse of this policy (and because our instructors and staff would like to get home to their families too), a late fee of $5.00 for every 5 minutes will be added to your dance account after three repeated late pick-ups.

Attendance
Learning dance is a layering process with one class building upon the next. For students to grow and succeed, they are expected to attend all scheduled classes and arrive on time ready to dance. Please inform the office when absences are necessary. Tardiness may result in sitting out of class and taking notes once the student has missed important start of class warm-ups. Repeated absences and/or tardiness may result in being placed in a lower level class or termination of 
classes.

Unexpected absences due to illness, injury or other emergencies are excused. In this case, classes are to be made up as soon as possible. Please contact the Artistic Director to find out which classes will be an appropriate make up class. Three excused absences are permitted during each session: Fall (Sept-Jan) and spring (Feb-June).

Vacations and school programs (other than graded events such as chorus and concerts) are not excused absences. Students may jeopardize their participation in the end-of-year recital if more than three classes are missed during the Spring session. No refunds or class credits are issued for missed classes, excused or unexcused.

Class times may be shortened by 10–15 minutes in the event less than three students report to class.

Communication
Lobby bulletin boards, email, facebook, and the UDS website are the primary sources of current information and communication. Rarely are printed papers sent home with students. It is parents’ responsibility to be aware of studio activities. Please add Urbana Dance to your email contact list and inform the office immediately of any address, email, or phone changes. Refer to page 2 for a calendar of studio events and “Like Us” on facebook at Urbana Dance and Performing Arts.

Music
UDS will make every effort to ensure that music played during class time does not contain lyrics about explicit sex, drugs, violence, etc. However, we cannot control how individuals may interpret different lyrics and will not be held accountable.

Food & Drink
Students are encouraged to bring capped water bottles into class with them. Other food or drinks are not permitted in the studios. Please clean up after yourself. ABSOLUTELY NO CHEWING GUM.

Restrooms
Encourage your child to use the restroom before class to minimize “potty” breaks. Please use the dressing room for changing clothes, not the restrooms. Dirty diapers are not to be disposed of on site, please take them with you.

Lost & Found
We recommend all students write their name on their belongings. Lost and found is located in the dressing room. It is emptied at the beginning of each month.

Observation Days
Parents are invited to observe classes during observation weeks, refer to the calendar on page 1. Classes are closed to the public at all other times so as not to disrupt students’ concentration. Studio observation windows are available, but can be closed at individual instructor’s discretion.

Discipline Policy
Disrespect of any kind toward fellow students, parents and their families, instructors, or staff will not be tolerated. Disciplinary actions will be taken on a case-by-case basis in the following manner:

• Step 1: Instructor will talk with student about behavior and may be asked to sit out of class
• Step 2: Parents will be contacted and informed of student’s behavior and may be asked to immediately pickup student
• Step 3: At the Artistic Director’s discretion, the student may be suspended from class for one week
• Step 4: If issues cannot be resolved, the student will be expelled from all classes for the remainder of the year

UDS reserves the right to accelerate the disciplinary process and expel the student without intermediary steps. Should a student be removed from class, no refund or credits will be issued.

Concerns/Questions
Your concerns are our concerns. Please do not hesitate to contact us at (301) 874-4367 or email to urbanadance@urbanadance.com. Office hours are: Monday through Thursday 9 am to 12 noon and 4 pm to 9 pm and Saturdays 9:00 am to 12 noon. Phone messages and emails are picked up on a regular basis and returned within 24-48 hours during normal business hours.