2008-2009 Handbook

Premiere Dance Academy offers a professional teaching staff specializing in competitive and non-competitive classes in: Jazz, Tap, Ballet, Pointe, Lyrical, Modern, Hip Hop, Hot Kix, Dads 'n Dollz, Adult Jazz/Tap classes, Yoga, and our Little Starz pre-school program for students 3 to 4 yrs. old.

DATES CLOSED

Education Convention: October 15th,16th,17th,18th, Thanksgiving: November 27th, 28th, 29th, Winter Holiday: December 22nd-January 4th, Spring Break: March 21st -March 29th, Good Friday April 10th, Saturday April 11th and Easter Sunday April 12th, Memorial Weekend May 23rd-May 25th. We ARE open Martin Luther King Day, January 19th and Presidents Day, Feb 16th.

REGISTRATION

Registration begins in June. A pre-registration form is mailed to existing students, and is returned to the studio by the deadline in order to guarantee a position in the program. New students may access our registration form on our website or in person at the studio. An Open House registration is held for new students twice during the summer. A non- refundable Registration fee in the amount of $25.00 is due at the time of registration, as well as a $30.00 costume deposit for each class taken. Students participating in competition classes must pay a $25.00 costume deposit for each dance they will be performing. Participants in the full year program MUST be at least four years old by September 1st. The Little Starz program is for students 3 to 4 years old.

LOBBY POLICY

Many students have more than one class in a day. Please have them bring homework, books, etc. to keep them busy. No food or drink are allowed in the lobby. Water bottles only. Gum is not allowed anywhere in the studio. If behavior issues arise, the student will be asked to leave immediately. Please respect our facility by keeping hands, feet, etc. off walls.

DRESS

Dancers are expected to come to class dressed in appropriate dancewear (i.e. leotard, tights, dance pants, capri's, shorts, etc.). No over sized T-shirts or street clothes and absolutely NO JEANS are allowed. All ballet, pointe, modern, and lyrical classes are required to wear black leotard, pink or white tights, with hair back in pony or bun. NO EXCEPTIONS! All competition dancers are required to wear leotard, tights and dance shorts with hair pulled back. All regular tap/jazz and hip hop classes may wear dance pants, shorts, leotards, tanks, fitted t shirts, and/or skorts. Please have your child dressed and ready to start class when it is his/her lesson time. If a student shows up to class without the appropriate dancewear, they will be requested to call their parent(s) to bring the appropriate clothing so they can participate.

ATTENDANCE

Attendance is extremely important. The students learn new skills weekly and it is unfair to others in the class to be held back by a single child because of a poor attendance record. Attendance for Competition class before a scheduled Competition is mandatory. Competition students are required to be in attendance for the five classes prior to a competition. If one of these classes is missed, the student will not be allowed to attend competition. (Exceptions will be made for emergencies only on a case-by-case basis.)

DROP-OUT PROCEDURE

If, for whatever reason, you child stops dancing, you will be expected to NOTIFY US IMMEDIATELY. You will be required to pay for all lessons that your child attended or should have attended through the date of notification. The registration fee is non-refundable, however if your child drops out prior to October 31st, you will receive your costume deposit back. If your child drops out, you will not have another opportunity to pre-register or register for the Dance Program until the following season. Costumes are ordered November 1st. If your child drops dance after his/her costume has been ordered, the full costume fee must be paid for, and the costume is yours when it arrives.

SHOE SALE

The Shoe Sale is an annual event providing participants of the Dance Program an excellent opportunity to purchase used or new dance shoes, as well as a chance to earn a return on a past investment. The Shoe Exchange and Sale will be held August 27th from 4 pm to 7 pm at the Dance Studio. You may drop off used shoes one week prior to the shoe sale with a Self-addressed stamped envelope as well as an index card with your name, phone number and types of shoes you have on sale. Your shoes must be clearly marked on the bottom with size, price and your name. If the shoes sell, we will mail your check to you promptly. If the shoes do not sell, we ask that you bring them home within one week after the sale. If you do not wish to take them home, we will donate them to charity. If you miss the shoe sale, please see Dawn to schedule a fitting time.

SHOE REQUIREMENTS

A shoe requirement listing is emailed to all students. Please see the director and/or your teacher for specific shoe requirements. We sell shoes throughout the year.

TUITION

Dance tuition is due the first of each month. Payments can be deposited in the payment box in the studio, paid via credit card at the studio, paid via paypal, or mailed to Premiere Dance Academy, 4616 Colorado Street SE, Prior Lake, MN 55372. Your payment includes your monthly tuition plus the balance of your costume payment. This allows you to pay monthly rather than one lump sum at a time when it may cause a financial hardship to you. Dance payment coupon books are distributed to each participant at the beginning of the program in the Fall. Tuition is due on the 1st of the month. A late charge of $5.00 will be assessed to your account on the 16th if payment isn't received. If you fall more than one month delinquent in payment, your child may be restricted from attending dance classes.

WEATHER POLICY

If Prior Lake-Savage I.S.D. #719 cancels school, this does not necessarily mean dance classes are canceled. A final determination will be made by 2:00 pm as to whether or not classes will be held. Refunds will not be issued for missed lessons due to inclement weather. Classes will be made up if the schedule permits. Please call the studio at 447-5788 for a message to determine whether classes are canceled (after 2:00pm), or check local television listing for cancellation info (WCCO 4, KMSP 5 and KARE 11).

CLASSES

Our first priority is to have classes where the children are of the same ability and approximate age levels. We do not compromise the quality of our classes because one child does not fit into a specific requested class. Any questions, comments, or scheduling conflicts concerning your child's class placement should be addressed to Dawn.

COMPETITION LINES

Competition lines are required to attend a ballet and technique class along with their regular competition class. Competition lines compete in Jazz, Tap and Hot Kix, however some specific lines (lyrical, ballet) may be deemed "competition qualified", and may be approached to compete. All competition students will be notified as soon as possible as to the competition dates to allow you to schedule appropriately. Competitions take place in the spring and the dance group is expected to compete in the State level and then continue on to Nationals, if they rank high enough. The Dance director will make this determination. We will participate in 2-3 state competitions per year. Please refer to your competition dance contract for specific requirements on all aspects of competing. Competition students are required to attend two (2) workshops throughout the year. We will offer several for you to choose from. Dancers must sign a contract.

LEGACY DANCERS

The Legacy dancers are a group of dancers who have auditioned for this pre- professional line. Being a Legacy dancer is someone who is held in high regard. They are outstanding students, athletes, dancers and volunteers. In addition to the requirements for regular competition auditions, they have to meet extremely difficult criteria. The standard for this group is very high in regard to technique, performance, execution and flexibility skills. Those chosen have committed to several requirements, including attending more competitions and community involvement. Each dancer provides time for specific projects that will help to serve the community (i.e. performing for the elderly, big brother/big sister programs, greeting card projects, mentoring to name a few). Legacy dancers also follow the above guidelines for regular competition students.

AWARDS

We recognize those students who have demonstrated a commitment to our Dance Program by participating in the program for a number of years. Students who have taken dance with us for five (5) eight (8) and ten (10) years of dance are presented with a special award. Dancers who have danced with the Prior Lake Dance Program will have all of their years counted towards 5, 8, & 10 awards at Premiere. A senior recognition presentation is given prior to the year-end recital in honor of our graduating dancers. Additional recognition or awards may be given at this time.

SPRING RECITAL

All students participate in the Spring Recital. The recital date varies year-to-year depending on facility availability. Ticket sale information is mailed in early spring. Participants with outstanding dance payments may not be allowed to perform in the recital, or purchase dance recital tickets.

REHEARSAL

The dress rehearsal is held during the week of the dance recital. The dress rehearsal gives the dancers an opportunity to dance on stage in full costume and makeup prior to the recital. It is very important that each child attend the dress rehearsal. The dress rehearsal allows the production crew to set sound and lighting cues as well as assist the students in the familiarity of the stage. Individuals are welcome to videotape the dress rehearsal.

RECITAL DVDS

Professionally taped recital videos will be available for an additional charge. In consideration to other audience members, videotaping is not allowed during recital performances. Videotaping is only allowed during the recital rehearsal.

DANCE PICTURES

Dance pictures are taken in the spring prior to the Recital. A professional studio takes pictures, and Parents have the option of purchasing a package of photos from the photography company. Students are required to wear their recital costume for pictures. Light makeup is recommended.

COSTUMES

The dance instructors determine the selection of recital costumes. Costumes are selected and ordered by November. Upon arrival, some costumes require parents to do a limited amount of sewing and piecing together. Your monthly tuition bill will include your costume bill averaged over a nine-month period. Therefore, you will not be receiving an additional bill unless an additional costume or an extra item has been added that we were unaware of at the beginning of the season. All students are charged $6 for tights, which is due in January. Dancers requiring costumes sizes XL or XXL will be charged an additional $10/$15. Costume measurements are taken by October. Each child is sized one to two inches larger than his/her actual measurements to allow for anticipated growth between the time of measuring and the Spring Recital.

LOST AND FOUND

Please check the Lost and Found box regularly for items that you are missing. Approximately every two months, articles not claimed will be donated to charity. Premiere Dance Academy is not responsible for lost or stolen items. Please check your items before leaving to be sure you have all your dance shoes, coats and clothing.

DADS 'N DOLLZ

This will be the 10th year that we have had the honor of teaching Dads and their daughters. Each year has grown beyond belief and has created some outstanding bonds among girls and their dads, brothers, friends and grandfathers who devoted their time to learn to dance with them. What a blessing to have so many wonderful people who care so much about their children! If you have not participated in this program, you may do so at 8 years old or older given you are currently enrolled in another class at Premiere. This will help us to manage the large numbers of people and give everyone a chance to eventually join. Also, we are giving you the opportunity to choose whether or not you want to be competitive in the Father/Daughter dance world. This means that if you do NOT want to compete, you will dance in the recital only. If you DO want to compete, you will dance in the recital and at a competition. Classes begin in January.