Turning Pointe Dance Studio

STUDIO CONDUCT

Turning Pointe students are to carry themselves in a respectful manner. No gum, talking or leaning on barres during class. Disrespectful behavior will not be tolerated. Late arrivals are disruptive to the class. Excessive tardiness is not acceptable.

 

POINTE SHOE POLICY  

Dancers desiring to go on pointe should understand the seriousness and dedication that are required to advance to this level of technique. Turning Pointe Dance Studio Faculty believes in a conservative approach when it comes to pointe work. Students attempting pointe work before they are ready will build bad habits which may take years to correct. More serious is the risk of injury or permanent damage to the body, which far outweighs the risk of disappointment.  Students are required to enroll in at least two ballet technique/pointe classes per week and one of either Floor Barre, Dance Conditioning, Body Conditioning at Turning Pointe Dance Studio to be considered for pointe. No student will be allowed to go on pointe until they have at least 4 years of serious and adequate classical ballet training. Turning Pointe Dance Studio’s  instructors reserve the right to take any student off of pointe for reasons such as insufficient number of ballet classes per week, excessive absences, physical limitations, or lack of motivation. Beginner pointe dancers will not present a pointe dance in our spring performances. All decisions made by faculty are final and are meant to be in the best interest of the student.

 

PARENT OBSERVATION

See calendar for Parent Observation Weeks. During these weeks ONLY parents are invited to sit in the studio. To prevent distractions, doors will otherwise be closed. Though parents’ intentions are undoubtedly good, a parent in the classroom distracts the student’s attention from the instructor. By restricting observation, improvement will be more apparent and Parent Observation Week will be special by creating a performance-like atmosphere. We ask parents to maintain a positive and enthusiastic interest in their child’s involvement in dance. Our faculty has the best interest of each child in mind and we kindly ask you to respect and trust our decisions. Upon request, instructors are happy to schedule a conference to discuss progress.

 

PROMOTING HEALTHY BODY IMAGE

At Turning Pointe Dance Studio it is important to us that our students have a healthy body image and that they learn to love, care, and respect themselves. When talking about bodies, we focus on health, strength, wellbeing and what a body can do, not what it looks like. We ask for communication between parents and faculty if your child is experiencing any health or anxiety issues that we should be aware of. Society can be very judgmental about the way people look so our goal is for our school to be a comfortable place for all of our students. Faculty can be trusted with sensitive information creating a feeling of safety. We encourage our students to reach out to us if they have concerns for friends or themselves.

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LEVEL/CLASS PLACEMENT

Age is to be used only as a guideline. Level placement is at the sole discretion of the Artistic Director. During the first week of classes changes may occur to ensure that each student is in the appropriate level. Three year olds must be potty trained, be able to participate in class without parental presence and be able to cooperate in a group situation.

 

PERFORMANCE & COSTUMES

Spring Performance dates will be announced in January. A costumel fee of $50-$70 per costume will be added to January invoices. Costume fees are a required commitment.

 

SNOW CANCELLATIONS

If Falmouth Public Schools declares a Snow Day, all classes will be canceled. Turning Pointe will not schedule make-up classes due to snow cancellations. Students are welcome to make up their canceled class in another class of the same level. In case of afternoon snow, Turning Pointe will not be responsible for calling all parents to inform of snow cancellations. Please check your email for up to date cancellation information.

 

E-MAIL

Turning Pointe uses e-mail to announce important information. Please provide us with a parent’s updated e-mail address. It is your responsibility to be up to date with important dates and information.

 

ATTENDANCE 

Regular attendance is important, especially when preparing for a performance. Excessive absence and tardiness will hinder progress and may result in a change of level or removal from a dance out of respect for others in the class. Classes missed are not pro-rated or refunded. Children may be able to make up some classes, but this is not guaranteed depending on the child’s age level and style they are taking. Make up classes are not available after January when children are working on recital choreography. Please speak with the Artistic Director regarding the best class to take as a make–up. Intensive Division students are required to make-up all missed classes.

 

PHOTOGRAPHY & VIDEOGRAPHY

Turning Pointe engages the services of a professional photographer and videographer both in the studio and at performances. Photos and videos are usually made available for purchase and occasionally are used for marketing, publicity, and/or commercial purposes by Turning Pointe and/or the photographer and videographer. The registration form includes a release statement. Requests to be exempt from the photo and video release should be submitted in writing to the Artistic Director at the time of registration.

 

RETURNED CHECKS

A $20 fee will be applied for any returned checks - NO EXCEPTIONS!

 

TUITION

Tuition is not pro-rated for missed classes, late starts, absences, or holidays. Holidays and vacations are taken into consideration when setting tuition rates. Students are welcome to make up a missed class with the approval of the instructor. Turning Pointe Dance Studio strives to keep tuition as low as possible. Any tuition that is 30 days late will be charged a $20 late fee.

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COMPETITION

While Turning Pointe Dance Studio does not consider themselves a “competition school” we do however participate in select professional ballet competitions that offer scholarships and opportunity for students with aspirations of becoming professional dancers. Our Mission with our competition program is not to win awards but to help advance the careers of our young dancers. Those competitions may include Youth America Grand Prix, Universal Ballet Competition, Connecticut Classic, as well as others.  Dancers are carefully selected by Turning Pointe Dance Studio faculty. This program is by invitation only.

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SOLOS

Solos are rare in Turning Pointe performances. Most soloists have competed in classical ballet competitions and have committed every weekend from the end of Summer through Spring rehearsing and working on their solos. A soloist takes up to 6 ballet classes per week plus extra style classes. Turning Pointe faculty makes efforts to create a special role, dance, and atmosphere for seniors, taking into account that they will be dancing their final performances, but it should not be assumed that they will be given a senior solo. Every year end performance has a different theme and format. Solos are not given for free. A Choreographer is a profession and they put many hours into creating a solo, costuming, editing music, and working with a dancer. Choreographer fees for all solos are between $750-$1500. Graduating Seniors will be given the option to perform a senior solo. They will adhere to all above fees.

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DIVERSITY & INCLUSION

Turning Pointe Dance Studio is committed to making small but significant steps to address issues of racial inequality. We strive to create dance classes that are accessible to everyone regardless of their race, gender, or social background. We hope to continually increase opportunities and access for all youth who wish to study dance. Our ultimate goal is to foster an environment where all young people can feel loved, accepted, valued, and heard.