Student/Parent Handbook Fall 2018 Spring 2019

Student/Parent Handbook Fall 2018 Spring 2019 635 W. Campbell Rd., Suite 224 Richardson, TX 75080 tobyschoolofdance@gmail.com (972) 235-0514 Artistic Director: Sally W. Andriot Business Manager: Don Andriot Office Manager: Coleen Roudebush 1

Table of Contents 2018/2019 Season Calendar... 3 Class Schedule... 3 Pricing & Terms... 3 Business Policies... 3 Registration... 3 Tuition... 3 Office Hours/Communication... 4 Class Withdrawal/Refund Policies... 4 Costume/Recital Fees... 4 Private Lessons/Studio Rentals... 4 Studio Policies... 4 Attendance... 4 Class Cancellation & Make-Up... 4 Studio and Dancer Security... 5 Special Needs... 5 Lost & Found... 5 Class Etiquette... 5 Class Attire... 6 Attire for Combination Classes... 6 Attire for Ballet Classes... 6 How to Make a Ballet Bun... 6 Attire for all Other Dance Classes (including Adult Classes)... 7 Dance Supplies... 8 Dancing En Pointe... 8 Moscow Ballet s Great Russian Nutcracker... 8 June Performance... 8 Additional Rehearsals... 8 Performance and Costume Fees... 9 Parent Visitation Week... 9 Additional Performance Information... 9 2

2018/2019 Season Calendar See the Toby s website for the most up-to-date calendar: www.tobysdance.com/calendar-holidays Class Schedule See the Toby s website for the most up-to-date schedule: www.tobysdance.com/schedule Pricing & Terms See the Toby s website for the most up-to-date pricing: www.tobysdance.com/pricing Business Policies Registration 1. Returning students and families will be given priority registration. These dates will be emailed in the spring. Note: Students will not be automatically enrolled in class for the next year. All class openings are on a first come, first serve basis. 2. There is a non-refundable $50 registration fee per student. Tuition Tuition is due in full on the first of each month. Studio Director accounts marked as Auto-Pay will be run on the first of each month (this includes payment for tuition and any other fees). Clients not set-up on Auto-Pay need to pay via Studio Director or deliver cash or check payment. Toby s accepts cash, check, and credit card. Customers paying with cash or credit will receive a 3% tuition discount. Only tuition will be discounted. Other fees such as registration, costumes, recital fees, etc. will not be discounted. Toby s does not email or mail monthly statements. Check your Studio Director account for current balance. Tuition has been calculated for the entire dance season. The number of classes per month may range from three to five. This is taken into account when determining tuition. Tuition will not be pro-rated (including the months with holidays). Students may request a makeup class. See that section below for details. If a student enrolls mid-month, tuition will be prorated. A $25 late fee will be applied to unpaid accounts after the 10 th day of the month. A $30 service charge will be added to all NSF checks. 3

If tuition is delinquent for more than two (2) months; your child will not be allowed to participate in class. There will be no refunds. Please address any tuition/payment questions to the Office Manager. Toby s reserves the right to combine or cancel classes when enrollment is low or for any other reason. Office Hours/Communication All official communication from Toby s will be via email. Please ensure that your Studio Director account has at least one up-to-date email address and that Toby s emails don t go to your spam folder. All official communication to Toby s should be via email. Phone messages may be left but should be followed up with an email for the quickest reply. If you would like to make an appointment with anyone on Toby s staff, please email the studio. Please allow a few days for a teacher response, as most teachers are not here every day. Teachers often have back-to-back classes, so please do not attempt a private conference at the end of a class. Class Withdrawal/Refund Policies Dancers wishing to withdraw from a class or the school must give a 30-day email notice or tuition will be charged for the following month. Costume/Recital Fees See June Performance section below. Private Lessons/Studio Rentals Private lessons and studio rentals are available upon request. Email the office for rates and availability. Studio Policies Attendance Students must have a signed electronic or paper waiver prior to participating in class. A parent/guardian must sign for students under the age of 18. Students must be in class consistently each week in order to learn at their full potential. For the sake of the class learning environment, it is important to attend regularly. We understand that circumstances arise. Email the studio if your dancer cannot attend class. Class Cancellation & Make-Up Occasionally, we may have to cancel a class session. We will make every effort to notify the students involved and advise whether the class will be rescheduled or a makeup class should be attended. 4

A student may make-up any missed class by attending another class of the same or a lower level within a month of the missed class. Email the office for a recommendation class. Once a makeup class is scheduled, the office will notify the class instructor. Check the website calendar for studio holidays. Classes missed for holidays are not refunded or prorated. During inclement weather, Toby s will follow the Richardson I.S.D. schedule. If Richardson schools are closed, Toby s will be closed. If Richardson schools have late openings, only morning classes at Toby s will be affected. Toby s will send closing notifications via email. Studio and Dancer Security Students may not wait outside the studio to be picked up. Please be on time when picking your dancer. If a dancer is to be picked up by someone other than a parent, please notify the office via email. A parent/guardian must grant permission for their child to leave the studio with someone else. Special Needs If a dancer needs special accommodations, please let us know via email. This will help our teachers do their best possible job. Lost & Found The Lost & Found is located in the dressing room. All dancers are strongly encouraged to write their names on the inside of all dance shoes and attire. Lost & found items will periodically be donated. Class Etiquette All students, student s family, and student s friends should wait in the lobby unless they are invited in by the teacher. They may watch dancers in class on the lobby monitor. Students should always be on time for class. Tardiness results in missing the warm-up, which is crucial to preventing injuries. The following items are not allowed in the studios under any circumstances: o Food o Gum o Boyfriends (they may wait in the lobby) Cell phones should be turned off and in a bag. Dancers must always be respectful to all teachers. Students should raise their hand if they have a question and should not interrupt class or instructors. Dancers should be respectful to their fellow dancers, and never be rude. We are here to dance not socialize. Please save conversation for before or after class. Dancers should arrive in class wearing the proper attire. See below for attire requirements. Dancers should take pride in their dance studio. All clothing and trash should be picked up before leaving the studios and dressing room. 5

If your student arrives late to class, they should wait to be invited in by their teacher and then enter quickly and quietly. Class Attire Dancers are required to wear cover-ups outside of the studio and should not leave the studio in just a leotard. This is for the student s own safety as well as the professional representation of Toby s. Dance shoes should not be worn outside the studio. They will wear out much more quickly if worn outside and may damage the dance floors. Attire for Combination Classes Pink or black leotard Pink transition tights Ballet slippers Tap shoes (Once Upon A Child has used tap shoes for $5). Hair should be in a ponytail. Attire for Ballet Classes Females Males Black Leotard Pink transition ballet tights Pink Ballet Flats Pointe Shoes (if dancing en pointe) NO Jewelry Hair secured in either a Ballet Bun (see instructions below) or French Twist White short sleeved T-Shirt Black Ballet tights and Dance Belt or compression shorts under gym shorts Black Ballet Flats NO Jewelry Hair secured off of face and neck How to Make a Ballet Bun Before you start, it will be helpful to read all the instructions first, including the instructions on how to insert hairpins. A ballet bun generally sits in the center of the back of the head and is not visible from the front. YOU WILL NEED: Hair brush, Long handled comb, Hair elastic color of hair (rubber bands tear the hair), Hairspray, Hair gel, Hair net color of hair, Hair pins color of hair and Bobby pins color of hair. The best pins for securing a bun are hairpins. Hairpins have several crimps (waves) in the middle of each prong, which help the pin grip the hair. The thicker, less flexible pins provide the strongest hold. Bobby pins are best used to hold down flyaway/whispy hairs or bangs. To use the bobby pin, it is best to hold it with the raised prong on the top side and slightly open. 1. Brush all hair toward the center back of the head. Gather the hair into a tight ponytail and secure with an elastic band, ensuring that there are no bumps. To stop 6

frizzy and fly-away hairs, apply a small amount of gel evenly from the roots to the ends of the hair, with your fingers or with the comb. Children with very curly, thick or fine hair may need their hair gelled or sprayed before securing into a ponytail. Brush or gel fringes back off the face and secure with bobby pins if necessary. 2. To make the bun shape, hold the ponytail at the end and twist it firmly until it is twisted into a rope. Then coil the ponytail into a flat circle around the hair elastic, continuing the coil in the same direction as the twist in the ponytail. This will keep the ponytail from unraveling. Tuck the ends of the ponytail under the bun. Then place 3-4 hairpins around the bun to secure it, without taking your hands off the bun (see instructions below for inserting hairpins). Next, place a hairnet over the bun. At this stage, you can make any adjustments to the shape of the bun. A finished bun should be round and even in shape, and sit smoothly against the head. How To Insert Hairpins Hold the pin at the closed end, with the prongs facing the center of the coil. Insert the prongs a little way into the edge of the bun, catching a small amount of the bun edge. Then turn the prongs in and back outwards to catch some of the hair outside the bun. Lastly, turn the prongs inwards again and push into the center of the coil. Insert as many pins as needed around the edges of the bun until it feels secure. Loose hairs can be gelled or sprayed to help them stay put. Attire for all Other Dance Classes (including Adult Classes) Clothes that are easy to move in, e.g. leotard, t-shirt, athletic shirt, tights that match skin color, athletic shorts/pants. NOTE: Female dancers should not have their midriff showing. Appropriate shoes: Ballet: Ballet Slippers Tap: Tap Shoes Lyrical: Tan Jazz Shoes or Capezio Freeforms (required for Company members) Jazz: Black Jazz Shoes Hip Hop: Sneakers Hair should be secured off face and neck. Long hair should be in a ponytail; shorter hair should be secured off the face with a headband or clips. 7

Dance Supplies For the convenience of our dancers, Toby s keeps a supply of pink conversion tights. Youth sizes are $11 and adult sizes are $18. Tights may be purchased and added to your dancer account. Most dancers will need a dance bag. Dance supplies may be purchased locally at Sandy s Dancewear. They have 3 locations Dallas, Plano, and Frisco. Dance supplies may be purchased online at Discount Dance. New customers get an 8% discount. Please enter our school code during checkout: TP122848. Dancing En Pointe Advanced female ballet dancers (usually age 11 and up) will be evaluated for dancing en pointe. Before a pointe evaluation will be scheduled, the dancer must have their feet x-rayed. Pointe evaluations will be performed by the Artistic Director. During the evaluation, dancers will be analyzed for their ballet technique, strength, maturity and body type. The Artistic Director will determine whether or not a dancer may enroll in a Pointe class. Moscow Ballet s Great Russian Nutcracker Every November, the Moscow Ballet comes to Dallas and performs their version of the Nutcracker. Toby s is honored to host the Moscow Ballet while they are in the Dallas area. Auditions are in September and open to all dancers ages 8-17. See the Toby s website for additional details on the auditions and performances: http://www.tobysdance.com/russian-nutcracker June Performance In early June, Toby s will have a two-act performance to showcase all the dancers and their hard work. The First Act will include all ballet students and will be a full-length ballet. The Second Act will include dancers in all other dance classes (jazz, lyrical, tap, hip hop, etc). This is a VERY special time for all dancers and their families. It is well worth the time commitment required. You will not want your dancer to miss this opportunity! The Ballet to be performed and the Theme of the Second Act performance will be revealed at the end of January Participation in the recital is optional. A student will be assumed to be participating unless Toby s receives an email notification from a parent that their dancer does not wish to be in the recital. Emails must be received no later than October 15. Additional Rehearsals While most rehearsing will be done in the studio during regular class time, participation in the recital includes the following additional rehearsals (at no additional cost): - Extra Saturday rehearsals in May BALLET dancers - In-Studio Tech Rehearsal/Cast Party the Friday night before performance ALL dancers 8

- In-Studio Dress Rehearsal Saturday before performance ALL dancers - Dress Rehearsal at the Eisemann Center day before performance ALL dancers Performance and Costume Fees Costume fees are non-refundable and due October 1. There is no guarantee that a costume ordered in the fall will fit a dancer in the spring. Costumes must be ordered in the fall to guarantee arrival in time for the June performance. Appropriate inches are added at the time costumes are ordered to account for typical growth. If desired, families may have a costume altered at their expense to better fit their dancer. If you have more than one child performing or several costumes to purchase, we will be glad to divide your payment. Please contact the office manager. Recital fees are non-refundable and due January 1. See the Toby s website for the most up-to-date fees: www.tobysdance.com/pricing Parent Visitation Week Parent visitation week will be held in April. Parents are invited to observe their dancer s class, see demonstrations on recital hair and makeup, and see their dancer in costume. Recital costumes will be sent home during Parent Visitation Week Additional Performance Information An information packet covering everything you need to know about the recital will be emailed and posted to the website in March. This will include a calendar of important dates, explanations of all policies and procedures, schedules for all rehearsals, and recital forms. The packet and all recital forms will be posted to a password-protected page on our website for easy access: www.tobysdance.com/downloads 9

HOW TO FIT BALLET SLIPPERS 5. Ballet shoes are one of the most important tools the student uses; therefore, it is important to have them fit properly. 6. Make sure the shoes fit snugly. Leather shoes will stretch and mold themselves to the shape of the foot. Do not fit shoes with room to grow. 7. Gaps at the back and sides of the shoes, or length at the toes mean that the shoe is too big. 8. Never tighten the drawstring to take up slack. This can injure the Achilles tendon. 22 Either tuck in the drawstrings or tie in a knot and cut off the excess 5. Toenails should be kept short to insure a proper and more comfortable fit. 6. Boys' shoes are fit similarly, keeping in mind that canvas doesn't stretch. 7. DO NOT sew the elastic on your shoes until your teacher has checked and approved the fit. 8. Most shoes do not come with elastic sewn on them. You should 10

receive elastic when you purchase the shoes. For proper placement of elastics: a. Fold heel inward from sole to form a triangle. b. Mark each inside corner with pencil. c. Attach one end of elastic with heavy thread on your pencil mark. d. Have student put on shoe; stretch loose end across instep; pull to get proper a. Tension-don't pull too tight! e. Cut elastic and sew on the mark. 9. Write your name on the inside of both shoes with a permanent marker. Girl s Ballet Shoe Boys' shoes require four pieces of elastic (two on each shoe): Boy s Ballet Shoe 1. Attach one end of elastic at the anklebone; stretch across instep and attach other end in line or just behind side seam on the opposite side. 2. Repeat with second elastic on other side. TAP SHOES Guidelines for all ages: All Black Low heel (no 1- or 2-inch character shoes with taps) No "jingle" taps or "echo" taps Shoes that come with ribbon ties-please replace the ribbon with a length of black elastic Always have student's name inside or on the bottom of the shoe Never wear tap shoes on concrete or pavement; do not walk between the car and the studio in tap shoes; do not practice in the garage 11

or on the patio, etc. Provide the dancer with a dance bag to carry shoes and other supplies 23 Tap Shoes: Beginners: First Choice: Capezio 3800 Mary Jane style shoe Black Leather Sizes 6 Toddlers to Adult. Smaller sizes have Velcro closure. Second Choice: Danshuz Black Patent Black elastic and black ribbon ties. Mary Jane style is better choice, as they do not have to tie ribbons. Fitting tap shoes for younger students: Due to the expense of tap shoes, it is important to allow room for growth, but only about one thumb's width at the end of the shoe. Shoes that are too long make it difficult for the student to control sound and execute steps. The big toe should come to the middle of the toe tap. Dr. Scholl's innersoles may be added to shoes to make them fit more snugly, and then removed as the child's foot grows. It is very important to check your child's shoe every two or three months or anytime their street shoe size changes. Tap Shoes: Second-year beginners and intermediate: First Choice: Black Capezio 3800 Mary Jane style or Danshuz Black Patent. 12

Second Choice: Black lace up oxford style Bloch S0381, Capezio CG09 or Capezio CG55 Please check with your child s teacher for approval of styles before child wears shoes. Tap Shoes: Intermediate & Advanced Choices: Black lace up oxford style Bloch S0381, Capezio CG09 or Capezio CG55 Shoes must be black. At this level there are many options for style, build-ups, sound, etc. Students may have developed a preference for a particular style, fit, sound, etc. Advanced dancers need to speak with instructor about shoes before purchasing. JAZZ SHOES Tan slip-on jazz shoes LYRICAL SHOES Tan slip-on jazz shoes 13