Rules

1. Be respectful to teachers, students, and studio

   1. Personal space/opinions

   2. Don’t talk when others are talking

   3. Don’t hang on barres or touch mirrors

   4. Keep studio clean

2. Be kind to all; teachers’ students, and yourself

   1. Zero tolerance bullying policy 

   2. Don’t be hard on yourself

3. Come to class on time, ready, and prepared

   1. Dress code/proper shoes

   2. Bring water 

   3. Use the restroom before/after class

   4. Ready to learn

   5. No phones/distracting toys, jewelry, or objects

4. Don’t be afraid to ask questions

   1. Raise your hand 

5. Be attentive while the teacher is teaching

   1. I am teaching for you, not for me

   2. Practice with me

   3. Don’t sit in dance class, stand like a dancer

6. Try new things, be creative, do your best, and have fun!

 

Late Policy 

Your student must arrive 5 min early to class with proper hair done and in proper dance attire. If your student is late to class, they will not be able to participate in class and will be observing. This is for your student’s safety and to prevent distractions in class. If they arrive late, they will miss part of the warm-up and will not be properly stretched therefore are more prone to injury.  

 

Dress Code

 

Pre-k and Kinder Combo classes - Any pastel color leotard with pink tights, pink full sole ballet shoes, and black tap shoes. Hair pulled out of the face and secured 

 

Ages 7 and up -

 

Ballet - Black leotard, pink tights, pink split sole ballet shoes, and ballet skirt is optional. Hair must be in a secured bun.

 

Tap/Jazz/Lyrical - All black form-fitting clothing you can move in, tank top, t-shirt, or leotard is permitted with black pants. Tap shoes in black.  Jazz shoes in Tan or Black.  Lyrical half-sole in tan. Hair must be pulled out of the face and secured. 

 

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It is essential to wear proper attire to allow flexibility and unrestricted movement.  With the help of tight-fitted clothing, dancers can do any movement without any problem.

 

About tights!
Dancers have a series of needs to be met.  For example, muscles work better when they are kept warm, and tights help keep the heat in.  Tights keep the legs from being slippery with sweat.  They also cover up the crotch area in a tutu, especially when dancers are being lifted upside down with their legs in a split, or when their extensions are extremely high.  

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Furthermore, their chosen sport or art is designed for aesthetic appreciation; line and design are of great importance.  In dance, we need to see intricate foot and leg movements. Tights can also be dyed for costumes in endless ways, allowing for variety while still exposing long ballet lines. Bulkier clothing would not only hide the movement but also get in the way of its execution.

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Trousers have too much material to allow for tightly crossed positions of the leg and sometimes a foot can fasten in the material at the knee.  Also, the instructor cannot see if the leg is entirely straight in baggy pants.

Tights allow the entire leg line to be seen.

 

Etiquette

The basic rules of etiquette for the dance classroom promote consideration for other dancers and allow the class to proceed smoothly and rapidly, without interruption and delay. The student should arrive on time or early for the dance lesson. Arriving late not only is rude to the instructor but is harmful to the dancer because it hurries the body into vigorous exercise without a proper warm-up. The result may be a serious injury. Some instructors do not allow a student to enter the classroom after a determined point in the initial activities or a determined time after the lesson starts. 

At no time should a student enter a classroom with food, drink, or chewing gum. A capped water bottle may be the only exception to this rule. Considerate students do not talk unnecessarily or interrupt the instructor during the instruction period. Most teachers will ask for questions at an appropriate interval. 

Throughout the lesson, the instructor will give general corrections to the class as a whole and sometimes specific criticism to individual students. Constructive criticism is offered to assist the student in learning the technique of dance quickly and correctly. It is important to listen to any corrections, criticism, or compliments the teacher gives, even if he or she is speaking to another student. These instructions may make you aware of technique or draw your attention to areas in which you need to improve. 

Dance students should practice outside of class, using the corrections given in lessons. Often there is a progression of dance steps and combinations from one class to the next. The student who practices the combination outside of class will experience the greatest and quickest progress.

 

Citation

Kraines, Minda Goodman, and Esther Pryor. Jump into Jazz: The Basics and beyond for the Jazz Dance Student. McGraw-Hill, 2005. 

 

Styles of Dance

Ballet: Ballet is a classical dance form demanding grace and precision and employing formalized steps and gestures set in intricate, flowing patterns to create expression through movement. Ballet is considered the foundation of all dance styles.

 

Tap: Tap dance is emphasizing the rhythm and movement of dance while incorporating the sounds created by the metal taps on the heels and toes of a dancer’s shoes.

 

Jazz: Jazz dance is an upbeat and stylized type of dance that combines the technique of ballet with most of the moves done in a parallel position with isolations of the body while also including kicks, turns, and leaps. 

 

Lyrical: Lyrical dance is a dance style that embodies various aspects of ballet, jazz, acrobatics, and modern dance. Lyrical jazz is a very passionate and emotional dance style. This dance style’s main goal is to interpret the lyrics of the song through movement.

 

Acro: Acro dance is a style of dance that combines classical dance techniques with precision acrobatic elements. It is defined by its athletic character, its unique choreography, which seamlessly blends dance and acrobatics, and its use of acrobatics in a dance context.​