Parent Handbook
Polaris Dance Institute is proud to welcome you to our dance family! We are committed to providing the highest quality dance education and the best customer service in town. We have developed a curriculum which fosters both technical excellences, a strong passion for performance, and self-expression. It is our goal for your child to reach their highest potential while studying with our expert faculty. Thank you for choosing Polaris Dance Institute for your child’s dance education.
This handbook is a helpful guide to our programs, policies, and important information regarding the school year. If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to call, or email us at any time. You can also stay in touch with us via our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts.
Visit our website at https://www.polaris.dance to join our email newsletter list! Please be sure to keep your contact information current with our office. Please add the following email address to your approved email list to ensure our communications do not end up in the Spam/Junk Folder. For general inquiries, account questions or company inquiries, email jomaye.polaris@gmail.com
Thank you for taking the time to read and familiarize yourself with this information. We are excited to begin the new year with all of you!
Sincerely,
Polaris Dance Institute
General Policies
1. Please leave personal items in a safe place or at home. There will be plenty of space to store belongings that are not being used during class time in the studios off to the side in your dance bag. Polaris Dance Institute is not responsible for any lost, damaged, or stolen property.
2. Dance is a vigorous physical activity. Students participate at their own risk. Please consult your physician to confirm your fitness abilities if you are recently returning to physical activity due to a prior injury or illness. Please notify teachers of any injuries or other physical limitations you may have. Students with any serious injury are encouraged to observe class and take notes.
3. If you need to discuss any aspect of your child’s dance education with a teacher, we ask that you make an appointment. Our teachers have a tight schedule during class hours, and they are unable to accommodate consultation or conversation. Please notify management at a time that is convenient for you to discuss your concerns or to schedule a personal meeting.
4. Polaris Dance Institute reserves the right to cancel any class that does not meet a 7-student minimum. If this situation should occur at any time throughout the year, we will guide your child to another class.
5. No smoking allowed on or near the premises.
6. Please arrange a timely pick-up of students after they are dismissed from class. We are not staffed to watch children who are not in class.
7. Artistic directors reserve the right to move a student to a different class appropriate to
their abilities and needs.
8. Students attending multiple classes in a row should bring an energizing snack and plenty of liquids to stay hydrated. There is a water fountain located in our facility, so we recommend students bring a water bottle with their name clearly marked.
9. Students must have approval to be able to take pointe class. Ballet requirement: Must take (2) ballet classes per week in order to take pointe class.
Attendance Policies
1. We expect students to keep good attendance throughout the year. Classes build throughout the season, and it is necessary and important for each student to stay committed to each class he/she is enrolled in. If a student’s attendance becomes a regular issue, the parent will be contacted to remedy the situation.
2. Classes start promptly on time. We suggest arriving 10-15 minutes before the start of class. If you arrive more than 15 minutes late to class, that student will not be admitted to class without the teacher’s permission. He or she may be asked to observe.
3. If your child is late to class, please see the front desk staff. Our staff and faculty are the only people permitted to open the door after a class has begun.
4. Please notify the studio if the student will be leaving a class early for any reason.
5. Please notify the studio if your child will miss a class.
6. Little Dipper students will not be permitted to participate in class if they arrive more than 10 minutes late. There will be no exceptions to this policy.
7. The tuition is based off a 10-month period, August – May. Please note that you are not paying for scheduled school vacations and holidays. We have integrated those dates, corresponding with the Stafford Public School calendar, into our system. Please visit our website under “SCHEDULE” and click on the tab, “Event Calendar”, to find our school closings listed. During some months, your classes will meet 2-3 times, where other months your classes will meet 4-5 times. Classes will meet a minimum of 36 times. If you decide to drop your class in the middle of the season, you will not be held accountable for the rest of the tuition for the year.
Withdrawal Policy
WITHDRAWAL FROM A CLASS:
We have a 30-day notice policy to withdraw or drop a class. You will be responsible for tuition payment during the one-month notice period. Withdrawal must be done in person and will not be accepted electronically or over the phone. All withdrawals must be done at the front desk and not with the teacher. Withdrawal must occur within the first 7 days of the month. No withdrawals will be accepted after April 1st of the current dance year. You will continue to be responsible for tuition payment and any other fees associated with your enrollment until proper withdrawal procedures are completed.
To withdraw from a class a parent or adult student must:
1. Inform Polaris directly via email or in person.
2. Complete and sign a withdrawal form provided by the front desk.
Classroom Policies
1. No street shoes are allowed in the studios, as they can damage the floors and create slipping hazards. All footwear must adhere to the dress code.
2. Only water is allowed in the studios. No other food or drink is allowed at any time.
3. Chewing gum is strictly prohibited at all times.
4. No cell phones or electronic devices allowed in the studios.
5. Do not wear strong perfumes or body oils in the studios.
6. No parents or other observers are allowed in the studios during class time. Studio doors must remain closed for the duration of the class.
Dress Code Policies
1. Student attire must follow the dress code during class time. Hair must be pulled back and away from the face before entering the class.
2. During private lessons, students may choose their dance wear, as long as it is close fitting and neat. No crop tops, sports bras, or biker shorts which do not provide adequate coverage. For Company rehearsals dancers must wear all black attire.
3. All dance wear must be washed regularly. Make sure the student has enough dance wear, so that a clean outfit can be worn for each day of dance.
4. Students must maintain proper hygiene. Wear deodorant or other products necessary to prevent odor or spread of germs.
5. If a student is not wearing proper attire, it is up to the teacher whether the student will be allowed to participate, observe, or enter to take the class for the day.
6. If non-adherence to dress code becomes a regular issue, the parent will be contacted to remedy the issue.
7. Little Dippers Pre-School Program students must carry a dance bag to class. The appropriate shoes and dance bag should be clearly labeled with their full name.
Class Etiquette
1. Photography and videography inside the classroom is prohibited, as it can be a distraction to the dancers.
2. Filming of private lessons or other limited circumstances may be allowed, at the discretion of the teachers and/or artistic director.
3. We ask that students keep socializing to a minimum during class. Chronically disruptive or disrespectful students may be asked to leave.
4. Bullying is not tolerated under any circumstances. Students found to be bullying others will be asked to leave, and parents will be contacted to remedy the situation.
Make-Up Classes
1. If a student misses a class, they are encouraged to attend a make-up class the same level as the class they are enrolled in. You may schedule a makeup class through your parent portal.
2. Make up classes must be scheduled within 1 month of your absence. There will not be any make up classes scheduled 1 month prior to the Spring Recital.
3. Each class has a minimum of 36 classes during the year. If inclement weather cancellations cause a class total to fall below 36, makeup classes will be scheduled. If your class meets more than 36 classes, those extra days will be used as snow or cancellation days if needed. If the studio is open and inclement weather prevents you from attending a class that has not been canceled, there will be no credit given, students can attend a make-up class if this occurs.
Private Lessons
1. All private lessons are to be scheduled in advance and through Polaris Dance Institute. Teachers do not schedule private lessons or negotiate payment.
2. Payment is non-refundable if notice of cancellation is not given at least 24 hours in advance.
3. Students must arrive on time (early is preferred) to private lessons. Late arrivals will not be pro-rated, and no refunds will be given for lost time.
School Closings
1. Polaris Dance Institute will be closed for the following holidays: please check the Events Calendar on our website for the most updated information.
Labor Day
Halloween
Thanksgiving
Winter Break
MLK Jr Day
President’s Day
Spring Break
Memorial Day
2. Polaris Dance Institute will generally follow Stafford County Public Schools in cases of snow/inclement weather closings. If we choose to remain open despite county school closings, notification will be posted on Facebook and Instagram social media sites by 12:00 pm. If notification is not sent out, it is assumed that class will not be held. When in doubt, call the office or check social media accounts for confirmation.
Costumes
1. Students will be required to purchase costumes for each recital performance.
2. To secure placement in recital, and timely ordering of costumes, we require a costume payment for each recital piece due no later than November 15th.
Preschool – $85
Fundamentals and Level 1 & Up – $85
Production Fees
We require a one-time production fee, broken down as follows:
Single Student – $69
Family – $79
*All Production fees and Costumes fees are non-refundable*
The following classes will perform in the recital, and will be required to purchase costumes:
Little Dippers Preschool Classes:
Ballet/Tap
Hip-Hop
Fundamentals Classes:
Acro
Ballet/Tap
Ballet/Jazz
Hip Hop
Levels 1-5:
Acrobatic Arts
Beginner Pointe
Advanced Pointe
Ballet
*Some ballet classes may be combined in to one recital piece. This will be at the teacher’s discretion. Extra rehearsal time may be required.*
Contemporary
Hip Hop
Jazz
Lyrical
Musical Theatre
Tap
Adult Tap
The following classes will not perform in the recital and will not be required to purchase costumes:
Yoga
Strength & Stretch & Conditioning
Leaps & Turns
Ballet Floor Barre
Adult Beginner Ballet
Improv
Other classes not listed (inquire for details)
