Studio Policies

tuition policies

Students will be charged for classes up to the date that written notification of their withdrawal is received, whether or not they have attended. Tuition will not be deducted for classes missed by the student. In other words, if the student misses a month of classes and returns, that student will be expected to pay that month’s tuition. Tuition will not be deducted or pro-rated for days missed due to snow.  (See weather policybelow.) This is not unlike any other purchase that you make. If you buy something but use it only once it is the same cost. We must use this model to keep our prices as low as possible.

Billing statements will be “snail” mailed for delinquent accounts only.  If professional collection is needed to collect a delinquent account, a collection fee will be added to the total.  A $25 returned check fee will be charged for returned checks.

any monthly payment past due by two weeks will be charged a $15 late fee. Please be prompt! We have bills too!

attendance

Regular class attendance is absolutely necessary! This is crucial for your child to have her/his best experience. This is an important part of your child’s education that you pay for.  If the student is injured and cannot dance, your dancer is encouraged to come and observe. An important part of the art of dance is discipline, and that means a commitment to regular class attendance. Absences and tardiness can also hold back the entire class. Dance is a physical and sometimes frustrating activity, especially when the young dancer realizes that it is not easy. Remind your dancer of her or his commitment and you will find your dancer feeling quite good after class. The teacher reserves the right to dismiss a child from class due to disciplinary problems. There will be no refunds or deductions for classes missed by the student regardless of reason for absence. Now, all that said - you may bring your dancer to another dance class to make up a missed day. For example, a 2-6 yr old dancers can come to any of the Level 1-3 classes within that age group or a 3rd grader could come to any class that is designed for 3rd graders. Another option is to bring your young dancer to come watch a class with older dancers in it. An exciting option is to watch is the Level 4 classes. It is inspiring for a young dancer to watch the older dancers do the “exciting” moves. It shows her/him what she/he is working toward. Please feel free to send any question to northwesternstudios@gmail.com.

Class placement

Student class placement is generally by grade in school. However, ultimately student placement is decided by the instructors with the best interest of the student and classes in mind. Age, grade in school, ability, previous training, rate of improvement and maturity are all considered. The height of the child and the placement of the child’s friends are not considered.

student pick up

Parents are responsible for their child(ren) at all times, except during actual class time. Our staff will not be responsible for any child before or after class time. Please pick up your dancer promptly. Do not leave siblings, or friends, at the studio as they will NOT be supervised.

costumes

We try to keep costuming costs low but in the spirit of giving the students a good experience, there will, of course, be a cost either in time or money. There may be a Costume Deposit of $25 in January for each student. Costumes will be billed once we understand the total amount. These bills are due upon receipt. If a student withdraws after costumes are ordered, the guardian is still responsible for the total cost of the costume. Cosutmes will not be sent home until the invoice is paid.

Weather Cancellations

When making the decision to cancel classes, the well-being of both our dancers (we have teenage drivers) and teachers is our top priority.  Class cancellation due to inclement weather will be primarily based on the condition of the main roads, but other factors are taken into consideration as well.  We will not close just because the public school system is. Cancellation information will be posted on our website Home Page, the Boone Weather page, our Facebook Page, our Instagram Page and on the studio phone. A decision will be made ASAP but some days we will wait as late as 2:00pm to give the weather time to show us what it is up to. There also may be days I have to cancel classes after they have started due to changing conditions. We do everything we can to hold classes and do not take cancellations lightly - trust me it’s one of the hardest parts of the job. Because we live in the High Country, “snow” days are taken into account when figuring tuition rates.  This means if your dance class(es) doesn’t get canceled it is a bonus for you!  If three consecutive individual classes are canceled (i.e. 3 Mondays) a make-up day will be offered. It is important to know that the studio overhead cost stays the same (and is sometimes more) regardless of the decision regarding weather. So what are your options? One is you may bring your dancer to another dance class to make up a missed day. For example, 2-6 yr old dancers can come to any of the Level A - C classes within that age group or a 3rd grader could come to any class that is designed for 3rd graders. Another option is to bring your young dancer to come watch a class with older dancers in it. It is inspiring for a young dancer to watch the older dancers do the “exciting” moves. It shows her/him what she/he is working toward. Please feel free to send any questions to northwesternstudios@gmail.com.

private lessons & studio rental

Private lessons are available upon request. Rates are set by the instructor.  If a student needs extra help, or has missed classes and fallen behind, the teacher is not to be expected to help a student outside of class except in a paid, private lesson. Our facilities are available to rent.  Click here for more info.