Illness Policy, Holiday/Inclement Weather Closings, Attendance & Make Up Classes

Holiday Closings & Inclement Weather

  • Holiday/Scheduled Closings:
    • If you’re ever in doubt regarding studio holiday and scheduled closings, please check our event calendar prior to arriving to class.
    • Holiday & other scheduled closings are listed online at se-dance.com/events, posted in every monthly newsletter in the lobby, on the calendar in the lobby during the appropriate month, posted on our Facebook page, and emailed as the holiday approaches.
    • We do not always follow county school system calendars.
  • Inclement Weather Policy:
    • Inclement weather closings are typically sent via Remind text, and posted to our Facebook page as long as we can access it.
    • We do not always follow GCS school system’s holiday or inclement weather decisions. It’s important to check our communication resources in the event of inclement weather.
    • The first cancellation is built into annual tuition. The second is replaced with the dress rehearsal. Additional cancellations can be made up at a later date. Please note, if less than half the class plans to attend the make up class, we will not hold an extra class but will offer students another age/level appropriate class to attend, if desired.

Illness & Injury Policies

  • Illness Policy:
    • Any contagious condition (fever, fever blister/cold sore, stomach bugs, lice etc.) require that students be symptom free without medication for 24 hours before returning to class.
    • According to our “Missed Class/Make Up Policies,” tuition is not reduced in the event of illness or injury except in special circumstances.
  • Updated Covid/Flu Policies:
    • If student has tested positive for covid or the flu, they may not return to the studio until symptom and fever free for 24 hours without medication.
    • If student has been in close contact with someone who has tested positive for covid or the flu (including someone in their household), please contact SESD office before attending class so we can decide if student should attend or wait. It has become nearly impossible to find substitute teachers, and if instructors get sick we will likely have to cancel their classes. We do not believe in fearing sickness, but we do believe in being considerate of others and keeping our germs to ourselves as best we can.
  • Injuries:
    • If your student is injured and not allowed to dance for an extended period of time, please contact the Director by studio phone or email ASAP. We will need to work with you on a plan so dancer does not fall behind and can still participate in class in a safe way (taking notes, etc.). Please do not stop attending class without talking with us.

Attendance Policies: Fall/Spring

  • Regular attendance in both Fall and Spring semesters is crucial for dancers to remain in shape/avoid injury and progress at the expected rate. In addition, showcase choreography begins in January in all of our dance and acro classes and regular attendance in the spring session is extremely important for students to learn class choreography.
    • Creative Movement, Foundations, and Level 1 dancers are expected to attend regularly all season to remain eligible to perform in the Showcase, but there is no set number of absences for these levels. Parents will be contacted if attendance becomes a concern for younger students.
      • Occasionally, when younger dancers are absent a couple weeks in a row (or over Christmas break), they become hesitant to return to class at all due to the disruption in their routine. Please reach out and let us know if your dancer is experiencing any hesitation in returning to class; we are here to help!
    • Levels 2-6: Any absences over the amount listed below could affect a dancer’s eligibility to remain in our program and/or perform in the annual Showcase. While it is possible to make up missed classes in another appropriate class, there is no guarantee that missed choreography can be “made up” and attending a lower level for an extended period of time is not permitted. It is imperative that dancers attend class regularly except in the event of illness according to our illness policy, emergency, or graded school event.
      • Dancers in Level 2 and 3 are allowed 6 excused absences August-December, and 6 excused absences January-May, three of which can be after March 1st.
      • Dancers in Levels 4-6 are allowed 10 absences all season, 6 of which can be missed January-May, 3 after March 1st.
      • *Please see new Make-Up Class Policies below*
    • The three weeks prior to the show are absolutely mandatory except in the event of contagious condition (according to our Illness Policy) or graded school event. Dancers who are absent the three weeks prior to the show may be pulled from their class dance if the instructor deems it more beneficial for the class as a whole. Dancers work very hard to retain their choreography, and it puts extra pressure on their classmates when students are routinely absent. We thank you for realizing how important regular attendance is, and assure you that your dancer will be very glad they put in the time and effort when the big day arrives!
    • If dancers “miss” new choreography, it is their responsibility to learn what they’ve missed. We sometimes record new choreography, but dancers should NOT rely on videos–we recommend keeping a “choreography notebook” to write down choreography and meeting with friends before the next class to review what was missed. (Levels 2-6; not applicable to pre-school/kindergarten classes).
    • Picture day, full cast rehearsals, and dress rehearsals are mandatory for all levels/classes.
    • Dancers who are absent from any full cast or dress rehearsal are not permitted to perform in the show. If you experience an emergency the day of a rehearsal, contact Katherine ASAP.
    • Dancers may not leave full cast or dress rehearsals earlier than their designated dismissal time (All levels/classes).
    • Please review all dates and times carefully. Full Cast and Dress Rehearsals are absolutely mandatory.

Attendance Policies: Summer

  • Summer Attendance Policy:
    • Taking more than a couple weeks off can very negatively affect a serious dancer’s training. It takes dancers DOUBLE the time they missed to “catch up” to their peers.
    • Rising/current Level 2-6 dancers are considered “year round” students and are required to enroll in Summer classes (same as what they take during Fall/Spring) and attend at least 7 weeks of our 10 week Summer session.
    • Failure to attend summer session could result in dancers not moving up to the next level or losing the privilege to work en pointe; as well as participating in “extra performances” during the season.
    • Training at this level requires dedication to avoid injuries that could be life-long. We value our dancer’s health, safety, and commitment to their training; and while we cannot make exceptions to this policy. In the event of injury, dancers are expected to attend class and take notes/participate to the extent they are able. If your dancer experiences an emergency or extenuating circumstance during the summer, please contact our director ASAP.

Make-Up Class Policies

  • Make Up Classes:
    • Tuition is not pro-rated if a student misses class; however, he/she is more than welcome to attend another age/level appropriate class as a make up.
    • Please contact [email protected] to schedule a make-up class. Please do not show up for a make-up class without contacting & receiving confirmation from our office.
    • We do not schedule make-up classes the first 2 weeks of the season.
    • Classes should be made up in an age-appropriate class as well as the same style, if possible. For example, a Ballet class may not be made up in a Hip Hop class. If you’re unsure what an appropriate make-up class would be, our office staff will be able to schedule you in the correct class!
    • (Advanced classes) Please keep in mind, once the maximum amount of absences is reached, they must be made up promptly and should not hit the max amount again. For example, if a dancer reaches 11 absences, she must make up at least 1 absences to lower to 10. If a dancer with 11 absences makes up 5 classes (making the total of absences 6) he/she should not reach 10 absences for a second time.
    • Dancers are not permitted to attend a lower level class in place of their regularly scheduled class except for an occasional make-up class.
    • Dancers who accumulate an excessive amount of absences may be released from our program at any time during the season (tuition, costume fees, showcase fees, and any other fees are non-refundable).
    • Full Cast, Production, Competition Team Rehearsals, and other rehearsals are mandatory and cannot be “made up.”

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