ELITE DANCE ACADEMY STUDIO AGREEMENT AND CODE OF CONDUCT

Elite Dance Academy’s goal is to foster a love of dance in every student by offering classes that are rooted in technique, creativity, and joy. Our students are given the tools to broaden their abilities through daily instruction, personalized support, and opportunities to share their love of dance to audiences both locally and abroad.

WARM-UP AND ARRIVAL TIMES

All students are expected to arrive at the studio 10-15 minutes prior to class time and should be in the studio(if available) or lobby warming up quietly before class begins. Students should be fully warm and ready to dance with appropriate uniform/warm-up attire. Warm-up clothing is permitted to be worn for the beginning of the classes only.

ATTENDANCE POLICY

Like any team sport attendance is crucial to the success of the team as a whole. When one dancer is constantly late or missing it affects not only them but everyone else in the class. In order to give all of our students the best training we kindly ask that attendance take precedence. Parents must give the studio ample notice in writing if a dancer is to be absent due to illness. If you are going on vacation we require one month’s notice in writing. Please try to avoid booking vacations during exam/competition season(February-April) or during year-end show season(May-June).

  • Dancers that have 3 or more unexcused absences could possibly be removed from choreography.
  • Dancers need to attend class if injured to take notes.
  • Families that are consistently late for classes will be required to come in for a meeting to discuss other options.
  • Do not come to the studio if you are vomiting or have a fever.

For the purpose of injury prevention and out of respect for your fellow dancers and faculty, students who arrive late may be asked to observe class only.

COSTUMING

We want our dancers to look their very best! When it’s time for costume decisions we keep cost in mind but can not control the prices of costumes from increasing as we order many of our items from costume companies. We always try to order Canadian when we can to avoid duties, but this is not a guarantee.

Costuming is an extra cost over and above yearly fees. Each genre you take will require a different costume. Costumes can range anywhere from
$75-$120 but could be more or less. Cost is given careful consideration, however, may not be the deciding factor when choosing a product.

  • The choreographer reserves the right to choose a costume that will best work with the music, body type, and movement.
  • Some costumes have a foul smell when they come out of the packaging. This is normal. Take your costume out and give it some fresh air for a couple of days.
  • Elite will not be held responsible for lost or stolen costumes. If you lose your costume you will have to purchase another one or have one made that looks almost like the original.

FESTIVAL AND COMPETITION FEES

Parents are responsible to pay for all fees pertaining to competitions and must be paid by the posted due dates. Failure to pay fees by the due date could result in the dancer not participating in the competition. If your dancer becomes injured there is no guarantee of a refund from the competition.

COMPETITON REGULATIONS

  • Elite Dance Academy accepts requests for solo/duo/trio choreography starting at the age of 8yrs old. Dancers 8+ registering for solos/duos/trios must be registered in our Competitive Program. Any choreography before that age is by choice of the faculty. If your dancer is interested in participating in competitive groups they must register for our Elite Performance Team. In order to participate in the performance team dancers may have to meet certain criteria as outlined in the Elite Performance Team directives (to be released summer of 2023).
  • Students must enter all their solos/duos/trios (all genres including any outside choreography) under Elite Dance Academy upon competition registration. Non-negotiable. Outside choreography refers to choreo done by a teacher that does not work at EDA.
  • EDA dancers of all ages must have verbal or written consent from the studio owner before beginning any pointe choreography (either solo or group free or paid for). EDA has the right to deny competition entry under the EDA name to any dancer failing to abide by this regulation.
  • Dancers that do not participate in regular cleaning of their solos/duos/trios could possibly be withdrawn from competition without a refund.
  • Any dancers or parents being rude, disrespectful, openly discussing results, gossiping about other dancers/parents at any competition before, during, or after, or bullying other clients or faculty members could be asked to leave the competition and face expulsion without a refund.
  • Dancers must only participate in the competitions chosen by EDA. Parents may not register in competitions without the studio owner’s consent.
  • Parents must not contact any competition or festival on their own either verbally, via email, or through social media. Please contact the studio owner or admin for assistance.

SOCIAL MEDIA ETIQUETTE AND GUIDELINES

  • Behaviour on Social Media must always be respectful, kind, and encouraging. Any comments or posts perceived to be obscene, defamatory, threatening, harassing, discriminatory, or hateful towards EDA faculty, students or families may be grounds for disciplinary or legal action.
  • Should you wish to engage on Social Media while identifying as an EDA dancer, parent volunteer, or employee, you may only do so with integrity, respect, and adhere to privacy and confidentiality. Any content revealing or referring to sensitive studio information is not allowed to be shared online.
  • Intellectual property laws (for example, costume designs and choreography), must be observed by all studio patrons when posting online. This includes but is not limited to forms, handbooks, syllabus, etc.
  • When posting online, please ensure credit is given to the studio, choreographer, and costume designer where applicable.
  • While affiliated with our studio, (for example, images of your child at EDA in EDA uniform) we will not tolerate any posts that are racially, sexually, physically, or religiously offensive.
  • All matters pertaining directly to the studio whether it be fees, schedules, or placements may not be communicated via Social Media. We encourage all communications and feedback to be communicated to the owner directly.
  • Families found to be engaging in hidden or private online groups formed for the specific purpose of discussing studio matters will be asked to add a studio admin or to close the group.
  • Photos or videos taken from performances or rehearsals may NOT be posted online unless permission is given via the choreographer or principal.
  • You may not post photographs/videos that feature other EDA other than your own without the proven consent of their parent/guardian.
  • Removal of identifying information of minors including names, ages, or locations must be done prior to posting on Social Media.

THOUGHTS FOR A SUCCESSFUL DANCE SEASON

  • Each student plays a role or position the team needs
  • Their attitude will impact others – teach them respect and positivity
  • There will be a variety of personalities in the studio
  • Not everybody will be friends, but everyone needs to be respectful
  • Individual success is fun, but team success is great !
  • Not every dancer has to be the best in the class. Enjoy your own journey and progress.
  • The process directly affects the outcome. Enjoy it.
  • Gossip destroys, but kind words build. Gossip almost always gets back to the owner and faculty. Avoid it.
  • If you have questions or concerns do not bottle them up. Come and talk or email the studio owner as soon as you feel ready. Communication is key.