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1) Introduction
It’s our absolute pleasure to warmly welcome you into our family at Encore Academy of Dance! Our team is thrilled to see many familiar faces return to the studio and even more excited to see some new faces join our community. We have created this one-stop handbook to hopefully shed some light on how things will run throughout the year as well as answer a lot of questions you may have before the year begins. While we would love you to take the time to read this information carefully and keep your handbook in a safe place to refer to as you need it, don’t forget that our friendly admin staff are always here to help and will happily answer any questions you may have. Nothing is too big or too small, we promise! ☺
QUICK REFERENCE STUDIO INFORMATION
3823 Guess Road, Durham, NC 27705 (919) 383-5048
EncoreAademyOfDanceDurham@gmail.com
www.encoreacademyofdance.com
Lindsay Tilley — owner2) Studio Manifesto
To start us off, it’s important to us at Encore Academy of Dance that all faculty members share our vision, our purpose, and the philosophy that encompasses everything we do both in and outside of our classes. This is a vision that is shared and demonstrated by the directors, teachers, and staff members at our studio and it is the driving force behind every interaction with our students and their families.
Encore Academy of Dance is a place where kids of all ages shapes and sizes learn to dance and perform. This is a studio where creativity, individuality, and self-expression are encouraged and has a community of teachers, students, and families who are passionate about the performing arts. Our goal is to create a positive and happy experience for all of our students. We strive to nurture and develop talent, celebrate the achievements of all students, and inspire a love and appreciation of all styles of dance and the arts. We are committed to providing a safe and positive environment in which all students can feel empowered, comfortable, and free to express themselves.
3) Registration
Before putting on those dance shoes, it’s important that all students and/or parents—whether returning or new—fill out and sign your registration paperwork so we can ensure we have the most up-to-date contact details for you. This information includes your contact form, media waiver (so we can show off photos and videos of our amazing dancers in and around the studios), fee waiver, Showcase waiver, medical waiver, and public liability waiver.
Registering early not only means that you will have the class day and time that you desire, but it also ensures that in the event of classes reaching capacity before the season kicks off, you will be guaranteed a place in the classes of your choice.
Our annual registration fee is $60 per student and must be paid in full prior to the beginning of classes for new students and annually (whenever that falls during the season) for returning students. Make sure you are enrolled in autopay and your payment is processed, as failure to pay your registration fee on time may result in losing your place in the class.
We encourage all of our students and families to try a variety of dance styles and we are more than happy to accommodate trial classes for existing students who are wanting to try something a bit different. Please contact our friendly admin staff if you would like to try a new class and we will happily schedule a quick meeting and fit you in for a trial (provided the class has not reached capacity).
** REMINDER ** Don’t forget - if you refer a new friend or new family member to enroll on their trial day, they'll only pay a $30 registration fee for the whole year! Not only that, you’ll receive a $30 credit towards your next month’s tuition!
SAMPLE WAIVERS AND RELEASE FORMS
Below is a copy of the language used in our waivers and release forms in your DanceStudioPro customer portal. Please ensure all waivers and release forms are completed and submitted before your dancer begins classes.
As the legal parent or guardian, I release and hold harmless Encore Academy of Dance, its owners, and operators from any and all liability, claims, demands, and causes of action whatsoever, arising out of or related to any loss, damage, or injury, including death, that may be sustained by the participant and/or the undersigned, while in or upon the premises or any premises under the control and supervision of Encore Academy of Dance, its owners, and operators or in route to or from any of said premises.
Costumes: A costume fee per costume will be due October 10th or at the time of registration.
Showcase Fees: Each dancer will be charged a Showcase fee of $150 on February 10th. Each additional dancer from the family will be charged $100.
Videos: Can be purchased online through the ticketing site.
T-shirts: Can be purchased online through the ticketing site.
Printed Showcase Program: Can be purchased online through the ticketing site.
Pictures: Can be purchased after spring picture week. Emails will be sent with more detailed information regarding ordering.
The undersigned gives permission to Encore Academy of Dance, its owners, and operators to seek medical treatment for the participant if they cannot reach a parent or guardian. I hereby declare any physical/mental problems, restrictions, or conditions and/or declare the participant to be in good physical and mental health. I request that our doctor/physician be called. Please include the doctor/ physical phone number below in the comments field.
As the legal parent or guardian, I hereby give Encore Academy of Dance permission to use photographs of this student for any said advertising they deem necessary.
4) Communication
By now you have probably noticed that we are BIG on communication here at Encore Academy of Dance. It is our promise to respond to all inquiries within 24 business hours and we will never leave a query unanswered. Our friendly admin staff can be contacted at (919) 383-5048 between 4:00-7:00 pm Monday - Friday and 9:00-1:00 pm Saturday.
For convenience, our primary means of communication is via email. You will receive regular newsletters and important information via email so please ensure you have provided the studio with an up-to-date email address that is regularly checked. We are of course happy to include multiple email addresses per family if you would like your correspondence sent to numerous recipients. Don’t forget to add our email address EncoreAcademyOfDanceDurham@gmail.com to your contacts so we don’t end up in the dreaded spam folder!
In the infrequent case of urgent information (for example, unexpected class cancellations or performance changes), we may send an SMS and/or telephone to all families. For this reason, please make sure the mobile phone number you have provided to the studio is correct and up-to-date. Closure for weather will be emailed, as well as posted on our social media pages.
We always display important information, dates, and studio details on our bulletin board in the hallway, so please have a quick look when dropping off and picking up in case there is anything you may have missed. We are always happy to chat in more detail about communications you may receive from the studio, so if you need any clarification please don’t hesitate to call us at (919) 383-5048 to chat with one of our helpful team members.
5) Important Dates
We understand wholeheartedly how busy the lives and schedules of our dance families can get as the year rolls on, so we have tried to get all of our important dates organized and ready for you so you can plan other commitments. Below we have listed some of our most important “Save the Dates” with more information (including times, costumes, requirements, etc.) to be communicated via email as we get closer to the events. If you know ahead of time that your family will be unable to attend these events due to planned holidays or existing commitments, please let the admin staff know at your earliest convenience.
opportunity Students ages 3+
10/2/2310/7/23 Bring a Friend to Dance Week
10/24/2310/30/23 Halloween Costume Week
Students may wear their Halloween costume over their dance attire to class
10/28/2023 Bahama Day Performance opportunity Students ages 3+ 11/17/23 -11/19/23
CDM Fall Convention Weekend workshop opportunity Students ages 6+
12/9/2023 Bahama Christmas Parade
2/3/24 -2/4/24
Younger dancer will ride on the float & throw candy, while older dancers will dance their way along the Parade Route
Students ages 3+
CDM Winter Convention Weekend workshop opportunity Students ages 10+
3/1/2023 -3/3/2023
Festival of NC Dance Ballet students in level IV+ may attend this weekend event
Bring a Friend to Dance Week
ALL
Students ages 12+ 4/15/244/20/24
3
4/22/244/27/24
4/29/245/4/24
5/13/245/18/24
Picture Week Students will have their class photos & individual photos taken during their class time
ALL
Family Dance Week Students may bring their family to dance class ALL
Spirit Week Students will enjoy participating in the themed days ALL
Showcase participants 6/1/2024 (tentative)
Students participating in the Annual Spring Showcase will have rehearsals
6) Code of Conduct
To ensure the smooth, safe running of Encore Academy of Dance and an enjoyable experience for all, below you will find our code of conduct. As always we are open to feedback, so if any of the requirements outlined below are unclear or concerning, please give us a call to discuss further. Following a formal meeting, we do reserve the right to dismiss or take disciplinary action on any students or parents who breach our studio’s code of conduct.
Families who do not comply with their fee or costume payment obligations may be charged a late fee, and/or be excluded from performances. External debt collection may occur when fees remain overdue and this will be at the expense of the client. Costume expenses are the responsibility of the parent/guardian, and costumes will not be ordered for or issued to students with unpaid class fees. No classes (including private lessons) or teachers are to be disturbed unless it is an emergency. Parents are not to approach teachers or students during class and if messages, food, drink, or medication need to be passed on to a student, it must be done through an Encore Academy of Dance staff member. All parents must wait in the lobby or outside of the studio until classes have been dismissed.
We are unable to take responsibility for our students before or after their scheduled classes and it is the responsibility of the parent to ensure their child is picked up and dropped off on time. In the case of an emergency or unavoidable delay, please contact the studio immediately at (919) 383-5048 to inform us of the situation so we can keep your child calm and safe until they can be collected.
Any questions or complaints must go through the admin staff – parents and students are not permitted to contact Encore Academy of Dance teachers via phone, in person, or via email/social networking with studio issues unless it has been approved by the owner first. Personal meetings with the studio owner can happily be arranged via the admin staff.
In the rare case of a parent or student showing disrespect or defamation to any parent, staff member, or student, a meeting will be called immediately and dismissal may be considered at the discretion of the owner. Physical, mental, emotional, or cyberbullying by parents, staff, or students will not be tolerated and may result in dismissal from the studio.
Encore Academy of Dance takes no responsibility for any stolen or misplaced property on the studio premises and we encourage our families to avoid bringing valuable items into the studio when possible.
Only private lesson students who are EAD Company members are permitted to enter solo competitions and it must be with the permission of the owner, their teacher, and the choreographer.
Encore Academy of Dance management reserves the right to change teachers or scheduling when necessary at any time throughout the year.
Choreography, costuming, and studio policies remain the intellectual property of Encore Academy of Dance and may not be reproduced or sold by any students, parents, or staff without permission of the owner.
7) Age groups
Twinkling Stars (walkers - 4 years old)
Dance with Me: is a great class for our walkers to 3-year-olds. We use music they know and love while learning beginner dance moves with a ballet or acrobatic basis along with a parent/caregiver. Your child will learn all about warming up, stretching, nursery rhymes, role-playing, and obstacle courses to foster a love for dance and enhance gross motor skills.
Pre-Tap-Ballet: is an introduction to classical ballet using creative, imaginative role-playing and fun props. This class may involve pretending to be animals, playing instruments to learn rhythm, learning balancing, skipping, and running and techniques using beanbags and ribbons or picking up “diamonds” (shhh...they’re actually just feathers) from the ground to develop their hand-eye coordination. This class is suitable for all young dancers who are having so much fun that they don't even realize that they are learning the fundamentals of ballet technique along the way. In this class, your child will also be learning super fun basic tap skills in an imaginative way while also playing with instruments to help promote rhythm. They will learn steps including toe-heel, heel-toe, stamps, and shuffles as well as making as much noise as they can in our fun, safe and educational environment.
Pre-Hip Hop/Acro: is an introduction class to basic hip hop skills such as rhythm, bounce, terminology, and fun! In this class, your child will also learn the fundamentals of acrobatics through animals, superheroes, and more while rolling and flipping down the mat.
Shining Stars (5 - 6 years old)
Kinder Ballet: will teach children more fundamental ballet steps while continuing to use their creative imagination during free dance.
Kinder Acro: students will use their techniques from ballet and/or jazz to enhance their acrobatic skills progressing to cartwheels, bridges, and more.
Kinder Hip Hop: is a class for children that like to move. The music for this class is fun and familiar to them and expands on the techniques learned by our younger classes. We do some warming up, stretching, and progressions across the room (including skips, kicks, and basic turning skills) as well as putting together a combination.
Kinder Tap: will teach children super fun basic tap skills in an imaginative way while also creating rhythms on their own. They will learn steps including flap-heel, shuffles, and ball change as well as putting steps together to make combinations, in our fun, safe and educational environment.
Rising, Shooting, and Soaring Stars (7+ years old)
Ballet: dancers build on their ballet technique by learning barre work, center work, and progressions
across the floor. Students will begin to learn ballet history and work towards putting together more complex combinations. It is not uncommon for a dancer to spend multiple years at the same level.
Jazz: class builds on the basics of jazz technique to popular and age-appropriate music. Some examples of the techniques our jazz students will learn include turns, kicks, leaps, and body isolations. It is not uncommon for a dancer to spend multiple years at the same level.
Tap: class, students will be learning the basics of tap technique as well as building on their sense of rhythm and their confidence when it comes to performances. Our tappers love dancing to popular, age-appropriate music and getting LOUD! It is not uncommon for a dancer to spend multiple years at the same level.
Lyrical: dance is an expressive style of dance that combines elements of ballet, jazz, and contemporary dance. It focuses on conveying emotions and telling stories through graceful and fluid movements. It is a style that encourages dancers to connect with their emotions and express themselves in a heartfelt and authentic way. Through lyrical dance, your child will develop their technique, musicality, and artistic expression while exploring the power of movement and storytelling. This class requires a technique class of ballet or jazz as well. It is not uncommon for a dancer to spend multiple years at the same level.
Modern/Contemporary: dance is a dynamic and artistic style of dance that emerged as a rebellion against the constraints of classical ballet. It encourages individual expression, creativity, and freedom of movement. In modern dance, your dancer will explore a wide range of movements, including floor work, jumps, and unconventional body shapes. It emphasizes natural and organic movements, allowing dancers to connect with their emotions and unique artistic voice. Modern dance often incorporates improvisation and experimentation, fostering creativity and self-discovery. Through modern dance, your child will develop strength, flexibility, and a deeper understanding of their body’s capabilities while expressing their creativity in a contemporary and meaningful way.It is not uncommon for a dancer to spend multiple years at the same level.
Hip Hop: is an energetic and popular style of dance that originated in black communities and has since gained global recognition. It is characterized by its vibrant and dynamic movements, which are often influenced by street dance styles, urban culture, and hip hop music. Hip hop dance encourages self-expression, rhythm, and creativity. Dancers may learn a variety of foundational moves, such as popping, locking, breaking, and freestyle, and incorporate them into choreography that reflects the beats and lyrics of hip hop songs. Hip hop dance fosters physical fitness, coordination, and musicality while providing a fun and engaging way for your child to connect with contemporary music and culture. It is not uncommon for a dancer to spend multiple years at the same level.
Acrobatics: We’ve known for a long time that kids love nothing more than attempting and perfecting new “tricks.” Remember learning a cartwheel? We sure do, and it’s that sense of pride and exhilaration that we love to pass on to all students. Our Acro class is taught by our fully qualified Acrobatic Arts teachers and the class levels for this discipline are skill-based. The levels I-IV+ and once our students have mastered the skills in their level they move up to the next allowing them
to develop their skills at their own pace. This class requires a technique class of ballet or jazz as well. It is not uncommon for a dancer to spend multiple years at the same level.
8) Safety
With the safety of our families a number one priority, Encore Academy of Dance is very serious about upholding Child Protection laws and policies within the studio as well as at public performances and in the online arena (website and social media).
As part of your registration, you will have read and signed a media waiver allowing us to proudly use images and video footage of your student for advertising and promotional purposes. Should you have any concerns whatsoever with signing this declaration, please see our admin staff who will happily assist you.
We have viewing windows in each studio which can be checked by parents and family members from the comfort of our lobby and hallway. All of our teachers and staff members have undergone official checks allowing them to work with children.
The directors and staff at Encore Academy of Dance are educated on the negative impact of inappropriate music and costume selection when it comes to performing dance routines and are wholeheartedly committed to ensuring children in all of our dance routines are not subjected to any inappropriate songs or costuming. We recognize that songs with sexist, explicit, violent, racist, homophobic, or criminal content may influence our dancers and/or audience and will strive to avoid using such music.
We are committed to restricting costumes that project sexuality or contain explicit graphic or textual content.
Our staff members have all been trained in first aid. We encourage nut, gluten, and dairy-free foods when involved in fundraisers or studio events.
Encore Academy of Dance takes no responsibility for any stolen or misplaced property on the studio premises and we encourage our families to avoid bringing valuable items into the studio when possible.
You will find within our waivers a public liability/insurance statement (see page 5). Please read this document carefully and sign it prior to the beginning of classes so you fully understand the rights and responsibilities of your family and our studio.
When you purchase a product or hire a service with Encore Academy of Dance the information we may collect from you includes your name, address, telephone numbers, email addresses, emergency medical information, and credit card or bank details. It may also include details of the products and services we provide to you as well as the status of your enrollment. We only collect information directly from our students or their parents/guardians primarily for the purpose of providing services and products to you and administering and managing invoicing and debt collection.
We may occasionally use your information to promote and market to you information that we consider may be of interest to you unless you contact us and tell us not to do so.
We will never sell or pass on any of your information to third parties unless required by government authorities or in the event of debt recovery. Any information passed on will be done so with appropriate privacy and confidentiality protection.
Information is stored securely in paper or electronic form and is accessible only by authorized personnel.
If you would like to know what information we hold about you or wish to update the information, or if you wish to be removed from all further direct marketing communications, please contact our office by telephone at (919) 383-5048.
10) Scheduling
Scheduling our classes is a huge task and we take our care to ensure that children are given classes at an age-appropriate time without long hours that may lead to fatigue or disrupt home/school life. Please find our schedule for the 2023-2024 season below, and contact us if you have any questions at all.
https://www.encoreacademyofdance.com/classes-page/
11) Dress Code
At Encore Academy of Dance, we believe that wearing an appropriate dress code gives students a sense of belonging to our family as well as creating an identity for our studio in the greater community.
Our dress code also:
• Encourages discipline
• Helps students resist peer pressure to buy stylish clothes for class
• Helps identify non-students in the studio
• Diminish economic and social barriers between students
• Increase a sense of belonging and school pride
• Improves attendance
Dress code can be purchased year-round from the studio, from the online store on the customer portal or online from Nimbly.
(https://dancestudio-pro.com/online/encoreregistration, https://www.shopnimbly.com/ ENCOREACADEMYOFDANCE)
Please ensure all parts of your child’s dress code are clearly labeled - individual shoes, socks, and tights...you’ll be amazed at the amount of lost property we generate!
Further details may be found here. (https://www.encoreacademyofdance.com/dress-code/)
12) Fee Structure
Please find below the fee structure for the 2023-2024 season. Feel free to contact our office staff if you have any fee-related questions. Class Hours
1 class 30 minutes (Dance with Me)
Showcase Costume Fee Pre-tap/ballet, Pre-hip hop/acro, Kinder Ballet, Kinder Tap, Kinder Jazz, Kinder Hip hop, Kinder Acro
Showcase Costume Fee Ballet I-IV+, Pointe, Jazz I-IV+, Lyrical I-IV+, Modern/ contemporary I-IV+, Hip hop I-IV+, Tap I-IV+, Acro IIV+
per class
$95 per class
Showcase Fee All participants in the Annual Spring Showcase $150, $100 each additional immediate family member
We offer the following options for fee payment: Tuition is charged via autopay to a debit card, or credit card on the 1st of every month. (This information can be changed at any time through the customer portal.) If you prefer to pay tuition in cash, fees must be paid by the 25th of the month prior. A card must be saved on file to be used in the event of non-payment and the $15 late fee will be added on the 1st of the month. Contact encoreacademyofdancedurham@gmail.com for this option.
For your convenience, tuition is paid in equal monthly installments due on the first class of each month regardless of calendar days, inclement weather, or holiday closings. Tuition is not decreased for 3-week months nor is it increased for 5-week months. Autopay payment is considered late after the 5th of the month and a $15.00 late charge is added to all unpaid accounts. A $30 late charge will be added to all unpaid accounts after the 20th of the month.
Tuition is due even if the student misses classes in order to maintain the student’s place in the class.
All fees are NON-REFUNDABLE. NO EXCEPTIONS. No credits or refunds will be given. However, all classes may be made up.
Refunds will not be issued for missed classes due to weather cancellations or holidays.
Drop-In Payment
Our adult drop-in classes can be paid as you attend via autopay, cash, or check to be paid to reception.
Withdrawal from the program requires a 14-day written notice and must be made in writing to the front desk or encoreacademyofdancedurham@gmail.com or tuition will be due.
13) Attendance
Your child’s attendance in class is very important to their peers and our teaching staff. As a member of the team, it is a commitment for you to ensure your child attends their classes on time each week and attends all lessons planned for them. Not only do absences impact the Annual Spring Showcase routines we create, but it also impacts the social and confidence-building principles we work hard to foster in each class.
If you know ahead of time that your child will be absent due to holidays/vacations, commitments, or school trips, please let us know ahead of time so the class impact is minimal.
If your child is too unwell to attend class, we ask that you inform our admin staff as soon as you can so they can let the teachers know and preparations can be made to catch up on any missed work.
You can submit absences through the customer portal. On the home page click the attendance icon. On the attendance page click the report absence button and enter the information. This information will show up on the attendance page for the teaching staff
Unfortunately, we are unable to accommodate make-up sessions for students who miss multiple classes. However, private lessons may be an option. Please reach out to the admin staff if you are interested in private lessons for your child.
Encore Academy of Dance’s social media policy refers to all social networking sites, video/photo sharing sites, blogs, micro-blogs, wikis, podcasts, forums, instant messaging, and geo-spatial tagging (for example, Facebook check-ins). Please see below for our regulations regarding Social Media and feel free to contact our office staff if you have any questions.
Please remember that your anonymity on social media is never guaranteed and to exercise particular caution when posts, images, or videos identify children in your care.
Remain mindful that your behavior on social media remains in keeping with Encore Academy of Dance’s code of conduct as outlined in chapter 6 of this handbook.
Any comments or posts perceived to be obscene, defamatory, threatening, harassing, discriminatory, or hateful towards Encore Academy of Dance staff, students, or families may subject the owner to disciplinary or legal action.
Should you wish to engage on social media while identifying as a studio family, volunteer or employee, you may only do so with integrity, and respect, and adhere to the privacy and confidentiality policy.
Any content revealing or referring to sensitive studio information is not allowed to be shared online.
Intellectual property laws (for example, costume design and choreography) must be observed by all studio patrons when posting online.
While affiliated with our studio, (for example, images of your child in Encore Academy of Dance dress code, costumes, or attire) 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, scheduling, placements, or performance opportunities—may not be communicated via social media. We have an open-door policy and encourage all communication, complaints, and feedback to be communicated directly to the director.
We discourage parents, students, and teachers from becoming ‘friends’ or ‘followers’ on social media unless there is an existing relationship. We consider all studio members to be family and as such feel the obligation to respect and monitor personal boundaries.
Families found to be engaging in ‘hidden’ or ‘private’ groups formed for the specific purpose of discussing studio matters will be encouraged to close the group and warned against discussing Encore Academy of Dance matters in their private online groups.
Photos or Videos taken from performances or rehearsals may NOT be posted online.
You may not post photographs or videos that feature Encore Academy of Dance dancers other than
your own online without the proven consent of their parent/guardian.
Identifying information of any featured minors—including names, ages, or locations—must be removed when posting on social media.
15) Our Faculty
Finally, it’s our pleasure to introduce our hand-picked faculty for the 2023-2024 season! Our enthusiastic, passionate, and dedicated teachers are thrilled to be a part of your family’s dance journey this year. We are truly looking forward to growing together to mold this generation of skilled, confident, genuine, and unique performers.
For more information about each of our faculty, please click on their name.
Brittany Brunner
Amelia Bryant
Karyna Cherchevych
Ebonie Conley
Michal Coward
Mallory Craig
Allison Daniels-Gordon
Macy Daniels
Sydney Ekanayake-Lin
Kiana Rempfer
Dawn Hair-Rudd
Tiki Hair-Rudd
D’Amani Hillman
Ava Howell
Lana Miller
Ginger Stathelson
Lindsay Tilley