FAQs

General Information

Our hours of operation are located on our Schedule & Registration page as well as our Contact page.

Classes

Q: May I try a class before I register for it?

For students wishing to try a class before formal registration, a single class may be arranged at our drop-in rate of $16.50. Students who register for a class during the month of their drop-in will have the drop-in fee applied to their first month’s tuition.

Q: When can I register for classes?

From August through February, pending there is class space available, you may register at any time. We begin teaching Recital choreography in February, so while new students may begin a class, there may not be sufficient time to prepare for participation in the Recital.

Summer registration begins as soon as our summer schedule is released (typically in April).

Our school year schedule (dance classes for August through early June) is typically available by late July.

Our summer schedule (dance classes, summer programs, and dance intensives for June and July) is typically available in April.

We encourage parents to observe from one of our large viewing windows. Your child is more likely to participate if you are not in the room with them. However, we want your child to feel comfortable knowing that you are near, so let them know that you are ‘right outside’. If at any point your child decides they need you, the teacher or class assistant will come get you. Due to capacity limits, parents are not able to be inside the classroom with their dancer.

We prefer that parents of children in our PreSchool and Combo classes stay at the studio. If your child needs to use the restroom, or needs you for any reason, you are nearby to assist them. If you do need to leave the studio, please let the teacher know so that if an issue does arise, we can handle it accordingly.

Unfortunately, no matter how hard we try, our street shoes pick up dirt. Any dirt that comes into the dance studio is very rough on our dance floors, and ultimately on the dancers’ shoes.

No. Our advanced classes are open to all students who are at that level of ability. Members of our performing company do enroll in many of the advanced classes. Our schedule does include designated A.I.M. classes, which are the scheduled weekly rehearsals for that A.I.M. dance.

Absolutely! We encourage dancers who have missed a class to make-up their absence. Please contact the studio to arrange your make-up.

Multiple ballet classes each week help to prepare the body for the rigorous strength that Pointe work requires. No other class develops the legs, ankles, and feet for Pointe work. Pointe work is not for the recreational dancer, but is for the more serious student, who enjoys the process of ballet. Pointe work is the culmination of a slow, methodical training of the entire body.

Recital

Q: Do the students have the opportunity to practice before the Recital?

After practicing the Recital choreography in class, we have a dress rehearsal at the studio about a month before the Recital. At the studio rehearsal, in addition to practicing their dances in show order, class photographs are taken (picture forms will be made available at that time). A second dress rehearsal at Ruth Eckerd Hall occurs the week of the Recital. These rehearsals are closed (no observation).

At first, dance Recital with a studio can be overwhelming. Closer to Recital, we email each dancer/parent a detailed pamphlet regarding the dress rehearsals as well as the Recital. This Recital Information Pamphlet will also be available on our website and posted at the studio. If at any point you have questions or concerns, please contact the studio.

All dancers are required to wear some makeup for the Recital. The stage lights ‘wash-out’ the students faces, and makeup helps enhance definition and facial features while under the bright lights. The amount of makeup varies depending on the age of your dancer. Please refer to the Recital Information Pamphlet for details regarding this year’s makeup requirements.

The Ruth Eckerd Hall box office opens at 10:00am. There are some “die hard fans” who arrive early to purchase their tickets. If you want to be in the center of the theater and no further than 20 rows back, you might want to be there early. However, please know that Ruth Eckerd Hall is a fabulous venue as every seat has a clear view of the stage.

Q: If I am already in A.I.M., do I have to audition again?

Yes, dancers must re-audition for A.I.M. each year. The audition process gives us a chance to see how all dancers will work together as a group, and helps to prepare students for auditions (“interviews”) that they will experience later in life.

Q: How do I know if I am ready to participate in A.I.M.?

The A.I.M. audition is only one small part of the process of becoming an A.I.M. Company Member. There are many factors taken into consideration when auditioning for the Company. The way you take class tells us a lot about you as a prospective A.I.M. Member. The ideal A.I.M. candidate enjoys their weekly technique classes, is present not only physically, but mentally in each class and responds well to corrections and works to apply them consistently. We seek dancers who have good attendance and who show up to class prepared (appropriately dressed, ready to work, and eager to learn). A.I.M. dancers should collaborate well with others, and should be interested in being a part of a team, rather than focused on only themselves and their performance alone. We expect A.I.M. dancers to work to their fullest ability in every class and rehearsal, and always be striving to better their technique and performance abilities. They should be cooperative, reliable, and positive role models and mentors for other students at the studio. For further information on what is required of dancers who are accepted into A.I.M. (and their parents), please see our current by-laws.