Policies: 2019/2020 Season

Online Registration

By registering with Innovative Rhythm Dance Studios (whether online or in person), you have acknowledged and accepted understanding of Innovative Rhythm Dance Studios policies as outlined in this brochure.

Waiver and Photo Release

We will do our best to ensure the safety of the dancers and their guardians. Due to the physical nature of dance, Innovative Rhythm (hereinafter called “IR Dance”) as a whole will not be held responsible for any injuries that may occur inside or outside the premises. The waiver must be signed or accepted online before classes begin.

By signing the waiver, it includes the Photo and Video Release which means that you agree to the use of images of you or your child by IR Dance on the IR Dance website, social media pages, in brochures or in other promotional materials. No identifying information will be included.

Class Fees

Class fees are divided into three payment installments.  The first installment is due upon registration, the second November 11, 2019 and the third January 27th, 2020.  There are two payment options: 1) Pre-authorized credit card payment or 2) Submitting post-dated cheques for the year.

Registration Fee

There will be a non-refundable registration fee of $25.00 per student registering at IR Dance for the 2019-2020 season.  This fee will be added to your first installment.

Cancellation and Refund Policy

Should you cancel your registration you will receive your tuition back minus the following:

$25.00 non- refundable admin fee (pd upon registration)

*$25.00 cancellation fee/ per class

classes taken up until notice of discontinuation

*If you have discontinued a class but are still taking other classes at IR the cancellation is $10.00 per class.

After November 4, 2019 - We consider your family committed to the remainder of the dance season.  Should you discontinue classes after this date, no refunds will be granted.  No future tuition installments will be processed after you drop.

If you can not participate in the recital, you can dance up until the December holiday break.  No refunds will be granted for the remainder of installment 2 as performance is part of our program and it is with the understanding that upon registration you will be participating in the recital.

Due to Injury

Refunds/credits will be decided on a case-by-case basis. General guidelines: If a dancer has a serious injury (e.g. broken foot) which prevents them from continuing for the rest of the year, a refund will be granted from the day we are notified. If a lesser injury occurs (e.g. sprained wrist) no refunds will be granted as we encourage the dancer to attend and observe until the injury is healed. Even when a dancer can not fully participate, it is recommended they continue to attend and observe if they intend to start again after healed so that they are able to pick up more easily.

Kinder 1 & 2 Only

Kinder 1 & 2 Only - Because Kinder classes do not perform in the year-end recital, we can accept registrations until February 1, provided there is space in the class.  Kinder families have the first 3 weeks of enrolment to choose if they will continue.  Should you discontinue, a refund will be granted minus your $25.00 non-refundable admin fee, and pro-rated based on the dates of enrolment until drop.

Costume Fees

All students in Primary and up will purchase a costume for each class they are enrolled in for the 2019-2020 season.  Costume fees range from $85.00-$145.00 per costume.  A  new pair of tights will be included with your costume.  A Deposit of $60.00 per student per class is due in November.  The deposit is non-refundable.  The balance is due in February.  Any outstanding fees must be paid in FULL before costumes will be released.  Students in levels Junior 3/Level 3 and up will also be required to purchase a t-shirt for the Recital Finale.  The t-shirt fee of $25.00 will be added to the costume balance. Costumes are ordered as of November 4.  If you choose to cancel classes after this date, you will be responsible for the cost of the costume as it is not possible to cancel costume orders.  The costume will be yours to keep.

Late Payments

A $3 per week fee applies to all late payments for all fee categories.

NSF Cheques

A $25 fee applies to all cheques returned NSF. The replacement payment must be in the form of cash, debit, Visa or Mastercard.

Cancelled Classes

We reserve the right to cancel a class due to low enrolment. You will be given a full refund for any cancelled classes due to this reason.

Right to Refusal

Innovative Rhythm Studios Inc. is a privately owned studio and reserves the right to refuse admission.

Social Media

Students are expected to maintain integrity when posting online.  Innovative Rhythm has a Zero Tolerance Policy for bullying of any sorts and that includes online.  Any students who slander any other students or the studio either online or in person will be dismissed immediately.

Discounts

Early Bird Discount - Current Students registering by May 17th will qualify for the Early Bird Discount of $25.00.  This discount will appear on your account by not showing the $25.00 registration fee.

New students registering by June 28th will qualify for the Early Bird Discount of $25.00, provided the Promo Code NewEarly2019 is entered upon registration, or it is requested when registering in person.

Multi-Class Discount - For students taking more than one class, you will receive $5.00 off each tuition instalment of each additional class.  The Multi-Class Discount does not apply towards summer camps,  or workshops.

Refer-A-Friend Discount - As a thank you, we offer a $5.00 discount for each new student who joins IR Dance due to your recommendation.  The discount will be applied to your account for the second tuition instalment.  Be sure to tell your friends to list your name when asked how they heard about us on their registration.

Family Discount - Every 5th class is free (2019-2020 dance classes only).  The Family Discount does not apply towards our Aerial Silks classes, summer camps, or workshops.

Newsletters and Studio Announcements

All newsletters and information sheets are always available on our online bulletin board at www.irdance.ca/news.  We do 95% of our correspondence by email.  Please make sure that info@irdance.ca is on your safe list so the newsletters don’t go to your junk mail folder.  It is important that you read these messages as they contain vital information regarding the studio.  If you do not hear from us, please verify that we have the correct email address on file.

Lost Property

IRDance cannot be held responsible for lost property and cannot send emails to our contact list regarding misplaced items.  We have a lost & found bin in the studio lobby.  We recommend labeling all personal items.  We have lockers in the dressing room and dancers may sign up to rent a locker to store valuables and personal items.

Studio Store,/h3>

We have dance shoes, dance wear and team clothing for sale. If you would like to purchase something, please speak with our staff. Exchange or refund within 14 days of purchase on any unused merchandise.

Inclement Weather

On occasion, classes may be cancelled due to poor weather conditions or circumstances beyond our control (e.g. extended power outage). We will do our best to contact you in advance, but if you are in doubt, please call the studio. A message on our voicemail will let you know if classes are cancelled. We are unable to offer refunds or make up classes for the ones cancelled due to circumstances we can not control. We offer extra rehearsals at the end of the year at no charge to make up for any cancelled classes.

Attendance and Punctuality

Consistent attendance enhances the dance experience and allows the individual dancer to feel confident in knowing their class work.  Dance is a team sport and therefore poor attendance on the part of an individual affects the whole group.

Please be on time.  If you are more than 10 minutes late, the dancer may be asked to sit out due to safety reasons. If a student misses three classes in a row, we will call or email to discuss our concerns.  If four classes are missed in a row, if we feel the overall number of missed classes is too high, or if consistent lateness is a problem, we reserve the right to ask the student to discontinue.  In these circumstances, refunds will not be granted.  If you expect to miss a class due to illness or conflicts, please phone or email the studio.

Private Classes

Generally we do not run private classes as the studio schedule does not allow for it. We cannot run private classes as an alternate to regular class work and attendance.

We will run private classes in the following situations: students/parents may request assistance in preparing auditions for art schools, students in the Dance Company Program may be invited to do competitive solos, staff may recommend that privates are necessary to continue dancing at advanced levels.

Year End Show

Every student in Primary and up participates in our year end spring recital. Choreography begins in January.  Students unable to participate in the recital will dance up until the December holiday break.  No tuition refunds will be given for the rest of instalment 2.  If we are not notified by November 4 that you can not participate in the show, a costume will be ordered for your dancer and you will be responsible for the cost.

All information regarding the recital will be emailed to you.  Parents, friends and family are welcome to purchase tickets.  The recital is generally held the weekend after the long weekend in May.

Kinder 1 and Kinder 2 students will conclude the dance season with an in-class presentation held at the studio.

Combo classes will perform one discipline in the recital and the other discipline will be showcased in an in-class presentation at the studio at the end of the year.

Silks classes will have a separate showcase at the end of April at a different theatre. Costume and ticket fees apply.

The Production Silks class only performs in the May Recital.

Awards

Every year during the final week of classes we hand out the Dedicated Dancer Award.  If you attend every class from September to May, including Photos and Rehearsal Days, you will receive one of these awards.  Any missed class, regardless of the reason, is considered an absence.  Most often when students miss class it is for a “good” reason.  Because we can not differentiate between “good” and “bad” absences, the award is given based simply on if the student is in attendance or not.   We have the Dedicated Dancer Award so that every student, regardless of age, experience or technical ability, has the opportunity to receive an award.  We want to encourage our students and awards are a fun way to reward their hard work and dedication!  Awards presented at the recital include Star Performer, Leadership Award and Awards in each discipline.

Class Attire

Students must come to class in the appropriate attire. Failure to do so will result in a notice to the parents and if it continues to occur, that dancer will be asked to sit out until the proper attire is worn. Hair must be up, as well as no gum, jewelry or bare legs. See the Dress Code section for guidelines.

Vendors

No parent or student shall contact any of our vendors directly. This includes, but is not exclusive to, conventions, competitions, costume companies. (The only exception is photos ordered directly from the photography company).  If you have questions or concerns please come see us directly and we will be happy to assist you.

Dress Code

Students must come to class in the proper attire. Failure to do so will result in a notice to the parents, and if it continues to occur that dancer will be asked to sit out until the proper attire is worn. Hair must be up for all classes, as well as no gum, jewelry or bare legs. Please see the following guidelines:

Jazz

Bodysuit of any colour, dance shorts with tights, black slip on jazz shoes (no laces).

Tap

Bodysuit of any colour, dance shorts with tights in any color, black tap shoes (NO PATENT LEATHER PLEASE). Junior 3 and up: black lace up leather tap shoes. A dance journal is also required.

Ballet

Navy bodysuit, pink ballet tights, pink leather ballet shoes. Junior 3 and Up: pink split-sole leather ballet shoes and hair in a bun.

Acro

Tank style bodysuit of any colour, capri-length leggings, bare feet, hair in a bun.

Aerial Silks

Black tank style bodysuit, black capri-length leggings, bare feet, hair in a bun.

Hip-Hop (girls and boys)

Baggy sweats or dance pants, t-shirt or tank top, clean indoor running shoes/sneakers for Junior 1 and 2. Junior 3 and up: black hip-hop high-top sneakers by Love Pastry (Product Code: PK153105)

Kinderdance and Primary Classes

Bodysuit of any colour, ballet pink tights, pink ballet shoes. NO SKIRTS PLEASE (as they are a distraction for the young ones.)

Junior 1 Combo Jazz/Ballet

Navy bodysuit, pink ballet tights, pink leather ballet shoes, black slip on jazz shoes.(Dance shorts optional for jazz).

Junior 1 Combo Tap/Ballet

Navy bodysuit, pink ballet tights, pink leather ballet shoes, black slip-on or velcro tap shoes (NO PATENT LEATHER PLEASE). Dance shorts optional for tap.

Junior 1 Combo Hip-Hop/Ballet

Navy bodysuit, pink ballet tights, pink leather ballet shoes, track pants and clean indoor runners.

Junior 1 Combo Acro/Ballet

Navy bodysuit, pink ballet transition tights, pink leather ballet shoes, dance shorts or capri length leggings optional (for acro), hair in a bun.

Musical Theatre

Bodysuit of any colour, dance shorts with tights, black slip on jazz shoes. A three ring binder/Duotang is also required.

Lyrical

Bodysuit of any colour, dance shorts, footless/transition tights in any color, foot undeez.Boys (all disciplines other than hip-hop) Black dance pants, white or black t-shirt, black shoes appropriate for that discipline.

Pre-Company/Company Classes

Please refer to Company Contract/Pre-Company Invitation letter.All of these items are available at the Studio Store.

If taking back-to-back classes, dress code always defers to the ballet look.SPECIAL NOTE FOR COMBO CLASSES: In order to make the transition from class to class efficient, please buy your dancer shoes with no laces. There are slip on jazz and tap shoes available.

We thank you for your cooperation in adhering to theses policies. We look forward to another great year!