DANCE POLICIES - 1
Registration/ Membership Fee
A non-refundable fee of $40 per student is required yearly at time of registration.
Tuition Fees and Payments
- Regular Season tuition rates are for the full season (including breaks and holidays) from September through our Spring Performance typically hosted in June. A full season of dance includes a minimum of 28 lessons.
- This annual tuition fee is paid in 10 installments for your convenience (or annually at registration if desired). Installment #10 is paid at registration and will serve as the June 2021 installment. This installment is non-refundable.
- After registering (paying for the June 2021 installment and your registration/ membership fee), the remaining 9 monthly installments (September-May) must be paid by automatic credit card payment. Tuition will be charged to your credit card on the 1st day of each month (September-May).
- Tuition for session-based classes such as January session classes, minimesters, and summer session classes must be paid in full at the time of registration.
Recital Costume Fees
- Costume fees for the year-end dance recital will be charged to your account on November 15.
- No costume fees will be refunded after this date even if a student withdraws from the school, however the costume will be sent to your home by June 30.
- Costumes cannot be returned or exchanged.
- Costumes are not required for January, minimester, or Summer classes, therefore, there is no costume fee for students registering for these sessions.
Collections fee for declined charges
- If your credit or debit card declines 3 times, we will assess a $25 collections charge to your account and $5 for each additional declined charge thereafter (declines due to fraud or stolen cards are exempt). Furthermore, you authorize us to automatically charge your account electronically for the collections charge as well as the delinquent tuition amount once funds are available.
- Accounts more than 60 days past due may be submitted to professional collection services.
Withdrawal and Refunds
- There is a two-month minimum for all dance classes.
- In order to discontinue classes or lessons, you must 1) notify the school office (not the teacher) and 2) fill out a withdrawal form. Withdrawal must be done in person and will not be accepted by any other means.
- No withdrawals will be accepted during the first month of classes or after April 1.
- If the withdrawal form is signed WITHIN the first 14 days of the month, all future automatic payments will stop, with the current month's payment considered to be the final automatic installment.
- If notification is given AFTER the first 14 days of the month, the next automatic payment will be processed and be considered the final automatic installment.
- Farmington Valley Dance & Music reserves the right to terminate lessons to any student without notice. In such a case a refund for unused lessons will be given.
- There are no refunds or credits due to holiday, vacation, illness, weather, etc.
- There are no refunds for session based programs.
Refunds and Credits
- Tuition, Registration/ Membership fees, and costume fees are not refundable for any reason. Refunds are only issued when FVDM cancels a class for low enrollment.
- Account credit will be issued when the student or parent initiates the schedule change. Credit will be applied to any FVDM tuition or fees due within one year.
Private Lesson Cancellation Policy
- All private dance lessons canceled with more than 24 hours notice will receive an account credit. No-show lessons or lessons canceled with less than 24 hours notice will be charged the full amount.
I have carefully read and understand the terms and conditions of this Section.
DANCE POLICIES -2
Bad Weather, Rescheduling, Teacher and Class Substitution
- You are guaranteed to receive 28 lessons from September to the end of the school year (May or June). The actual number of classes scheduled varies between 30 and 34, and is dictated by the date we are able to obtain the facility for our annual spring performance.
- Unless the total number of lessons for the year fall below 28, there will be no make ups for group dance classes in the event the school must cancel classes for any reason, including inclement weather, power outages and teacher absence.
- Cancellation notifications are distributed through our bulk SMS broadcast list at least one hour before the first class to be canceled for the day.
- FVDM reserves the right to reschedule or combine classes.
- FVDM reserves the right to provide a substitute or replacement teacher as FVDM may deem necessary.
- FVDM reserves the right to deliver class content via an online system in the event that classes are not able to be conducted live for any reason, including governmental advisory.
- January session dance students are guaranteed 13 lessons from January to the end of the session with 2 built in snow days. Make-ups will be given for weather cancellations if the number of classes offered fall below 13.
Attendance and Lateness
- Regular attendance is vital to student progress and group choreography. A minimum attendance level will be required.
- Dancers that miss more than 2 of the last 8 classes before the recital may be dismissed from participating in the recital routine at the discretion of the teacher.
Dance Dress Code
- Required dancewear and dance shoes must be worn to all classes and must be in good condition. Failure to wear required dancewear to class could result in students being asked to sit and observe the class. Repeated failure to wear required dancewear could result in termination of lessons.
- Students are not permitted to wear street clothes or street shoes to any dance class, including hip hop classes.
- For safety reasons dancers must remove all jewelry before participating in classes.
- Specific dress requirements will be given at the time of registration.
Care of Students
- The school is not responsible for providing before or after class care for students. Students are not to be left at the school for excessive time before or after class.
Safer Studio Policy
FVDM requires all staff and students to stay home when they are ill. In order to reduce community spread of Coronavirus, we follow best practices and recommendations from our local health department and from our industry association, More Than Just Great Dancing!®. FVDM understands that unlike older children and adults, young children cannot be expected to maintain social distancing at all times. Therefore FVDM focuses on a hierarchy of measures beginning with keeping ill people home, followed by frequent hand cleaning and good hygiene practices, amplified cleaning, and curricular and facility adaptations to minimize contact and mingling where possible. All studio classes are backed by an online learning platform. In the event a class is unable to be held at the studio for an extended period of time, classes will convert to an online learning platform until in-studio classes can resume.
Continuous Parent Communication System
FVDM uses a "green, yellow, red" system of continuous parent communicating regarding the status of classes which can be found in the top right-hand corner of our website. Green indicates to attend face-to-face classes as usual. Yellow indicates a cautionary change to service delivery, so please check your email. Red indicates clients should stay home and attend class online.
Special Communication
FVDM works to keep you informed and up to date on regular studio happenings: through our Seasonal Newsletter, Email, and Lobby Communication Center. We are happy to answer any questions you may have regarding your dancer or our programs. Let us know if we can help you in any way!
Security, Lost & Found
- Security cameras are located in public areas for safety and security. FVDM does not make security or video data available to students or parents.
- FVDM is not responsible for any lost or stolen items. Please do not leave belongings unattended.
- Unclaimed items will be donated to chairity each month. Please look after your things.
Dance Rehearsal and Performance
- We end our season with our Spring Recital. There is no fee to participate.
- Participation in the recital is encouraged, but not required.
- Students that choose to perform are required to perform in as few or as many performances their class is scheduled to participate.
- The Spring Recital will be held either in May or June depending on local theater availability.
- Spring Recital and mandatory dress rehearsal dates will be tentatively published in February or March.
- Students that are absent from the dress rehearsal may be dismissed from participating in the recital.
- Students enrolled in January classes will present a brief performance in the last 10 minutes of the last class of the session. Attendance is encouraged for this performance, but not required.
I have carefully read and understand the terms and conditions of this Section.
MUSIC POLICIES
Registration/ Membership Fee
A non-refundable yearly administrative fee of $40 per student is required.
Tuition
All payments are processed by pre-authorized credit card charge on the first of the month. Private lesson tuition ($152 per month for weekly 30 minute sessions) is never prorated for missed lessons.
Average of Four Lessons Per Month
Monthly tuition is based on a 48-week year. We are closed four weeks for holidays. In the long months, you will get five lessons, short months such as November and December, you will get three lessons, and most months you will get four lessons. The tuition is the SAME each month; i.e. we don't charge you more when you have five lessons, and we don't charge you less when you have three lessons in a month. This makes everyone's accounting easier.
Collections Fee for Declined Charges
If your credit or debit card declines 3 times, we will assess a $25 collections charge to your account and $5 for each additional declined charge thereafter (declines due to fraud or stolen cards are exempt). Furthermore, you authorize us to automatically charge your account electronically for the collections charge as well as the delinquent tuition amount once funds are available.
Accounts more than 60 days past due may be submitted to professional collection services.
Cancellations, substitution and Makeups
- Cancellation notifications are distributed through our bulk SMS broadcast list at least one hour before the first class to be canceled for the day.
- FVDM reserves the right to provide a substitute or replacement teacher as FVDM may deem necessary.
- For any lessons missed by a teacher, FVDM will attempt to provide a substitute teacher during the regularly scheduled lesson time. If a sub is unavailable, a private makeup lesson will be scheduled.
- For any lesson missed by a student, we do not give make-up lessons. The lesson will continue during the regularly scheduled day and time. We will send a digital copy of the lesson work to your email which may include audio, video and document files.
- FVDM reserves the right to reschedule lessons.
- FVDM reserves the right to deliver class content via an online system in the event that classes are not able to be conducted live for any reason, including governmental advisory.
Summer Vacation
FVDM operates year round and does not close for the summer. If you go on vacation and will miss lessons during the summer, your payment is still due in full on the first of the month to reserve your lesson space.
Open Door Policy
Parents are always allowed to sit in on lessons. We have an open door policy for lessons.
Care Of Students/ Picking Up
- The school is not responsible for providing before or after care for students.
- Students are not to be left at the school for excessive time periods before or after their lessons.
- Children must wait for their parents to pick them up inside the school.
- FVDM assumes no responsibility for children who leave unaccompanied.
Discontinuing Lessons
- In order to discontinue classes or lessons, you must 1) notify the school office (not the teacher) and 2) fill out a withdrawal form. Withdrawal must be done in person and will not be accepted by any other means.
- If the withdrawal form is signed WITHIN the first 14 days of the month, all future automatic payments will stop, with the current month's payment considered to be the final automatic installment.
- If notification is given AFTER the first 14 days of the month, the next automatic payment will be processed and be considered the final automatic installment.
Farmington Valley Dance & Music reserves the right to terminate lessons to any student without notice. In such a case a refund for unused lessons will be given.
- We do not prorate tuition for the last month's lessons.
- Students will be responsible for their last month's tuition whether or not they attend lessons.
Safer Studio Policy
FVDM requires all staff and students to stay home when they are ill. In order to reduce community spread of Coronavirus, we follow best practices and recommendations from our local health department and from our industry association, More Than Just Great Dancing!®. FVDM understands that unlike older children and adults, young children cannot be expected to maintain social distancing at all times. Therefore FVDM focuses on a hierarchy of measures beginning with keeping ill people home, followed by frequent hand cleaning and good hygiene practices, amplified cleaning, and curricular and facility adaptations to minimize contact and mingling where possible. All private music lessons are backed by an online learning platform. In the event lessons are unable to be held at the studio for an extended period of time, classes will convert to an online learning platform until in-studio lessons can resume.
Continuous Parent Communication System
FVDM uses a "green, yellow, red" system of continuous parent communicating regarding the status of classes which can be found in the top right-hand corner of our website. Green indicates to attend face-to-face classes as usual. Yellow indicates a cautionary change to service delivery, so please check your email. Red indicates clients should stay home and attend class online.
Special Communication
FVDM works to keep you informed and up to date on regular studio happenings: through our Seasonal Newsletter, Email, and Lobby Communication Center. We are happy to answer any questions you may have regarding your musician or our programs. Let us know if we can help you in any way!
I have carefully read and understand the terms and conditions of this Section.
Release of Liability
- I have read and agree to abide by Farmington Valley Dance & Music, LLC's (herein FVDM) policies regarding tuition, registration/membership fees, service delivery, collection charges, refunds, costumes fees, attendance, and dance attire.
- I understand that FVDM reserves the right to refuse instruction to anyone not abiding by FVDM policies.
- I understand that FVDM reserves the right to cancel a class if enrollment falls below four students and to convert a traditional group class to a semi-private class if enrollment falls below eight students per class.
- I understand that FVDM is not responsible for lost items, stolen items, or unclaimed merchandise.
- I understand that participation in a dance program involves risk of possible injury and/or illness. I understand that FVDM and its staff will not be held responsible for injuries or illness sustained in class, in rehearsals, while performing, or traveling to or from its facilities
- I understand that I assume full financial responsibility for risks of personal and bodily injury and/or illness that may be sustained in class, while performing, or traveling to or its facilities.
- I have and will maintain, at my expense, sufficient health insurance and other types of medical payments to cover the cost of any personal and bodily injury and/or illness may be sustained in class, in rehearsals, while performing, or traveling to or from its facilities.
- I release FVDM and its managers, instructors, employees, agents, associations, related companies, successors and assigns, from liability for all personal and bodily injury and/or illness that may be sustained in class, in rehearsals, while performing, or traveling to or from its facilities. I specifically intend this release to include all claims that my child and I might have based on actual or alleged negligent supervision, instruction, training, and or facility care and cleaning.
- I authorize FVDM to secure any emergency medical treatment my child might need. I have carefully read and understand the terms and conditions of this Section.
Photo & Video Release
I grant Farmington Valley Dance and Music, LLC, irrevocable permission to use my child's image, name and visual likeness in all forms and media for advertising, trade, and any other lawful purpose. I agree that all right, title and interest in and to all such images and any reproductions or derivative works shall be the exclusive property of FVDM. Additionally, from time to time parents and students may opt to share videos, photos or other information on social media pages that may be used, hosted, created or referenced by FVDM. The party posting takes responsibility for all sharing or posting of such information and waives any claim against FVDM for the release of any protected information. If my child(ren) is under the age of 18 at the time of this agreement, the party signing makes this waiver on behalf of their child(ren) . I hereby release FVDM from all liability or legal responsibility that may arise from the acts that I have authorized or consented to herein. I agree that FVDM does not owe me any compensation for the acts that I have consented to in this Section.
I have carefully read and understand the terms and conditions of this Section.
Authorization
I hereby authorize Farmington Valley Dance & Music to keep my payment method on file and charge my credit card or bank account on an ongoing basis for lessons, any future incidental fees or increases or addition of lesson fees. Furthermore, I understand the following:
1. This authorization is valid until a withdrawal form is submitted in accordance with our studio policies.
2. There is a two month minimum for dance lessons (not music lessons which are month to month).
3. I need to contact the school if there are changes to my contact or payment information.
I have carefully read and understand the terms and conditions of this Section.
Electronic Signature Agreement
By selecting the "I Accept" checkbox, I am signing this agreement electronically. I agree this electronic signature is the legal equivalent of my manual signature on this agreement.
I have had sufficient opportunity to read this entire document. I have read and understood it, and I agree to be bound by its terms.