REGISTRATION
Class sizes are limited. Therefore, registration will be accepted on a first come, first served basis. Once you are registered for a class, a place is reserved for you. Please notify DAC immediately if it becomes necessary to change or drop a class since your held spot may prevent another student from joining the class.
TUITION AND FEES
Because a position in class is reserved for each student regardless of attendance or absenteeism, tuition fees are non-refundable. The Delaware Arts Conservatory does not offer deductions or credits for missed or discontinued classes.
One month’s tuition is due at the time of registration. Tuition payments are based on the total number of hours of class enrollment, with each class meeting 36 times per year. As each month has the potential for a different number of classes (i.e. December may only have 3 due to holiday break while another month may have 5), the tuition for 36 classes is divided into 10 equal payments. This includes recital rehearsal and performance time. For example, a student taking one hour of class per week pays $59/month, which is $590 for the year, based on 10 payments. This breaks down to about $15/class. The more classes a student takes, the cost for each individual class decreases.
All tuition fees for the rest of the year (September - May) are due by the 1st of each month. If tuition fees are not received by the 5th of each month, a late fee of $15.00 will be applied to your account. If monthly payments are in arrears for more than 20 days, a late fee of $25.00 will be applied to your account. Students will be withheld from all classes until the account is made current if the account is in arrears for more than 60 days.
There is an annual one-time non-refundable registration fee of $30.00 per student and $15.00 for each additional student per family, due at the time of registration. After January 1st, the registration fees through May 2011 are $20.00 per student and $10.00 for each additional student per family, due at the time of registration. Registration fees for our Summer Stage program are separate.
Current acceptable forms of payment are cash, personal or bank check, Visa, MasterCard, and Discover. Automatic recurring monthly payments for credit cards are available.
Should a credit card transaction be declined for any reason, a service fee of $30.00 will be assessed. To ensure non-interruption of classes, this $30.00 service fee and any past due tuition must be paid upon receipt of this notice. Should a credit card transaction be declined for a second time, participation in the automatic monthly credit card payments plan will be terminated. If this occurs, to ensure non-interruption of classes, a service fee of $30.00 and any past due tuition must be paid by cash or check. All future tuition payments must be made by cash or check.
If any credit card information should change for any reason, DAC should be notified and provided with updated payment information immediately so that classes can continue without interruption.
A fee of $30.00 will be assessed for all returned checks.
Please make all checks payable to: Delaware Arts Conservatory.
Credit card charges will only be accepted on amounts over $20.
The Delaware Arts Conservatory DOES NOT REQUIRE STUDIO FUNDRAISING.
Should it become necessary to suspend or discontinue classes for any reason, you must notify DAC in writing with 2 weeks notice. You are financially responsible for those two weeks worth of tuition payments from the date such notification is received. Should you choose to enroll yourself / your child(ren) again at the Delaware Arts Conservatory after discontinuing classes, you will be required to pay a new non-refundable registration fee of $30.00 due at the time of registration ($20.00 after January 1st).
Should it become necessary to suspend or discontinue classes due to medical circumstances, you must notify DAC in writing and must provide an official Physician's note. You will not be responsible for any further tuition payments from the date DAC receives your written notice and Physician's note. When it is medically appropriate for the student to return to class, tuition payments will begin again at the start of the next month with classes prior to that being billed at the per hour rate. In order to return to class, a written medical release from the treating physician must be presented. This will be kept on file.
The last day to withdraw from classes for the regular dance season (August - June) is April 30. Withdrawing past this date does not entitle the family to a June tuition refund. Students who withdraw from classes prior to the completion of the season will not be eligible for promotion.
For Summer Stage programs, a minimum of 50% of the total amount and a non-refundable $25.00 registration fee are due at the time of Summer Stage registration. The balance is due on or before the Summer Stage start date. If payment is not received by this date, the participant will be removed from the enrollment list and the non-refundable registration fee will be forfeited.
ATTENDANCE & PROMOTION
It is important to be punctual and attend class on a regular basis. Missed classes or inconsistent attendance interferes with the learning process. No deductions or refunds will be made for missed classes.
DAC is committed to your child and we ask that you, the parent(s), be committed to getting your child(ren) to class. Commitments made for other activities that conflict with scheduled classes will affect promotion and can result in removal from the current level of study.
Missed classes must be made up within 4 weeks of the absence at the same or lower level, or prior to the missed class if you know you will be absent in advance.
If a student arrives to a class 15 minutes late it will be considered an absence.
Each student is allowed to miss up to 6 classes per year without penalty. If any student misses more than 6 classes and does not make up those additional classes, they will not be eligible for promotion.
Students who withdraw from classes prior to the completion of the season will not be eligible for promotion.
All make-up classes must be in the same discipline. For example, if a student misses a tap class, that student must make up that class in another tap class unless only one class level is offered in that discipline. In this instance, an alternate class attendance can be substituted with instructor approval.
Ballet students are required to take ballet over the summer. If students do not take ballet over the summer, promotion to the next level will be lost and a re-evaluation for placement will take place during the first two weeks of fall.
Students in all advanced level classes must be enrolled in Ballet E or higher. While helpful and recommended, this does not apply to advanced tap.
For the recital / end of year performance(s), students may not miss more than 2 classes after April 1. This is due to the need for consistency and out of fairness to the other dancers in the class. If a student misses more than 2 classes during the rehearsal process, they may be removed from the piece. DAC will make an exception if the absence is due to a mandatory school commitment and DAC is given ample notice of this commitment. In this case, a letter from the school and / or teacher must be presented to DAC on the school letterhead for the student to be excused from class without repercussion.
LOST AND FOUND
Any items left at DAC will be put in a "Lost and Found" bin. All unclaimed items will be held for a reasonable amount of time and then donated to a charity.
DRESS CODE
BALLET - Black leotard and pink tights. Students in the highest level of ballet ONLY may choose the style / color of their leotard. Dance shorts (fitted, black only) may be worn. Dance skirts are acceptable in pointe class only. Hair must be in bun or, for shorter hair, pulled back from the face and fastened. Long bangs (side bangs) must also be pulled off the face. Pink ballet shoes.
JAZZ / MUSICAL THEATRE - Black leotard and tights or jazz pants. Dance shorts are optional. Hair should be worn in a bun or pony tail with all pieces out of the face. Black jazz shoes, sneakers, and/or character shoes.
MODERN / LYRICAL / CONTEMPORARY - Black leotard and footless or convertible tights. Hair should be worn in a bun or pony tail with all pieces out of the face. Dance Paws or Foot Thongs for lyrical. Modern is barefoot.
TAP - Black tap shoes (no split-soles) and comfortable dance or athletic attire. No jeans of any kind or school clothes. Pants must not cover the feet. Capri length is appropriate. Younger level tap classes (Tot Dance, KinderCombo, Tap A and B) should wear Mary Jane-style shoes. No patent leather.
HIP HOP - Form-fitting top (tank, baby doll t-shirts, etc.) and jazz pants or capris. Hair should be worn so that it is out of the face. Dedicated jazz sneakers and knee pads.
CORE CARDIO - Comfortable fitness attire is required. No street shoes are allowed in the studio.
KINDERCOMBO & TOT DANCE - Black leotard, pink tights. Pink ballet shoes, black mary-jane style tap shoes (no patent leather). *Please make sure taps are screwed on to the shoe, not nailed, so as to minimize the amount of aluminum residue left on the floor from inferior taps.
ART & MUSIC CLASSES - Comfortable, age-appropriate clothing. The “best of” collection from a closet would not be the best option for students taking photography, painting, and / or drawing classes. Old shirts or smocks are recommended.
One dress code infraction will result in a warning. A second infraction will result in the student sitting and observing class. If a student gets a third dress code infraction, they will be asked to wait in the lobby for the remainder of the class.
Street shoes are not allowed in any of the dance studios at any time and dance shoes are not allowed to be worn on outdoor surfaces and then on our dance floors. Oils and dirt from outdoor surfaces will cling to the shoes and result in damage to our dance studio floor.
INCLEMENT WEATHER
Announcements regarding studio closings due to inclement weather will be posted on the DAC website, sent in an e-mail, and a message will be left on the studio answering machine by 2:00PM. Classes will not be rescheduled due to inclement weather.
Missed classes must be made up within 4 weeks of the absence at the same or lower level, or prior to the missed class if you know you will be absent in advance.
Each student is allowed to miss up to 6 classes per year without penalty. If any student misses more than 6 classes and does not make up those additional classes, they will not be eligible for promotion.
All make-up classes must be in the same discipline. For example, if a student misses a tap class, that student must make up that class in another tap class unless only one class level is offered in that discipline. In this instance, an alternate class attendance can be substituted with instructor approval. Please refer to the make-up policy to reschedule any classes missed.
GENERAL
The Delaware Arts Conservatory is a place to learn, concentrate, and work hard. Students are expected to listen attentively in class and, along with guests, display good behavior and have respect in and out of class. Running, talking loudly and / or yelling, and roughhousing are not permitted.
Student use of cellular telephones, iPod Touches, and similar devices during class is strictly prohibited. Students are more than welcome to bring their devices with them into class but they must be turned OFF, not muted. When phones vibrate and light up, they distract the students and the teacher. Parents and / or legal guardians can always leave a message or get in touch with a student immediately by calling DelArts at 302.595.4160.
Should a student vandalize anyone’s personal property or the DAC facility, the parent(s) or legal guardian(s) will be held responsible for all cleaning, repairs, and / or replacement costs for said property. The student(s) will be withheld from all classes until these costs are paid for in full.
Parents should walk their child/children to and from the facility. Should parents choose not to do this, DAC accepts no responsibility or liability for students left unattended or for students leaving the building. Children must be picked up promptly after their last class has ended. Should a parent or guardian show up more than 15 minutes after the last class has ended for the day, an aftercare fee of $15.00 will be added to your account.
Students who are dropped off at DAC are not allowed to arrive at the facility more than 30 minutes prior to their class due to liability concerns.
Students will be placed in classes with respect to proficiency. Placement will be made by the instructors and these decisions are to be respected.
DAC reserves the right to cancel a class if enrollment does not justify the holding of the initial session or any further sessions. If DAC should cancel a class, students may choose another class at or below the same level or receive a full refund for the cancelled class.
We are proud to provide a clean and safe facility for our students, staff, and guests. With this in mind, food, beverages, and gum are not permitted in any of the classes/studios at any time with the exception of water that is in a container with a lid. It is requested that when eating around other people in the lobby area, consideration is given to those who have food allergies.
No member of the Delaware Arts Conservatory is permitted to administer medication of any kind to any students at any time and for any reason. Only a parent or legal guardian can administer medication while on premises.
Parents will conduct themselves with professionalism at all times, at all DelArts associated events. Anyone acting unprofessionally at any time for any reason, whether it be at DelArts, outside of DelArts, at a competition, in the audience of a performance, in the dressing rooms, or at any other location, will be asked to leave with their child(ren), and will not be a part of the DelArts program.
Gossiping and complaining on DelArts property is childish and is not allowed at any time. If you have concerns or problems, please address them by scheduling a meeting with the teacher and/or owners, not by discussing it with your fellow parents. Parents on the receiving end must help to put a stop to this behavior. Any parent expressing continued negativity to any parent or DelArts member will be asked to leave.
Verbal or physical abuse of any DelArts staff or faculty member, student, or other parent will not be tolerated and can result in immediate dismissal.
Parents MAY NOT “grab” a teacher between classes. If you would like to schedule a meeting with a teacher, please leave a note at the front desk and that teacher will call you to set a meeting around their teaching schedule.
Parents are expected to stay in the lobby and may not go past the lobby door into any of the back hallways, office, dance studios, art room, etc. unless invited by a faculty or staff member.
Stealing and/or disrespect of other people’s belongings will not be tolerated.
The Delaware Arts Conservatory reserves the right to refuse service to anyone.
The Delaware Arts Conservatory reserves the right to photograph and video record any classes and DAC events. These photographs and video recordings may be used either in part or in full in publicity and promotional campaigns with no compensation owed to those photographed or video recorded.
The Delaware Arts Conservatory reserves the right, at it’s sole discretion, to change, modify, suspend, add or remove any part or parts of it’s policies, at any time, without prior notice as business, legislation, and / or economic conditions dictate. It is your responsibility to check these policies periodically for changes on the DAC website (www.delarts.com). Your continued patronage following the posting of any changes constitutes acceptance and agreement to the changes.