TABDC Parent Handbook

About this Handbook

Take a Bow Dance Center has been providing dance education since 2015. We believe that our success comes as a result of providing solid training and quality service, as well as our underlying belief in the strength of our organization. We have created this handbook to offer our students and their parents a clear understanding of their commitments and responsibility to the school.

Our Mission Statement

At Take a Bow Dance Center we take the time to get to know our dancers as individuals. We pride ourselves on the family atmosphere that we've built. When you dance at Take a Bow Dance Center you become part of our family! The owner Miss Annie and instructors strive to be lifelong role models in your child's life whether they dance with us for just one season or ten!

About the Studio

Anna Marie Dooley (Miss Annie) opened Take a Bow Dance Center in 2015 with the goal of providing dance education to children of all ages. Miss Annie and the instructors of TABDC have a strong passion for the art of dance and are eager to share our knowledge and expertise with your children.

Classes

My Shadow and Me
- My Shadow and Me is our all-inclusive version of “Mommy and Me.” My Shadow and Me classes are for dancers 18 months to 3 years old. It is an introduction to dance that includes dancing, singing, socialization and learning through props and repetition.

Ballet
- Ballet is the foundation of all dance. Students are highly encouraged to study it first or in combination with other classes. Dancers will learn proper terminology and technique. Classes will include ballet stretches, barre work, center work, across the floor and choreography.

Younger dancers will learn the basic fundamentals of ballet while developing their fine and gross motor skills. Dancers will be guided through fun and creative movement games and action songs.

Jazz
- Jazz classes are fun and energetic! They include elements such as kicks, leaps, turns, splits and isolations. Classes consist of stretch and strengthening exercise, floor work and across the floor progressions in addition to center floor combinations.

Hip Hop
- Hip Hop is a high energy class combining street dance with funk and jazz commonly seen on TV and in music videos. Hip Hop teaches coordination, strength, flexibility, rhythm and endurance. Dancers can expect to learn the history of hip hop and its variety of styles

Tap
- Tap classes are designed to develop rhythm, style and sound. Students will learn a variety of tap styles from Broadway to Rhythm tap. Exercises focus on building flexibility of the knee and ankles, coordination and speed in movement. The class emphasis is on developing proper tap technique, producing clear tap sounds and having fun!

Tuition

Tuition is based on a seasonal figure broken into 9 equal payments. The registration fee and first tuition fee are due at the time of enrollment.

The remaining 8 payments are due on the first of the month beginning September 1, 2022 and ending April 1, 2023.

30 Minute Class

$414.00/Season
($46.00/Month)

45 Minute Class

$540.00/Season

($60.00/Month)

Registration costs are $25.00 per dancer.
You will receive a 3% discount for paying your full yearly tuition up front. Full tuition must be paid by your first day of class in order to receive the discount.
Recital costumes are included with tuition!
A credit card is required to be on file for each dancer. Credit cards will be charged on the 1sth of each month unless another form of payment is given on or before the last day of the month before.
If you do not want your card to be charged, be sure to provide another form of payment prior to the 30th of each month.

Auto-Pay will charge your full account balance.

Dancers who enroll late in the season will have a higher monthly payment to make up the cost of costumes.
There is a 3% convenience charge for all credit card payments. There is no convenience charge for cash or check payments.
A $15.00 late fee will be charged to accounts seven (7) days past due.

A $35.00 late fee will be charged to accounts fourteen (14) days past due.

Dancers with accounts more than fourteen days past due will have their account suspended and be unable to participate in class until account is up to date. At that point, dancers may elect to book a private lesson to catch up on what they missed during class.

Take a Bow Dance Center accepts cash, check, or credit cards as forms of payment. ∙ Dancers who register after September will not be eligible for Paid in Full discounts.

There will be a $30 fee for any returned checks. If your check has been returned during the year, you must pay the remaining tuition installments in cash.

∙ *All tuition, recital, costume and other payments are non-transferrable and non-refundable.

Class Placements

We offer a variety of age ranges for classes so that your child is with their peers.
If your child displays the skill level and social maturity required to move up an age level, an exception can be made at the discretion of Miss Annie.

Studio Closings

If there is inclement weather (snow etc.) and the studio is closed, you will receive an email. There will also be posts on Facebook, Instagram and our private parent Facebook group. Please check all of the above before calling or texting to see if class is still on.

Take a Bow Dance Center will follow Neshaminy School District. If school is closed or there is an early dismissal due to inclement weather, dance classes will be cancelled as well.
If there is an instructor emergency and classes need to be cancelled, a makeup will be issued.

Scheduled Holidays Off

Halloween

Monday October 31, 2022

Thanksgiving Break

Monday November 21, 2022 – Sunday November 27, 2022

Holiday Break

Sunday December 19, 2022 – Sunday January 1, 2023

Spring Break
Tuesday April 4, 2023 – Monday April 10, 2023

Attendance/Tardiness

Students must be on time for class! Students who come late to class may be asked to sit out and observe. Dancers must participate in class warm up! Lack of warm up could result in injury. The instructor will use their personal judgment to make this call.

A minimum attendance level is required. Dancers who are frequently late or absent may see a negative effect on their dancing skills.

You can submit an absence through your Parent Portal. Please call or email the studio if your child is going to miss more than one class. We understand last minute things come up; however, notice of your child’s absence is preferred.

Makeups

You are able to schedule make-up lessons through your parent portal. Make-up lessons do not expire as long as a dancer is enrolled in our school. However, if a make-up lesson is missed for any reason, it is no longer eligible for rescheduling.
There are no refunds or account credits for missed classes.

Lobby/Viewing Area

TABDC has a viewing window between the lobby and dance studio where you can watch your dancers’ class. Please only bring one parent per dancer to stay for the duration of class as our lobby is small in size.
To ensure safety of our students and staff, when there is a class in session and no one in the front lobby the front door will remain locked. The door will be unlocked once class has concluded.

Smoking

Take a Bow Dance Center is a smoke free facility. Please do not smoke or vape in or around the entrance to our building.

Dress Code

Class Attire is essential to the success of our dancers. Proper attire and uniformity in dance class helps to prevent injury. The instructor can clearly see the lines of the body and adjust each dancer as needed.

My Shadow and Me

Dancer:
Leotard (any color)

Tights (any color)

Pink Ballet Shoes without laces

**If your toddler has a sensory need, please have them wear solid color clothing that is easy to move in.

Grown Up:

Please wear something you are comfortable in!

Outside shoes are not permitted to be worn in the dance room so please wear socks or bare feet.

Ballet

Leotard (any color)

Tights (any color, pink preferred)

Pink Ballet Shoes without laces

Jazz/Lyrical
Option 1:

Leotard (any color)

Tights (any color, skin toned preferred)

Option 2:

Solid colored form fitted shirt such as a tank top

Leggings or shorts with tights

Jazz Shoe - Tan Jazz Booties

Lyrical shoe - Half sole canvas turners

Hip Hop

Any clothing that is comfortable to move in! Please do not wear jeans or jean shorts. Hats are permitted.

Clean sneakers that are only worn for dance. Outside shoes are not permitted in the dance room.

*Please note that the correct color and style of shoe will need to be purchased to go along with the recital costume. More info will be given prior to winter break when recital costumes are selected.

Tap
Under 10 years of age:
Leotard and tights (any color)

Over 10 years of age:

Solid colored form fitted clothing. Tights or black socks.

Black Tap Shoes

Hair must be secured into a bun or pony tail for all classes. If your dancers hair is too short to be put up, please secure bangs and loose front pieces with a clip or headband.

PLEASE WRITE YOUR DANCERS NAME OR INITIALS IN ALL SHOES AND BELONGINGS!!

Bathroom

Take a Bow Dance Center has one bathroom within the building. Parents, please allow time for your children to use the bathroom before class as to not delay and/or disrupt instruction.
If your dancer requires help in the restroom, please have a parent/guardian nearby for the duration of class. It is a good idea to have younger dancers practice taking their leotards on and off prior to the start of the dance season.

Classroom Behavior

Dancers are expected to be respectful and attentive in class to teachers and their fellow classmates. Polite behavior and good manners should be displayed throughout the class and in the lobby area.
Dancers are asked to try their best and maintain a positive attitude when learning new techniques. We prefer the words “I will try my best” over “I can’t.”
Encourage your dancer to leave their bad days at the door and let dance be their freedom. If your child is having a particularly hard day, please text or email the studio so that their instructor can use extra patience and care with them.
Instructors reserve the right to dismiss a student from class for the day for disruptive and/or disrespectful behaviors.

Cell Phones

Dancers are asked to please keep cell phones and other devices in their dance bags. Dancers may check their phones during breaks or between classes.

Recital

Each class will learn a dance and perform it on stage for our annual recital! Como classes may learn up to two dances. It is assumed that all enrolled dancers will participate in recital.
Recital will be scheduled for the weekend before Memorial Day in May. A confirmed date will be given as soon as I have it. Please mark this weekend on your calendars.

Costumes

Recital costumes are included with tuition. Dancers are measured for costumes in October so that they arrive in time for recital. I typically add 2 inches to measurements to account for growth. Parents will be asked to sign off on their child’s size prior to ordering costumes.
ONE garment bag and ONE pair of tights is included with your tuition.
Additional tights will be the responsibility of the family to purchase.

Communication

Each month I will send a newsletter with the current happenings of the studio. Our newsletter will also be posted on our website www.TakeaBowDanceCenter.com and in our private parent Facebook group. Please search “TABDC” and request to join if you are not already a member.

Dropped Class/Dismissal

When signing up for dance, you are committing to paying nine months tuition and all associated fees including but not limited to, costumes, apparel, recital etc.
A 30-day written notice, MUST be turned in prior to a student dropping a class. If a written notice is not received 30 days prior to a student dropping a class, you will be billed for the following month.
Costume fees must be paid in full prior to dropping a class.
Take a Bow Dance Center reserves the right to dismiss a student for any reason including but not limited to: bullying, misconduct, misrepresentation of TABDC, or slander by said student or parent/guardian.

All fees paid to Take a Bow Dance Center are non-refundable

Photo/Video Release

Take a Bow Dance Center is hereby granted permission to take pictures and videos of the students and use them for advertisement or display purposes.
Take a Bow Dance Center is also hereby granted permission to post pictures and videos of students onto the Take a Bow Dance Center website and social media pages.

A Final Word from Miss Annie

I hope that you are as excited about this upcoming dance season as I am! I truly look forward to spending time with your children each week; seeing the growth in our current students and getting to know our new ones! I want Take a Bow Dance Center to feel like a home away from home, where our dancers learn, have fun and thrive!

Thank you for choosing Take a Bow Dance Center for your dance instruction.

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