Our Policies
Dress Code
Preschool and Parent/Tot Classes: Wear clothes that are comfortable to move in; leotard/tights, tutu if desired, t-shirt/sweats are all acceptable. **If tutu attire becomes distracting to the student, we may ask that you simplify your dancewear in order to focus during class. Ballet shoes/tap shoes encouraged but not required for Preschool Rhythm & Tap. We understand that toddlers are wild and unpredictable creatures, but please try to secure hair out of face when possible.
Youth Ballet Classes: Leotard and tights of any color; flat ballet slippers or pointe shoes when approved; hair secured back away from face (in bun if long enough).
Youth Modern/Contemporary/Jazz Classes: Fitted pants/leggings of any color; leotard or secure tank top/t-shirt. Jazz shoes for jazz classes; bare feet or lyrical shoes for contemporary/modern. For dancer safety, NO SOCKS are to be worn during class unless they are dance-specific with grippy soles.
Adult Classes: Wear whatever makes you feel fabulous.
Attendance + Class Makeup
Youth Class Makeup Policy
Tuition will not be pro-rated due to dancer absence for illness, travel, etc. If your child misses a class for any reason, they are welcome to drop into any other class at their age and skill level; please email blacksburgdancetheater@gmail.com to let us know what class they’ll be making up in.
Inclement Weather + Cancellation Policy
We know that MCPS is sometimes overzealous with their school cancellations due to weather. If school is cancelled due to inclement weather, we will send out an email by 12 pm on the day of cancellation to let you know whether our afternoon classes are in session.
Because weather is unpredictable, we will always plan to have one week of makeup classes at the end of the semester in order to make up for any classes missed due to weather or instructor illness/cancellation.
If for any reason we need to cancel a class and are not able to make it up, you will receive a tuition credit for the price of the class to be used for your next session of enrollment.
Financial Policies
General Payment Info
We accept cash, check, or online Paypal Payment. **Please note that there will be a small processing fee included for online payments.
Adult Class Card Policies
For adult tuition, please plan to purchase a new 10-class card in a timely manner when yours is used up. Adult class cards do not expire.
Adult class cards may be used for all regular weekly class offerings. They are NOT valid for special workshops, which must be paid for separately.
University student passes may be purchased for $110, require proof of valid current student ID, and expire once the student has graduated.
Youth Tuition Policies
For youth tuition, we will invoice parents via email at the beginning of each semester, and you are welcome to pay with whatever method you prefer. Tuition is due by your dancer’s first class of the semester. See tuition schedule here.
Tuition rates can be found here. For youth tuition, these rates are per family; i.e. you will be charged for the total number of classes in which your family is enrolled.
For example: if you have two children and they are each taking two classes, you will be charged the monthly tuition rate for four classes.
There is a 20% sibling discount applied to the final total tuition per family.
Parent Involvement
We ask that parents of young children (ages 3-6) adhere to the following guidelines:
Parents are asked not to stay in the dance studio with their children, as this can be distracting for your child and others. We prefer that parents get their dancers settled, say a quick cheerful goodbye, and then head out to the lobby area, where there is plenty of seating and a play corner for siblings.
If your child needs extra time to transition, please try to come a few minutes early to give enough time for changing clothes, using the bathroom, etc.
If your child is having an “off day” (it happens to all of us occasionally!), having a hard time being away from their caregiver, or is excessively disrupting class, we will bring the child to you for a break. They are welcome to re-enter the room on their own terms when they’re ready.
If your child is consistently having a hard time being away from you, we will honor their experience and follow their lead. In this case, we may recommend that you and your child attend our caregiver/child “Dance With Me!” offering in order to provide a positive experience for your young dancer. If this is the case, the balance of your preschool class tuition may be applied to Dance With Me classes.
If you plan to leave the premises during your child’s class time, that is perfectly fine - but please make sure that the instructor has your phone number in case we need to get in touch with you quickly.