Thank you for choosing Emily Rose Dance Creations!
We greatly appreciate your interest in our dance studio, and we sincerely look forward to getting to know each of our students! Now that you are a part of ERDC, there is some general information that must be addressed.
Cleaning Policy:
The studio will be cleaned daily and there will be hand sanitizer available at all times.
Water Policy:
Students MUST bring water with them to every class. It is very important to hydrate before class as well.
Location & Parking:
We are located at 105A South Newtown Street Rd, Newtown Square, PA 19073. We are located on the 2nd floor in the same building as the beer distributor, and our door is on the side of the building that faces 252. There are two spots directly in front of our side of the building. One of these spots is reserved for Miss Emily or another teacher if Miss Emily is not there. When the spot next to that one is open, anyone can park in the second front spot. Other than that, everyone is welcome to park anywhere surrounding the building. There is plenty of parking, but we suggest not parking in front of the Beer Store (1st floor) as they have limited parking spots.
Parent Policy during Class/Bathroom:
Parents are not permitted to stay for ages 3-18, as this allows our students to fully follow the instruction of the teacher while fully engaging in their craft. For ages 3-4 parents may stay for the entire duration of their first & second class of the season (this includes a free trial class if applicable). Ages 3-6 are expected to be able to use the restroom by him/herself and dress themselves (girls wear a leotard and tights for ballet), but restroom use should take place before class, not during. We do understand there are emergencies sometimes where they may have to go during class, so all students must be potty trained and able to use the restroom on their own. By signing this handbook, you give us permission to assist your 3-4 year old girl in the case of an emergency, a bathroom accident (wetting themselves), or that they request help with their tights/leotard. If a teacher or assistant has helped your child, there will be an email or text sent to you that day.
For ages 5-18, parents may stay for the entire duration of their first class of the season only (this includes a free trial class if applicable). Parents, we appreciate you and everything you do, but this is your child's time to shine and discover their passion, and this is done by limiting the amount of distractions, especially for our tiny dancers. There is always the possibility of emergency or extreme situations where the parent may need to be called to pick up a child, but you know your child best, you can either wait in your car outside, or go take time for yourself, grab something to eat, go shopping, we've got this handled! For ages 3-6, if you feel there is a serious necessary reason to stay, you are welcome to have a conversation with Miss Emily about it prior to the start of the dance season. Parents are always welcome to contact the studio by phone, email, or by appointment in person at the studio if need be. Most of the time, teachers will not be available in between classes to talk, as many of the classes do not have breaks in between them, so appointments are preferred.
Email:
Our primary form of communication with parents/guardians is through email. Therefore, parents/guardians must check their emails frequently to remain informed and up to date on everything going on with our studio.
Safety & Class Dismissal:
For the safety of the students and our teachers, the front door of the building is sometimes locked, and we often lock the front door inside the building during classes since most of them take place at night. That being said, please make sure to arrive before class starts. We will then open the door once the prior class ends. Please wait in your car or outside the front door to the building so you can pick up your child as soon as the door is unlocked.
Regarding dismissal for our dancers ages 3-8, we like to keep things organized with the amount of people coming in and out to ensure that every child walks out with their parent. We ask that for their safety, once the class prior to your child's is over and we open the studio door, that you come inside the studio in the front entrance area with the bench (not the hallway but inside the studio) to pick up your child. The children will be waiting in the lounge area and we will dismiss a few children at a time once we see their parent so they can grab their belongings by the front door and then exit with you. We ask that you come in a few people at a time. We also ask that you be as quiet as possible, as sometimes there is another class that will be starting right after your child's class. Thank you for your cooperation on this matter, as we want to ensure the safety of all students and see them walk out with their parent/guardian.
We also use security cameras inside the building at all times for everyone's safety. Security cameras will be shut off during designated costume try on times and during recital picture day at the studio. Students are encouraged to use the bathroom to try on costumes, but security cameras will always be shut off during those times anyway.
Attire/Shoe Orders:
Proper dance attire/shoes is extremely important to us at ERDC. If you choose to order attire/shoes through our studio, you must pay PRIOR to placement of order. The order will not be submitted until we receive payment. To place an order, please go to the first page of your parent portal and click "Online Store" at the bottom of that page. Orders will be available for pick up at the studio. Orders may be picked up Monday-Thursday, but you must inform the studio of what time you would like to come prior to arrival if it is not on the day of your class.
Class Attire Requirements:
Students absolutely must abide by attire/shoe/hair requirements for each class. Dance requires proper attire just as all other sports do, if you are coming from another sport, bring a change of clothes so your child can be properly dressed for dance class just as they would be for any other sport. There are specific reasons for these policies, and abiding by these policies teaches our students discipline as well. These policies can be found on our website at emilyrosedancecreations.com/order-dance-attire/.
Absence Policy:
If a student has to miss class for any reason, the studio must be notified by email or text of that absence prior to class. Students will be able to make up missed classes by taking another class of the same genre but it may be with a different age group. Make up classes are not required, as they are upon request only, so the studio must be notified if a student chooses to do this. They must make up the class within one month of the missed class. Know that if you do not notify us of an absence, the student will not be able to make up that class. Therefore, it is imperative that you let us know if your child will be out if you would like to make up the class. Also, regardless of whether your child misses class(es), tuition must be paid in full for each billing cycle. ERDC reserves the right to remove a student from their recital dance if they miss the same class more than 5 times during the months of March through May.
Cell Phone & Privacy Policy:
At Emily Rose Dance Creations, we value the safety, comfort, and privacy of all our students, staff, and families. To ensure a positive and respectful environment, we have the following guidelines regarding the use of cell phones:
Respecting Privacy
Students are not permitted to take photos or videos of other students, teachers, or staff without their direct permission.
Sharing or posting images or videos of others from the studio without consent is strictly prohibited.
Studio Environment
Cell phones should remain silenced and put away during class time to avoid distractions.
Phones may be used before or after class only, unless otherwise instructed by a teacher (for example, to record choreography for personal practice).
Consequences
Any student found using their phone in a way that violates another person’s privacy may be asked to put their phone away, and parents/guardians may be notified.
Repeated violations may result in further action, including removal from class or studio events.
Our Commitment
We are committed to maintaining a safe and respectful space for all dancers. Protecting each individual’s right to privacy is an important part of this commitment.
By attending classes at Emily Rose Dance Creations, students and families agree to follow this policy.
Tuition:
Tuition prices can be found on our website, and rates are based on a 2 month period. Except, at time of registration, everyone pays for September tuition only and registration fee. If a student joins mid month during a two month pay period, their tuition will be prorated according to how many weeks are left within those two months. Tuition rates are fixed, meaning even if there is a holiday break, weather related cancellation, or a child has to miss class, tuition remains the same. Tuition can be paid by one of two ways. You can pay by check in person for half the season at a time (anyone who starts class in September pays for September tuition at time of registration, so pay-by-check billing cycles are from October-January & February-May). Bounced checks will be subject to a $20 fee. The other accepted form of payment is by credit card/bank account online automatic payment through your DanceStudio Pro account for 2 months at a time (highly recommended). If paying by credit card/bank account, you must be enrolled in autopay, as this helps business to run smoothly. You must also have a backup payment method on file in the system in case your primary payment method is declined for any reason. Everyone commits to the same payment method for the duration of the dance season (September-May). Please have a conversation with the studio owner if your payment needs to change for any reason during the season. Please know that there will be a surcharge added to any online credit card/bank account payments. Since the credit card/bank account payments will be on autopay, that means that everyone's primary payment method will be charged on the 1st day of the month each time tuition is due (every 2 months for most people) except September which is due at the time of registration for those who start class in September. For example, October & November tuition is due October 1st, so your card/bank account will be charged on October 1st for two months of tuition for those paying online. Anyone joining after our season has started will be charged based on the remaining amount of weeks before the next billing cycle. For example, if you pay by credit card/bank account and you join mid October, you will be charged for the amount of weeks in October your child is taking classes and all of November because the next billing cycle starts December 1. Credit card/bank account autopay billing cycle (for 2 months at a time) will occur October 1, December 1, February 1, and April 1. The billing cycle for those paying by check is October 1 (covers October to the end of January) & February 1 (covers February to the end of May). Checks are to be submitted in person or in our locked mailbox out front of our studio labeled '105A.' Any payments received 10 days late will incur a $20 late fee. After day 10, the late fee of $20 will be due along with $5 per day until we receive payment. Tuition is only refundable in the case that ERDC has to cancel a class due to low enrollment.
Class Withdrawal Policy:
-If a family chooses to drop out of all classes before the season begins (September 3, 2024), meaning the family is leaving the studio completely, September tuition is non refundable. Registration fee is always non-refundable.
-If at any point during the season a family chooses to drop a class or classes, a $35 fee per dropped class will be incurred and the family must provide a written notice by emailing emilyrosedancecreations@gmail.com
– If at any point before or during the season a family chooses to switch a class or classes, a $20 fee per switched class will be incurred.
Respect for Dance Studio Property:
Students are not to hang from, swing on, or stand behind the ballet barres (they are mounted to the wall, so we do not want them getting stuck in between the barre and wall). Children must not touch the speakers at the front of the room, as they are on stands, and if they try to pull the speaker towards them, they could get hurt. Mirrors mounted to the front wall are not to be pushed or leaned on. These rules are for the safety of the students.
*There are NO OUTSIDE SHOES allowed on the dance floor. Our dance flooring is very valuable; therefore, we like to keep it in good condition and keep it as sanitary as possible by not tracking in the germs from outside shoes. This rule applies to every person (parents and students) entering the studio. Outside shoes must be taken off and placed on the shoe racks in the studio. The dance floor does not immediately start upon entering the room, so there will be space to take off shoes before walking across the dance floor.*
Water is the only drink to be brought into the studio. There is no food allowed unless otherwise stated by teacher.
Costumes/Recital:
Our recital dates and venue are determined no later than the fall. Please know that in addition to our mandatory dress rehearsal, there will also be a mandatory picture day at some point before the recital. Dancers learn their recital dances the second half of the season. All students must participate in the recitals. Costume payments are due prior to the costume being ordered. Costume payments are split between October & November. Costume prices vary (they include the cost of costume along with all of the service hours that go with costumes including measurements, sizing, placing orders, and taking inventory, as doing this for hundreds of costumes is a very long and detailed process).
Costume Prices:
Ages 3-4 - $70 (includes tights and costume)
Ages 5-6 Combo Classes, Beginner Hip Hop ages 6-8, & Level I Ballet/Tap/Jazz ages 7-9 - $85 (includes costume and, if applicable, tights)
All other classes - $85-$100 (includes tights if applicable)
If you would like to start paying off your costumes sooner, please email us to let us know. For each class, costumes and their exact cost (if not already determined) will be visible in the parent portal beginning October 7. 50% of your total costume balance will be due October 15 and 50% will be due November 15. Anyone can pay these charges by check or online. We are assuming tuition check payers will pay for costumes by check unless you tell us otherwise, and we assume tuition online credit card/ACH payers will pay online for costumes or allow us to charge you automatically unless you tell us otherwise. So if you plan on paying the costume balances differently than your preferred method of tuition payment, or paying them off sooner please let us know.
Sometimes they take a while to come in, so we order at the end of December over the holiday break. Costumes are non refundable once ordered. If for some reason a child is to drop out in the middle of the season and not use the costume, that money cannot be refunded. Costume exchanges for a different size (if a costume does not fit well) are permitted however. Thank you for understanding.
There is also a recital package fee that is paid for in the first week of March which includes recital participation fee, a recital-themed t-shirt, and a downloadable link to our professionally filmed recital video. Recital ticket sales open up one month prior to our scheduled recital date.
We look forward to having you in class!
