Tuition & Refunds/Credits
Monthly tuition is calculated on a per hour basis. Tuition is due on the 1st of every month and is automatically charged via the card on the family account. Every student account must have a credit/debit card on file, however payment can be made by check, exact cash, or card. If paying by check, please contact the front desk in writing prior to the 1st of the month to prevent your card from getting automatically charged. A $10 late fee is added to outstanding accounts if a card has declined or payment has not been made by the 5th of the respective month. An additional $5 will be added to outstanding accounts every additional five days where payment has not been made. If a check bounces, a $25 fee will be added to the account and your checks will not be accepted in the future. Late tuition that has not been paid by the 15th of that respective month will result in the dancer being removed from all of their classes and will block the account manager from being able to enroll in future classes without speaking to the front desk first.
For students who sign up in the middle of the month, tuition will be prorated. Tuition is non-refundable, even for absences. In the event that a student is unable to attend a pre-paid class, workshop, or camp, studio credit will be provided in lieu of a refund. Tuition is the same each month no matter how many weeks of classes there are in the month (i.e. five-week months, shortened months due to observed holidays).
Enrollment
Enrollment is based on age as of September 1st, 2025. All students must be potty-trained before attending classes in the 25/26 Season. Certain dance styles may require students to be enrolled in an additional corresponding class. This is to ensure that students have the appropriate knowledge for learning sub-styles of dance. Students may not join pointe without also enrolling in an appropriate level ballet class and being approved by their instructor. Every class must have at least four students enrolled or the class may be canceled or rescheduled. Some classes run on a drop-in basis and occasionally a session basis. If a class will be rescheduled due to enrollment, the front desk will reach out to those already enrolled with available options prior to the class starting.
Registration & Discounts
Registration fees are required for every student/family each season (school year), which are $25 per student.
Private Lessons
Private lessons are available for 30-minute or 1-hour increments. These individual sessions are excellent for improving specific skills, practicing for an audition, or working to get into the next level class. Private lessons can also be arranged for two or three students at one time, with the cost split evenly between the amount of students. Current private lesson rates are $70 per hour or $35 per half hour.
To reserve your private lesson, payment will be processed in full at the time of scheduling (usually within 72 hours of booking). If you need to cancel, please provide at least 24 hours' notice to avoid being charged. Cancellations made with proper notice will receive an account credit. Unfortunately, cancellations made with less than 24 hours’ notice are non-refundable.
Absences
Students who miss a class due to illness, a family emergency, or vacation can take a makeup class at some point within the season (school year). Students who miss a class can take up to 4 make-up classes per semester. These make-up classes must be taken within this season's semester (August to December, January to May) and students may only make up in classes that they are eligible for. It is important that one student misses no more than 8 classes in a school year- this allows the entire class to continue learning at a steady pace and is imperative for learning recital dances. It is important that one student misses no more than four classes in a semester. This allows the entire class to continue learning at a steady pace and is imperative for learning recital dances. Refunds are not available for any classes, including missed classes. Contact the front office for a personalized list of classes that your student can choose from to make up for their missed class.
Drop/Change Class Policy
Not every style of dance is for every child- if your dancer is not enjoying their current class, reach out to the front desk to see options for changing classes!
Dancers will remain enrolled in all classes that are on their schedule as of the 1st of each month. While dancers may choose to drop a class at any time during the month, enrollment will continue through the end of that month, and dancers are welcome to attend through the final class of that month. Please note that credits or refunds will not be issued for classes dropped after the 1st of the month. Any drops submitted during the month will go into effect for the following month.
To drop from a class, please send a notice to info@desertdancecollective.com with your dancer’s name and the class(es) they’d like to drop. Your dancer will still be enrolled until the end of the month and then they will be dropped from class(es). They may continue taking class during this time.
Drop Off/Pick Up
Please be timely when dropping off and picking up your dancer. An appropriate time to arrive to class is no earlier than 15 minutes before your dancer’s class begins, and pick up is at the end of their class. This helps our staff reset the studios and lobby for the next event. Students under the age of 11 may not wait at the studio if they have a break in between classes as our front desk staff is not able to babysit dancers throughout the evening. If your dancer has a break in between classes, please make arrangements to retrieve your dancer during this break. A fee of $10 will be added to dancer’s accounts for late pickup every 10 minutes past the scheduled class end time.
Your child’s safety is critically important to us. Students may check outside for their ride when class is over, however if you are late, your child will be asked to wait in the lobby. This will require you to park and walk into the studio to pick them up. We are not responsible for students who choose to wait outside without permission- please be aware that we are unable to see students who wait outside in front of and on the side of the studio buildings.
Class Placement and Dress Code Policy
We will recommend beginning level classes for new students. Students are placed in classes where they can successfully develop their movement skills and technique. There are various levels available for different styles of dance. To be eligible for a higher level class, some styles of dance require specific skills to be able to enroll and some styles require instructor approval. Students may move up to a higher level during the season if they become eligible. Level eligibility is dependent upon the instructor’s judgment of the student’s appropriate abilities. It’s recommended that new students take classes over the summer to be placed in the appropriate level for the new season. We require specific dress codes for clothing and shoes for optimal performance and safety. Dress codes for each class are listed on our website.
Class Observation
To prevent distractions and allow students to perform their best in class, parents, siblings, and friends are not permitted to sit in and watch class. We invite you to watch our live feed of the class located in the lobby (Oro Valley location) or through the viewing windows in the lobby (Twin Peaks location). About every six weeks, Observation Week is offered in the last ten minutes of every class so that families and friends can see their student's progress inside the studio!
Summer Dance Policies
Summer camps and classes are open to students of all ages and levels. Summer classes are available on a drop-in basis, and accounts will be charged beginning March 22, 2025 to reserve spots for classes and camps. In the event a student cannot make their class, you are welcome to reach out the front desk to reschedule your class or receive studio credit. No refunds will be available for any summer camp or class cancellations. This is to prevent excessive cancellations and to allow dancers on waitlists to get the opportunity to register. Students under the age of 5 are required to bring a change of clothes to camp in case of any accidents. If a dancer has an accident during class and does not have a change of clothes, our staff will have them change into clean clothing from our inventory and add the merchandise charges to their account.
Recitals and Recital Fee
An annual spring recital for all students is generally held the weekend after Memorial Day weekend (subject to change). Performing in the recital is optional. If you do not want your dancer to participate in the recital, you must opt-out prior to January 20, 2026. There are NO refunds for students that decide not to be in the recital after the fee has been paid. If you have chosen to participate in the recital, your account will be charged a recital fee and a costume fee in late January. The recital fee includes a recital t-shirt, a digital download of the recital video, and two complimentary tickets to the recital. The costume fee includes a costume for their class’s performance. Payment plans are available for recital fees. Costume pick-up day is in April 2026 and is typically held at our Oro Valley location. This day is designed for all dancers to come try on costumes, make sure they fit correctly with our costume team, and take home for safekeeping before the recital. Dancers who cannot make this date will be given two alternate dates to try on and pick up their costumes. After this, families will be charged a $25 coordination fee and will need to schedule a pick up with the front desk. Due to the extreme inventory of costumes we process for recitals, we are logistically unable to bring costumes to our Twin Peaks location. All tuition and recital fees must be paid in order to receive your costume(s). After the deadline, the costume fee increases to $100 per class due to extra shipping costs. There is no guarantee that students who wish to participate in the recital after the deadline will be able to participate as additional costumes may not be available/arrive in time for the recital. Any outstanding recital fees that are not paid in full by May 1, 2026 will prohibit dancers from participating in the recital. We reserve the right to hold costumes, tickets, and recital t-shirts until payment is received.
Services
Desert Dance Collective has the right to refuse service to any student, parent, or patron at any time for any reason.
Account Privacy Policy
Each student account is managed by a designated Account Manager (usually a parent or guardian) who is responsible for managing all billing, communication, and registration details related to the student’s enrollment at our studio. The Account Manager has full access to the student’s account, including billing information, class schedules, and other studio-related communications. We respect the privacy of our families and will not share account details with anyone outside of the designated Account Manager or emergency contacts listed in the account. This includes, but is not limited to, sharing of billing information, class schedules, medical details, or any other personal data. We will only share student information with emergency contacts as listed in the account for the purpose of emergency situations. Emergency contacts may be provided access to basic information, such as the student’s name and class schedule, but will not be provided access to billing or account management details. We will never share personal or account information with any third-party services, unless required by law or in the event of an emergency. Any third-party communications regarding your account will be directed to the Account Manager listed on the account. If an Account Manager needs to grant temporary or additional access to an individual (e.g., co-parent, relative), they must add them to their account in our parent portal or reach out to our front desk team. Each request will be handled on a case-by-case basis. Requests can be made to info@desertdancecollective.com. We reserve the right to deny any requests for access that do not align with our privacy policy. We encourage Account Managers to regularly update their account details, including emergency contacts and personal information, to ensure the accuracy of our records. Changes to the Account Manager or emergency contact details can be made by contacting our studio office directly or in the parent portal.