UPDATED 6/8/2025

By checking the box below you are acknowledging that you have read, understand and agree to this Liability Release, Media Release, and these Policies & General Info.
This waiver is also posted in “Shared Files” in the Online Portal for future reference.
Students & their families must agree to the Liability Release and Policies in order to train at The Academy. This includes teens and adults who pay to attend a single class.
If you DO NOT agree to the Media Release, please check the “Photo Opt-Out” box in the Waivers section of the online portal.
Please take the time to read through this information to ensure you have the most positive experience possible at The Academy.

LIABILITY RELEASE
It is expressly understood that all students, their families and guests agree to hold harmless and release from any claim of liability, BIBP. Inc., which operates the Academy of Dance Arts, arising out of any injury or damage sustained by the student while on the premises of BIBP. Inc., which operates the Academy of Dance Arts.
As in any physical activity, there is a certain element of risk inherent in the course the student is about to undertake and the activities they will perform in relation thereto. Knowing this, the student and their parents/guardians hereby assume all risks. Further, the student and their parents/guardians hereby release, remiss, and forever discharge BIBP. Inc., which operates the Academy of Dance Arts, its directors, and the designated instructors and staff from any liability for injuries, illnesses, damage or physical defects which may result from the student engaging in these classes.
Participation includes possible exposure to and illness from infectious diseases including but not limited to MRSA, influenza and COVID-19. While particular rules and personal discipline may reduce the risk, the risk of serious illness does exist.
The student and their parents/guardians hereby agree to refrain from instituting, pressing or in any way aiding any claim, demand action or cause for damages, costs, loss of service, expenses or compensation for or on account of any such injuries.
BIBP, Inc., which operates the Academy of Dance Arts and its employees are authorized to obtain emergency medical treatment for the student for injury that they may suffer while attending the Academy of Dance Arts.
Students under the age of 18 are not permitted to leave the Academy premises during course hours or breaks without written permission from a parent/guardian and BIBP. Inc., which operates the Academy of Dance Arts, is not responsible for students when they are outside of The Academy of Dance Arts’ facility. Parents/guardians assume all responsibility for transportation to and from the Academy of Dance Arts. BIBP. Inc., which operates the Academy of Dance Arts and its employees are not responsible for any loss, damage or theft sustained to the property of students, their families and guests while on the premises of The Academy of Dance Arts.

MEDIA RELEASE
Any photographs and/or video images taken of students in connection with any class or production done by BIBP, Inc., which operates the Academy of Dance Arts, may be used for publicity and promotional purposes in all areas of media, including but not limited to publications, print and digital ad campaigns, The Academy of Dance Arts' website and The Academy of Dance Arts' & Company of Dance Arts’ social media pages as well as third party social media pages, at any time whether or not the individual photographed is currently associated with BIBP, Inc., which operates the Academy of Dance Arts.
Said pictures and/or video images may be taken during classes, rehearsals, dress/technical rehearsals, performances or photo/video shoots produced by the Academy of Dance Arts and are the sole property of BIBP, Inc., which operates the Academy of Dance Arts with regard to publicity and promotional purposes.
These photos and/or video images may not be used in connection with or benefit to any other organization.
Pictures and/or video images may also be taken during classes, rehearsals, dress/technical rehearsals, performances or photo/video shoots produced by the Company of Dance Arts.
Additionally, when students “Tag” the Academy of Dance Arts’ and/or the Company of Dance Arts’ social media page or pages in their social media posts, the Academy of Dance Arts and/or the Company of Dance Arts may repost said posts to their page or pages. I.e. If a student tags the Academy of Dance Arts in their Instagram story the Academy of Dance Arts and/or the Company of Dance Arts may add this story to their Instagram page or pages regardless of whether the student’s social media account is private or public.

POLICIES AND PROGRAM INFORMATION
Please read all the way to the bottom of the policies and information.
Knowing these policies and information will ensure you have the best possible experience!

SCHOOL YEAR REGISTRATION
You may register for classes in our Online Portal, dancestudio-pro.com/online/adanj, as of the date specified in our school year info email, which is usually sent in early June.
Accounts must have a $0 balance in order for the registration to be processed.
Due at the time of registration is a non-refundable registration fee of $65.00 for each student not enrolling in the Full Program. There is no registration fee for students who enroll in Full Program by July 15. Students who enroll in Full Program after July 15 will be charged the registration fee of $65.00. Families with multiple students pay a maximum of two registration fees. In addition, there is no registration fee for students registering for Parent & Me. Included in the Registration Fee are individualized class recommendations for each student and schedule planning assistance if requested. New students also receive a security access card as well as an evaluation from an ADA faculty member. You will see the full monthly tuition amount for the classes you have selected during the registration process. Tuition rates are also posted in the Shared Files section of the Online Portal.
After registration is completed and any applicable registration fees are paid, you will receive an email confirmation. Full Program students are given priority placement in classes while Half Program and Open Enrollment students are placed in classes on a first come first served basis. Space permitting, students are guaranteed a place in class after registration is completed and any applicable registration fees are paid. If you select the “Pay Later” option at the time of registration your place in class(es) will not be reserved; any applicable registration fees must first be paid.
If one or more of your 1st choice classes are full, you may put yourself on the waitlist for those classes. We recommend joining 2nd choice classes in the meantime in case a space does not open up in your 1st choice classes.
SCHOOL YEAR TUITION Tuition will be billed a month in advance on the 15th of the month. For example, September tuition will be billed on August 15, October tuition will be billed on September 15, and so on. If you are a Scholarship student or are eligible for a Sibling Discount your tuition amount will be adjusted as soon as possible after your registration. September and June tuition will be prorated for 2 or 3 weeks. Please note, December tuition is not prorated due to the fact that there are 32 weeks of classes from October-May and December tuition covers 4 of these 32 weeks.
Students’ legal guardians are liable for all tuition while registered at the Academy. Auto-Pay will be used for monthly tuition payments. All families are required to enroll in Auto-Pay at the time of registration on Studio Pro. Current families must re-enroll each school year. Effective March 15, 2025, a processing fee of 3.05% will be added to all payments/transactions made with a credit card. Please note there is no additional fee for ACH payments. Beginning in Summer 2025, Auto-Pay will also be used when processing payments for Summer classes and intensives. See “Summer Registration and Tuition” section below.
Payments must be made within 10 days of the due date. On the 11th day, payments are past due and incur a late fee of $10, which will be added to your account. If tuition amounts are past due for multiple months and/or tuition is not paid in full by the last day of the school year and/or no attempt is made by the parent/guardian to pay the balance due after a reasonable amount of contact has been attempted by The Academy of Dance Arts, the account will be sent to a collection agency.
Tuition is only adjusted when classes are added/dropped or when more than 4 consecutive weeks have been missed due to illness or injury and a doctor’s note is provided.
When classes are added to a student’s schedule, the cost of those classes is prorated for the remainder of that month and that amount is due when adding the classes. Monthly tuition amounts will be adjusted as of the following month.

CLASS DROP POLICY
When classes are dropped from a student’s schedule after the 15th of the month, the full tuition amount billed to your account for the following month is still due and will not be refunded. Monthly tuition amounts will be adjusted as of the following month. Note: Students in Parent & Me and Preschool 1 through Level 2 will be eligible for a credit to their account for the tuition paid in advance.
· October 15 – November Tuition Posted/Auto-Pay Processed
· October 20 – Class Drop Received
· No refund for the November tuition paid. Tuition will be adjusted in the next tuition posting on November 15 (December Tuition).
If class changes are made before September tuition is billed to accounts and/or during the first week of school year classes, the tuition amount due for September will be adjusted.
The Academy generally does not run classes for less than six (6) registered students during the school year and alternative class options may be suggested if a class must be canceled due to low enrollment. If, for any reason, the Academy decides not to run a class or special course that students have already paid for and no alternatives are offered, all payments will be refunded or credited back, whichever is preferred by the payee.

SUMMER REGISTRATION AND TUITION
You may register in our Online Portal after registration is open, which we will announce and is usually toward the end of February. Accounts must have a $0 balance in order for the registration to be processed. At the time of registration a one time non-refundable $45 registration fee is due for each student. Included in the Registration Fee is schedule planning assistance for current students as well as an evaluation from an ADA faculty member for new students.
50% of the tuition for weekly classes and intensives is due at the time of registration. This amount is non-refundable and is displayed as the class/intensive tuition during the registration process. The total cost for classes/intensives can be found in the class description on the registration page and tuition rates are also posted in the Shared Files section of the Online Portal.
Beginning in Summer 2025, we will use Auto-Pay to process the balance due for all weekly classes and intensives. The balance due for your weekly class(es)/intensives (with the exception of PI/PPI) will be posted to your account on June 15 and payment will be processed
via Auto-Pay on June 15. The balance due for PI/PPI will be posted to your account on July 15 and payment will be processed via Auto-Pay on July 15.
After your registration is complete you will receive an email confirmation.
Students are placed in classes and intensives on a first come first served basis and are guaranteed a place after registration is completed and the registration fee is paid. If you select the Pay Later option at the time of registration your place will not be reserved; the registration fee must first be paid.
Students/legal guardians are liable for all tuition while registered at The Academy.
If an account is past due for any amount of time and no attempt is made by the parent or guardian to pay the balance due after a reasonable amount of contact has been attempted by The Academy of Dance Arts, the account will be sent to a collection agency.
Payments may be made in our Online Portal.
If a student does not complete the classes or intensives they have registered for, refunds are only given in the case of an injury or illness with an accompanying doctor’s note.
The Academy generally does not run classes for less than four (4) registered students during the summer and alternative class options may be suggested if a class must be canceled due to low enrollment. If, for any reason, the Academy decides not to run a class or special course that students have already paid for and no alternatives are offered, all payments will be refunded or credited back, whichever is preferred by the payee.

SECURITY
The Academy is equipped with a centralized fi re alarm as well as a front door security system that includes a video camera which stores recorded images remotely and a lock that requires an activated access card to unlock the door.
In order to enter The Academy’s facility, all students/their families must have at least one front door access card. New students will receive a security access card as part of their registration fee. Additional cards may be purchased in ADA’s Online Store which is located in the Online Account Portal. Access cards are $25.00.
Access cards are valid for the duration of the student's/their family's attendance at ADA. If an access card is ever lost or damaged to the point of not working, this must be immediately reported to ADA’s office staff who will deactivate that card and provide a replacement card if needed. Replacement cards are $25.00. Access cards must be kept secure and may not be given to anyone else.
DO NOT punch a hole in your card (in order to put it on a keychain, for example). This will render the card useless. Instead of putting it on a keychain, you can put it inside your phone case or wallet; the card reader will still be able to detect the card. Card holders are also available for purchase in ADA’s online store.
Students will be able to unlock ADA’s front door with their access cards during scheduled
times only (as outlined below). ADA’s Faculty and Staff will always be able to unlock the front door with their access cards.
-During the School Year, REGISTERED STUDENTS will be able to unlock ADA’s front door 30 minutes before the start time of first class of the day.
-During the Summer Session, registered students will be able to unlock ADA’s front door 15 minutes before the start time of the first morning class/intensive and again 30 minutes before the start time of the first afternoon/evening class/intensive.
*ADA MAY BE UNSTAFFED PRIOR TO THESE TIMES AND IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR STUDENTS DROPPED OFF PRIOR TO THESE TIMES*
-ADULT students may unlock ADA’s front door for 15 minutes before and after the start time of their class during the school year and summer. Adult students will NOT be able to unlock ADA’s front door at any other time, except during special events. However, Adult students who are parents of registered students, will be able to unlock ADA’s front door during both the above registered student & adult student schedules and they may use 1 card for both the registered students & adult students in their family.
Students under the age of 18 are not permitted to exit The Academy building during program hours or breaks. If parents/guardians would like to give their child permission to do so, they must agree to the Permission Slip in the Waivers section of our Online Portal. Students may sit on the patio outside the front door during breaks, however they will not be supervised while using this space.
Please note that students are not supervised outside of the classroom (i.e. during breaks between classes and rehearsals), however ADA’s office staff and/or teachers/accompanists are available in the office and/or studios if needed.

PICK UP/DROP OFF
Students in Levels 3 and below will be met in the lobby and taken to the studio by their teacher. They will be brought back to the lobby after class.
Please be punctual when picking up students especially if they are in the last class of the evening.
Please pull into a parking space to pick up or drop off your student or pull up with the passenger side next to the handicap walkway. It is extremely dangerous for students to be dropped off in the active section of the parking lot and then run across the parking lot when other cars are present. Please help us keep our children safe by observing the above drop off procedure.
STUDENTS MUST WAIT INSIDE THE LOBBY TO BE PICKED UP, NOT OUTSIDE. STUDENTS MAY NOT EXIT THE BUILDING UNTIL THEY KNOW THEIR PARENT/GUARDIAN IS IN THE PARKING LOT.

COMMUNICATIONS
Please make sure you have an updated email address and mobile phone number in the “Account Settings” section of the online portal. The Academy will communicate primarily via email. However, we will also communicate via text to share information on upcoming special classes. Please be sure to allow ADA’s emails to reach your inbox and notify us as soon as possible if you believe you are not receiving our emails.
In last minute situations, like inclement weather closings, we will also send texts to reach ADA’s families.

SCHOLARSHIPS and DISCOUNTS
MALE STUDENTS: Male students up to the age of 18 receive a 35% scholarship during their 1st year and a 10% scholarship for subsequent years. From the age of 7-18 male students may be assigned chores and they & their families may be asked to help out at events in exchange for their scholarship.
SIBLING DISCOUNT: When 2 siblings’ combined monthly tuition totals $800 or more, or 3 siblings’ combined monthly tuition totals $1195 or more, their families will receive an 8% discount on their regular monthly school year tuition. Families with a student receiving the Male Ballet scholarship are not eligible for a Sibling Discount. Families receiving a sibling discount may be asked to help out at events when needed.

REFERRAL PROGRAM
If a registered student/their family refers someone to ADA and the referred student registers for the school year and attends at least 3 months of the school year, the referring student gets $100 off their May tuition!

LEVEL & PROGRAM PLACEMENT Students are initially assigned to a level & program based on experience and age. Current students’ placement into the recommended level of one of our 3 programs (Full Program, Half Program, Open Enrollment) for the following school year will be made available to them on the registration page of the Online Portal when school year registration opens and the registration process begins. The program(s) and classes that students are recommended for will be the list of options to choose from during the registration process. Current families will be emailed with the specific date & time registration opens, which will be between early May and early June.
We aim to guide each & every student to fi nd their most refi ned dancing, so after consistently seeing a student in a certain level for any length of time, we may recommend additional and/or alternative levels’ classes/programs in order to better guide them. The Academy instructors will recommend a course of study that is appropriate for each student as an individual.
It is not appropriate for parents/guardians to suggest a higher level of training for a student. We ask parents to please keep in mind that being in advanced classes does not make a student an advanced dancer; students must progress through the levels learning the basis of steps and achieving certain technical milestones before being able to attempt advanced steps. The objective is not to know and do advanced steps, but to do every step, including the most basic ones, with as much technical refinement as possible.
Current school year students must continue to train at the same level during the SUMMER as they were during the school year. New students who participate in ADA’s summer session will be evaluated and given class recommendations for the upcoming school year.
Students wanting to train on POINTE must first join Pre-Pointe classes and will be recommended for Pointe when they are technically strong enough. New Pointe students attend a separate mini course before joining regular classes on Pointe. Pre Pointe & Pointe classes are available to students training in the Half or Full Programs.

CHANGE OF TEACHER
If the scheduled teacher is unable to teach their class for whatever reason and for any length of time, we will fi nd an equally qualified teacher to substitute for them. If we are unable to fi nd a substitute, we will combine the class into another class that is as comparable as possible.
Refunds and credits will NOT be issued when a teacher is changed.

STUDENT ETIQUETTE
Academy students are expected to be kind, respectful & supportive of their peers and Academy faculty & staff at all times; in classes, in any part of the facility, at the theater, even in their everyday life.
During classes, the following is expected of all students. Parents/guardians, please encourage your child to read this checklist, which is also posted in the online portal:
– No leaving the studio during class time for any reason, if possible. We recommend students bring a reusable metal bottle, fill it with water before class, and bring it into the studio with them. If students need to use the restroom, they must go one at a time. This is to avoid any groups leaving class together and misbehaving while unsupervised.
– No Talking. Unless students are answering or asking a question of their teacher they must be quiet. If they would like to ask a question, they must first raise their hand.
– Be in uniform. This includes having a clean & nice looking leotard/unitard/t-shirt, tights & shoes, as well as neat hair. Students must wear their attire & hair so that it does not require constant adjustments.
– Be on time. It is important to get into the mindset of dance class beforehand. If students are late, they must wait OUTSIDE the class until the exercise in progress finishes and then enter quietly.
– Demeanor. Students need to present themselves as positive & interested dancers. Even when not dancing, students can maintain good posture & an outwardly interested facial expression.
– Work ethic. We dance for enjoyment but we are also training to get better. Before and after class, students need to warm up and/or stretch. During class students need to be prepared for each exercise immediately and without fidgeting. Students need to use all of their class time efficiently; when waiting on the side, they need to work on their corrections and/or stretching & strengthening.
– Respect. Students must be respectful of teachers, accompanists, other students and themselves. They need to give other students space when they are performing an exercise and keep clear of the teacher’s & accompanist’s line of sight. When class is finished, they need to thank their teacher verbally & with a curtsey or handshake.
– Belongings. Students need to bring their bag into the room with them and keep it zipped. It must be put somewhere that will not be in the way of classwork, i.e. on the window sill.
Theft has happened in the past and students must keep track of their belongings.
– Portable devices of any kind may not be used at any time during class, except with the teacher’s permission. Students’ devices may be kept by the teacher for the duration of class if device usage becomes a consistent distraction.

CONFLICT RESOLUTION POLICY AND PROCEDURE
Families who contact ADA about an issue they’re having with another student/family will be referred to Linda Minnella who in addition to being a faculty member is a certified counselor. Miss Minnella will then alert the teachers of those students that there’s a potential issue so that it can be closely monitored until a resolution is reached. She will then contact each family to get their perspective of what is going on, decide on the best option for resolution and share it with the Mishoes for implementation. Disciplinary action including suspension or removal from certain classes/performances may be taken, but should this occur, we as a faculty & staff will never hold this against a child and it will not affect their future standing at ADA.

ATTENDANCE
We value good attendance. If you're not in class, you're not going to learn what’s needed to improve your dancing. Good attendance enables students to achieve their technical goals, keeps them strong and helps prevent injury from inconsistent training. Please note that, at the teacher’s discretion, a student may be marked absent if they are sitting for any portion of the class.
Keeping track of your absences and make-ups is your responsibility and can easily be done in the “Attendance” section of our Online Portal. As soon as attendance for a particular class is taken it shows up in the Online Portal, so you can instantly see an absence in order to plan a make-up. Make-ups may also be done in advance of a known future absence.
If you do not attend a class and do not provide us with a doctor’s note or a “Drop Class Form”, we will expect you to make-up these absences and honor your payment schedule.
You will be notified after 3+ consecutive weeks of absences in any class.
Please note our strict Performance Prep class attendance policy below the “Injury Illness” section.
School Year closing dates that should be made up will be marked as absences at the beginning of the School Year and may be seen in the “Attendance” section of our Online Portal. These closing days are also listed in the “Calendar” section of our Online Portal as “Events”.
These closings are on or around the following public holidays; Thanksgiving Weekend, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Presidents’ Day Weekend and Memorial Day Weekend.
Any closings due to inclement weather or other issues out of our control will also be marked as absences. If we have excessive closings due to inclement weather or other issues, we will schedule make-up days.

CLOSINGS DUE TO INCLEMENT WEATHER or ISSUES BEYOND OUR CONTROL
The Academy will close when the Faculty and Staff are unable to make it in due to inclement weather or for other issues beyond our control (i.e. a power outage). As soon as possible, when we have to close under these circumstances, we will send email and/or text announcements as well as post on our website and in our Facebook and Instagram stories:
ADANJ.com
Facebook.com/AcademyDanceArts
Instagram.com/academyofdanceartsnj
Any closings due to inclement weather or other issues out of our control will be marked as absences that students can make-up, but they are considered excused absences. If we have excessive closings due to inclement weather or other issues, we will schedule make-up days.
The Academy will only offer credits for unscheduled closures when ample make-up opportunities are unable to be offered.

MAKE-UP POLICY
If you are a registered student and you miss a class you may make-up this class. Make-ups may only be done in a class you’ve been recommended for or in a lower level. You may not make-up in a higher-level class, a Performance Prep class or during Observation Weeks unless you’ve received permission to do so. Make-ups may also be done in advance of an absence. You must present a make-up pass to the teacher with your name, the date and the class you are making up in, in order to receive credit for a make-up. Make-up passes are available at the Reception Window. It is not mandatory to do make-ups, but it is highly recommended to ensure consistent progress and get the most out of your training.
Full Program students have the option of doing unlimited make-ups as part of their program.
Dropping a class to be used as a make-up is not recommended as it is a reduction of training and less training usually prevents a student from achieving their technical goals. If, at the end of the school year or summer, your total make-up hours exceed your total absences, the fee for the excess classes will be billed to your account at their current hourly rate.
Classes missed for Company of Dance Arts and YAGP rehearsals, coaching and performances as well as closings due to inclement weather or other issues out of our control should be made-up if possible, but these are considered excused absences.
If a student sits out and observes their class, they will be marked as absent. The teacher will include a note that the student observed in class so that the office is aware. This approach provides the student with an opportunity to do a make-up class when they are able.
Absences during the weekly SUMMER classes may only be made-up during the current weekly summer classes.
If you are only able to attend a portion of the weekly summer classes for which you are registered, you will be billed the full amount for the classes and may complete make-ups during the weeks you are present.

TARDINESS
It is disruptive to the teacher and other students to have latecomers entering the class. If you are late for a class, wait until the exercise in progress fi nishes before entering the studio. If you are more than 20 minutes late to class, we recommend foregoing that class and completing a make-up in another class.

WITHDRAWALS & EXTENDED ABSENCES
If you cannot attend a class due to an injury or illness, and provide a doctor’s note stating that the student cannot dance, we will adjust tuition as outlined below: 1. Tuition will be paused for 2 day Half Program and Open Enrollment students if they will miss more than 4 weeks 2. Tuition will be paused for 3 day Half Program students if they will miss more than 3 weeks 3. Tuition will be paused for Full Program students if they will miss more than 2 weeks
They will become excused absences that cannot be made up.
During the School Year, if you drop a class for any reason other than an injury or illness with a doctor’s note, and the drop happens after tuition has been posted on the 15th for the following month, the full tuition amount posted to your account for that month is still due. Tuition amounts will be adjusted as of the following month’s tuition posting.
During the Summer Session, if you drop a class for any reason other than an injury or illness with a doctor’s note, the unused portion of refundable tuition will be given as a credit for use during the summer session. Please note, the summer registration fee and 50% tuition deposit are non-refundable and will not be credited to your account.
Verbal notification is not sufficient for withdrawals and you will continue to be billed until a “Drop Class Form” is submitted to the office.

INJURY & ILLNESS
Our policy is to immediately ice any injury and then notify the student’s guardian of the occurrence. Ice packs are always available in our office. Each teacher has an office key in case injury occurs after the office is closed.
In the case of a medical emergency we will call 911 before notifying the students' guardians.
Students are asked to stay home when they are not feeling well and are potentially contagious. If a student must attend when they’re not well, they will be asked to wear a face covering and keep their distance from other students if possible.
Students sanitize the ballet barres after use and hand sanitizer dispensers are placed throughout The Academy’s facility.

SCHOOL YEAR PERFORMANCE PREP CLASSES
The Academy does not hold an all-school recital at the end of the school year, but rather, certain classes are designated as “Performance Prep” or “Perf Prep” classes. These classes work on existing dance repertoire or new choreography and perform in a theater (Levels 5 and up) or in-studio (Levels 4 and below). Attendance in general, but especially in Perf Prep classes, must be excellent. To benefit your dancing, ensure a high quality performance and to be fair to your fellow classmates and instructor, we adhere strictly to the following policy: IF A STUDENT’S ATTENDANCE IN ANY OR ALL OF THEIR CLASSES IS NEGATIVELY AFFECTING THE QUALITY OF A PERFORMANCE PIECE, AT THE TEACHER’S DISCRETION THEY MAY BE REMOVED FROM ALL OR PART OF THE PIECE OR MADE AN UNDERSTUDY. If a student is removed from a piece, they may receive a credit for the classes that occur after their removal from the piece.
If a student is made an understudy a credit will not be issued. We recommend you keep track of your own attendance which is very easy to do in the “Attendance” section of our Online Portal.

DRESS CODE
In order to maintain a focused classroom, eliminate distractions and facilitate a professional and respectful environment, we require a dress code. Please check our online store to find the uniform requirements. Uniform leotards/t-shirts must be purchased in ADA’s online store while other items like tights and shoes may be purchased at local dancewear stores like Coppelia in Spring Lake, NJ or online. Hair must be secured away from the face and styled in a bun or similar and/or with a headband and/or using a hair product.
SUMMER students are not required to have the uniform leotard, but they are otherwise required to adhere to the same dress code as school year students.
School Year students must order all uniform items as soon as possible as orders take 4-6 weeks to be fulfilled. We recommend placing uniform orders in July if possible. Students may not be admitted to class without the required attire. Uniform checks are done on a regular basis to ensure students are adhering to the dress code.

DANCE SHOES
Only wear your dance shoes in the studios at The Academy - do not wear them outdoors! If you wear your shoes outdoors and then in the studios, you will track dirt and potentially dangerous debris into the studios. Dirt/dust can make the dance floors slippery. Please do not wear black leather or dyed shoes in the studios, as these can scuff the floors.

STREET SHOES
Please DO NOT wear your street shoes into the dance studios. This policy is in place so that no dirt is tracked through the hallways and inadvertently into the studios. If you wear your street shoes in the studios, you will track dirt and potentially dangerous debris into the studios. Dirt/dust can make the dance floors slippery.

CHANGING ROOMS
There are gender neutral restrooms with stalls and a Changing Room for all students to utilize. Students should knock before entering, then close the Changing Room door and switch the door sign to “Occupied” for privacy. Do not leave any unattended valuables in the restrooms or Changing Room.
The restrooms at the rear of the space may only be used by students ages 18 and under.
All adults may only use the lobby restroom. Parents/Guardians, if you need to change your child please do so in the lobby restroom or changing room.
Please use coat hooks at the beginning of the hallway. Students, please take your bag into the studio with you and put it on the window sill so the hallways and dance floors stay free and clear.

BEYOND THE CHANGING ROOM
The hallways beyond the Changing Room and leading to Studio 5 are only to be accessed by
students and staff . The library is for students only.
If parents/guardians need to reach students they may ask for assistance at the reception window.

LOBBY
Parents/Guardians of students are welcome to use the lobby to wait. Parents/Guardians of students in levels 2 and below MUST wait in the lobby and we suggest you show your child where you will be waiting in case they need you during their class. We are happy to offer free Wifi in our lobby. You may eat and drink in the lobby, but please do not use glass containers (if they break, dangerous shards of glass could end up being stepped on by bare footed dancers!)

FOOD & DRINK
Food & drinks other than water may not be consumed in the Studios. Gum is not allowed in dance class as it is a choking hazard and can damage the dance fl ooring and other equipment if accidentally expelled. Students should eat in the lobby or the hallways, provided they leave a space for other students, faculty & staff to walk through. Please do not eat in the Library. All waste MUST be disposed of in a trash can and any spills or crumbs must be cleaned up immediately. Cleaning supplies are available at the front desk when needed.

CONFERENCES
The directors/faculty’s time outside of their teaching hours is very limited. For this reason we ask that instead of requesting a conference to discuss future plans or any issues you start an email dialogue. If a conference is requested, we will need to know what the conference is about before scheduling and we request that the student be present. We fi nd it much more productive & beneficial for the student when they are present at a conference that pertains to them.
We encourage communication between all parties but please do not try to speak with a teacher in between classes – This will take away from their class time.

EXAMS
The Academy offers parent-observed Ballet Technique Assessments every school year to students in levels 5 and up. Assessments are held from April-June. Participating students receive a detailed report including notes on their dance technique and observing parents may gain further understanding on their child’s progress as well as the overall process of technical improvement.
Assessments are automatically scheduled for Full Program students and information will be distributed in the Spring. Open Enrollment and Half Program students may request an assessment for an additional fee.

COMPETITIONS
Full Program students are invited to participate in the Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP) competition. Participants may be coached on and have the opportunity to perform classical solos, modern & contemporary solos, ensembles and classical pas de deux. Students & Faculty decide together which of the above would be most beneficial for the student to study and perform at that time.
Half Program students may also be invited to participate in a YAGP ensemble. Please note that additional fees are associated with YAGP for all students. ADA generally does not participate in any other competitions unless it is determined by the directors/faculty that this would be beneficial for a student’s progress/career.