Policies & Dress Code

Policies & Dress Code

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    Level Placement & Progress

    1. Early Childhood, Ballet 1/1X, Ballet 2/2X, Theater Dance 1/1X, Contemporary 1/1X, and Adult/Teen classes may register directly based on age and experience.
    2. Experienced dancers are encouraged to call or email the studio to arrange a placement assessment.
    3. At the end of each school year, dancers in our Early Childhood, Primary, Pre-Professional, Contemporary, and Theater Dance programs receive a progress report with their level placement for the following year.
    4. Progress Reports provide an overview of skills and movement foundations for younger dancers, and detailed feedback for older dancers, highlighting strengths and areas of focus.
    5. Our goal is to provide clear, supportive feedback that encourages each dancer’s growth while helping families understand how level placement is determined.

    Attendance

    1. Students should arrive 5 minutes prior to their scheduled class time.
    2. Please email the studio if the student will be absent or significantly late to class.
    3. If students arrive more than 10 minutes late for class, for safety reasons, they may be asked to observe class.  The beginning of class is essential for proper warm-up and organization of the body.
    4. Please pick up students promptly after class.
    5. Students have the option to make up a missed class in another section of the same level, a lower level, or a different genre of a similar level. We strongly encourage students to make every effort to attend their regularly scheduled classes.  Make-up classes are not available during the first three weeks of a session. Please email the studio to check availability and schedule a make-up class. 
    6. Students may not be able to participate in the Spring Showcase if they have excessive absences, greater than 20%.
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      Sick Policy

      To protect our PDA community, please follow these guidelines:

      1. Fever: Keep dancers home until they are fever-free for at least 24 hours without using fever-reducing medication.
      2. Other symptoms: Stay home with an excessive runny nose, excessive coughing, difficulty breathing, or if the dancer looks or acts ill.
      3. Gastrointestinal illness: Stay home if the student has had diarrhea or vomiting. They may return to class 24 hours after symptoms have stopped.

      Class Cancellation

      1. In the event of a mandated closure (i.e. COVID), classes will transition to a virtual format for the duration of the closure. Tuition is non-refundable.
      2. In the event of inclement weather, the Old City location will follow the School District of Philadelphia for weather related closures. The Ardmore location will follow the Lower Merion School District for weather related closures. 
      3. In the event of closure, families will be emailed, a message will be on the voicemail, and we will post on our social media.
      4. If an instructor is unable to teach a class, we find a qualified substitute. If under some extreme circumstance we cannot find a substitute, we will cancel class and schedule a make-up class.
      5. If a holiday or snow day falls on your scheduled day, you may make up the class with the same or similar level on a different day. Tuition will not be prorated or refunded, even if you are unable to make up the class.
      6. Private lessons must be cancelled at least 24 hours prior to the scheduled start time; otherwise full payment is due.

      Payment/Refund Policy

      1. School year tuition installments are automatically charged twice a year, on August 15 and January 15.  The credit card on file will be AUTOMATICALLY CHARGED unless payment has been made before due date.  Tuition in non-refundable.
      2. Summer tuition: a $50 deposit is due at the time of enrollment, the remaining balance is AUTOMATICALLY CHARGED two weeks prior to the start of the program.
      3. There is a weekly late payment fee of $25 and a returned check fee of $35
      4. The annual registration fee is non-refundable and automatically charged, per family, at the time of enrollment for an academic school year class.
      5. Sale of all leotards, costumes, and dancewear is final.

      This refund policy applies to all classes including Creative Movement and Pre-Ballet, regardless of changes in nap times, moving, time conflict, etc. We will try to accommodate schedule changes if there is space available in another class.

      Conduct

      1. Please treat all members of our PDA community with respect.
      2. Please act with kindness and contribute to the inclusive, positive culture of our studio.
      3. Please talk quietly in the reception area and hallways.
      4. Please do not bring strollers, scooters, or bikes into the lobby so that pathways can remain clear.
      5. Please refrain from running in the studios or hallways.
      6. Please no food or drink other than water in the studios.

      Arrival/Dismissal

      1. To minimize congestion, please have one adult accompany Early Childhood students for drop off.
      2. For Ballet 1 and higher, if you arrive late and there is no longer a staff member there to greet your dancer, please accompany your child to the studio door to ensure they enter class safely.
      3. All dancers, with the exception of Ballet 5/5X, 6/6X/7, and Teen/Adult, must be met by a parent or guardian at dismissal.
      4. Dancers in Ballet 5/5X, 6/6X/7, and Teen/Adult program dancers may be dismissed independently with written permission from a parent or guardian, if under 18 years old.
      5. Old City location - A code will be given to registered families via email for the glass door to the left of City Fitness Gym for access to the staircase to the third floor.  Ballet 1 and higher will be greeted at the door by a staff member.  Classes will exit through the back staircase near Studio C.  Pick-up is on Little Boys Court.
      6. Ardmore location - A code will be given to registered families via email for the lobby door.

      Communication

      1. Our primary method of communication is email. Please save phildanceacademy@gmail.com
        and noreply@jackrabbittech.com (our portal system) to ensure you receive all updates.
      2. We send a bi-monthly newsletter on the 1st and 15th of every month via Constant Contact with important reminders, faculty and student highlights, and special dance-related opportunities for our families. Click here to sign up.
      3. Stay connected by following us on Facebook and Instagram. We share reminders, behind-the-scenes highlights, and student features throughout the year! Instagram: @philadanceacademy Facebook: The Philadelphia Dance Academy.

      Dress Code

      1. Hair Neatly Secured: Hair must be secured away from the face – in a ballet bun or similar style for all students in Creative Movement, Pre-Ballet, and Ballet, and a bun or ponytail for Theater Dance and Contemporary Dance. If hair is too short for a bun, please wear a headband to secure hair away from face. Make-a-Bun kits are for sale at the front desk.  We unfortunately cannot lend hair supplies. We did, however, find a make-a-bun online tutorial. And one specifically for shorter hair.
      2. No Accessories: No jewelry, watches, skirts, tutus, legwarmers, or warm-ups. Skirts are permitted for Pointe class only.
      3. Attire: All female students in Ballet 1 and higher are required to wear pink tights and pink ballet slippers and/or pointe shoes OR tights and shoes to match as close to the student’s natural skin tone as possible. This will prevent a break in the visual “line,” from the top of their head to the tip of their toes. Students must follow the appropriate dress code for each level:
      Dance Together – Toddler/Caregiver white leotard, with no attached skirt or decorations (optional: white socks with ballet slippers); Caregiver-comfortable clothes, socks
      Creative Movement white leotard, with no attached skirt or decorations (optional: pink tights, flesh-toned tights, or white socks with pink or flesh-toned ballet slippers)
      Pre-Ballet 1 & 2 white leotard (with no attached skirt or decorations), pink tights, flesh-toned tights, or white socks with pink or flesh-toned ballet slippers (footed tights required for Annual Spring Showcase)
      Ballet 1/1X powder blue leotard, footed tights, and ballet slippers
      Ballet 2/2X royal blue leotard, footed tights, and ballet slippers
      Ballet 3/3X lavender or lilac leotard, footed or convertible tights, and ballet slippers
      Ballet 4/4X purple leotard (not eggplant/burgundy), footed or convertible tights and split-sole ballet slippers
      Ballet 5/5X turquoise leotard, footed or convertible tights and split-sole ballet slippers
      Ballet 6/6X black leotard, footed or convertible tights and split-sole ballet slippers
      Ballet 7 black leotard, footed or convertible tights and split-sole ballet slippers
      Pointe current level attire plus pink or flesh toned pointe shoes (skirt optional)
      Theater Dance black leotard/tank OR ballet level leotard OR Philadelphia Dance Academy tank/tee, footed tan tights OR black ankle-length fitted jazz ankle-length (no flare) pants/leggings, TAN jazz shoes (footed tan tights required for Annual Spring Showcase) Boys: Black jazz shoes
      Contemporary Dance solid color leotard/tank OR Philadelphia Dance Academy tank/tee, convertible tights OR leggings required (no bare legs), bare feet.
      Boys white tee shirt, black pants, white socks, white or black ballet slippers (black tights and black slippers for boys in Pre-Professional program; black jazz shoes for Theater Dance; tights and slippers in other colors might be required for Nutcracker or Annual Spring Showcase); black jazz shoes for Theater Dance
      Non-Binary level-specific boys or girls dress code (see above)
      Teen Intermediate Ballet solid color leotard/tank OR Philadelphia Dance Academy tank/tee, tights OR leggings required. Ballet shoes are required. Skirts are optional. Hair should be in a ballet bun or similar style.
      Adult/Teen Ballet There is no required dress code for Adult Classes. We recommend a leotard and tights or form-fitting activewear. Ballet shoes are required. We strongly recommend securing the hair away from the face in a bun or similar style.
      Summer Camps/Intensives solid color leotard with no attached skirt, convertible tights (can be worn footed or rolled up to be footless), ballet shoes. It is not necessary to purchase jazz shoes. Skirts are optional. Hair should be in a ballet bun or similar secured style.