LVDA Tuition, Payment, Refunds, and Cancellations Policy
Registration: Registration will be complete with an online registration on our Lamoille Valley Dance Academy website www.lamoillevalleydance.com, along with a $30 Registration Fee per student, or a $50 Family Registration Fee for the entire academic year (September-May), and one of the payment options offered by LVDA.
Tuition: Tuition payment should accompany your Registration online by September 5, 2023. Tuition can be paid Annually, Semi-Annually, or quarterly. Quarterly payments are not available with enrollment in January. The Quarterly plan divides the classes into four equal payments and does not reflect the number of classes per month. The first payment is due with the registration on September 5, 2023, and the following payments are due on November 6, 2023, January 2, 2024, and March 11, 2024. Semi-Annual payments are due at registration and on January 2, 2024. Payments will be conveniently and automatically charged on a credit card if not paid on or prior to the due date. Although payments may be made with a check or cash, A CREDIT CARD MUST BE ON FILE for all families to ensure timely payment. A $25 Late Fee (per month) will be added to all payments not received within the five-day grace period following the proper payment date listed above. A $25 Penalty Fee will be charged for returned checks and declined cards. A $25 Administrative Fee will be charged for any classes dropped/changed by the student/family. (Example: drop a class at any time, $25 fee billed. Change from one class to another, NO fee charged). Please note Tuition Policies WILL BE STRICTLY ENFORCED. By registering with LVDA, families acknowledge the responsibility of making timely payments on their LVDA accounts. Although multiple individuals may be sharing tuition payments, the parent/guardian signing the registration form will ultimately be responsible for all fees.
Adding classes: No student or family may add additional classes if their account is not up to date and current. All accounts must be current for any additional classes to be added at any given point. This includes all tuition, registration fees, as well as costume and performance fees. The Artistic Director has the right to dismiss a student or family for unpaid tuition and a small claims court case may be taken if the account balance warrants such. A child may be dismissed from the spring production if balances are not paid. Proration is not granted, all tuition is charged based on the quarter, not the number of classes your child may have missed due to starting mid-quarter.
Discounts: Discounts are automatically applied to multiple class selections. The greater the number of class selections, the greater the discount per class.
Refunds: Please note that enrollment for LVDA’s program is for the entire academic year September 5, 2023, through June 2, 2024. There are no refunds, although credits may apply if a student withdraws before January 2, 2024. There is no credit option after January 2, 2024. Missed classes may be made-up with other classes, pending teacher approval. A written notice or email is required for withdrawal, or the student is considered still registered at LVDA and tuition payments will continue to be charged.
Credits: Credits that are applied to your account for any reason that occurs before January 2, 2024, are valid for the remainder of the current dance year and one year after that date. After such time your credit will be forfeited.
Class Cancellations: Canceled classes for any reason such as snow days or illness of an instructor will be announced/posted on the LVDA voicemail, the website, and the LVDA Families Info Facebook page after 1:00 pm. Due to changing weather conditions, school closings DO NOT automatically indicate class cancellations. LVDA classes WILL BE IN SESSION during in-service school closings. Every effort will be made to make up cancellations due to weather, however, this may not always be possible.
Dismissal of a Family/Student: LVDA reserves the right to dismiss any student and/or family for any just cause, not limited to lack of payment. This dismissal may include entering the premises and or enrollment status. Refunds are not granted for any student/family who is dismissed for any reason. Professional and respectful behavior is expected at all times while on the premises of LVDA and or while attending an event representing LVDA. LVDA takes pride in its strong community of staff and families that share the common goal of creating an educational and enriching program in the arts for our youth. We strive to maintain this community bond by prioritizing respect, kindness, and patience amongst our staff, students, and families
LVDA Costume, Performance, and Video/Photography Policy
Production Info: All Students participating in the Spring performance are required to purchase a costume. This fee will cover the costume, headpiece, and accessories unless otherwise specified. The costume fee also includes fittings, alterations, and some original costume designs/creations. Some additional fees may be required for principal/soloist dancers who require costlier costuming. LVDA is known for its quality and specifically tailored costumes for our professional productions. Tights and shoes are not included in the costume fee and are the sole responsibility of the dancer. Costume fees are outlined below.
All families/students are responsible for knowing, planning for, and attending all scheduled Full Academy Studio Rehearsal dates as listed in the Annual Calendar and Theater Week Rehearsal (to be scheduled at a later time). All rehearsal dates and times will be communicated by the Artistic Director in preparation for the spring production. All students participating in the spring production are subject to a performance fee. This fee covers additional hours of training, coaching, performance preparations, and theater rehearsals. This fee also offsets the theater rental, technical crew, production sets, and show advertisements.
As noted in our policies in regard to placement levels, this is at the discretion of the Artistic Director. Oftentimes when preparing for the year-end performance, dancers are asked to change or join other classes in order to choreograph dances for the performance. This is at no added cost to the family. Families and dancers must understand that such changes are only asked if critical to specific choreography and generally includes Principal Dancers only, however, may include other dancers. These placements are not permanent and do not signify that your dancer has gone up or down in levels, but simply are meant for choreography and production requirements.
Costume Fees: These fees are due on December 8, 2023. The cost is $75.00 per costume (Ballet 4 and 5 will be $95.00). Your family should budget one costume fee per enrolled class. Payments for such fees can be made ahead of time to avoid a large bill at one time if needed. Principal and soloist dancers may not need a costume for each dance class. This information will be shared as soon as that decision is made. If payment has been made, this will be a credit on your account.
Performance Fee: This fee is due on December 8, 2023. The fee is $75 per dancer and is required for all dancers participating in the spring production.
Parent Volunteers: LVDA relies on parent volunteers for the Spring Production. It is highly encouraged and greatly appreciated that each family has one parent volunteer for one show. There will be two performances, therefore parents can watch one show and volunteer for the other. This ensures that our students have all the support they need backstage. It takes a massive amount of parent support to ensure this production goes smoothly. There are many positions available for volunteering. The backstage managers will be responsible for relaying such positions and ensuring the volunteer is in a role that he/she feels comfortable and confident in. These include but are not limited to: ticket sales, distributing programs, flower sales, bake sales, stage runners, quick costume changes, props, dressing room supervisors, and much more. We will be adding a fee of $45.00 to each student’s account who does not have a parent volunteer. This will allow us to compensate the families who are volunteering for both shows and missing the opportunity to watch their child’s performance.
Video and Photography: We ask that you tag Lamoille Valley Dance Academy when posting photos or videos of your child on social media. LVDA is not responsible for personal video or photography of children in classes or rehearsals taken by parents during Parent Observation Week and LVDA rehearsals that may be shared on social media, other than the LVDA Families Info Facebook page. If you do not want your child photographed or videoed during these events, please let the instructor know at the start of class. Video is strictly prohibited during the LVDA spring production and holiday shows, technical or dress rehearsals, as well as LVDA Company shows/rehearsals, unless designated otherwise by the Artistic Director.
LVDA Class, Enrollment, and Attire Policy
Program Enrollment: Enrollment in any LVDA Training Program covers all components of instruction. Instruction includes technique and skill building, dance/gymnastics vocabulary, choreography, performance and presentation coaching, rehearsals, and production preparations. Enrollment at LVDA provides the highest quality of instruction through its structured, disciplined, and multi-faceted training program.
Class Attendance: Consistent class attendance of LVDA students is required to ensure proper progression and camaraderie with fellow students. Absences may be made up during the same month of the absence in another class pending Director approval. Multiple missed classes may result in dismissal from the program or the inability to perform at the end of the year performance with no tuition reimbursement. Please refer to the 2023-2024 Annual Calendar.
Class Placement: Level placement for students will be decided strictly by the Artistic Director and LVDA faculty. A student typically remains in a class level for at least 2-3 years, and sometimes longer, depending on the student’s age and progress. LVDA attempts to keep class groups together, in order to advance the class as a whole at an increased pace. The LVDA staff carefully assesses each student physically, developmentally, and socially when determining proper level placement. The first month of classes for new students is considered an assessment period for proper placement. During this time, students may be switched to a class level that best suits their needs. For returning students, level placement will be emailed prior to registration. It is our goal to provide the highest quality of instruction and to ensure the student’s progression, improvement, and enjoyment in LVDA classes. We ask that you acknowledge and respect the expertise of the Artistic Director and faculty in establishing proper level placement for your student.
Pointe: Pointe work requires a number of factors to be met before a dancer is promoted to dancing on pointe. A student must achieve an adequate level of ballet technique, strength, agility, balance, stamina, and dance vocabulary, along with the proper age to be able to go into pointe shoes. A dancer’s safety is of utmost importance and the Artistic Director will not allow a student to go on pointe until they have met the criteria. The decision to promote a dancer to pointe is solely the decision of the Artistic Director. A dancer typically studies pointe work in class for two years before performing on pointe for the spring production. This timeline may vary as dancers progress at different rates.
Dance/Gymnastics Attire: Proper dance/gymnastics attire and hair requirements are mandatory at LVDA. Students not properly dressed or with loose hair WILL NOT BE ALLOWED to participate in class. Proper attire and hairstyle teach the student the importance of being properly prepared and well-groomed for the activity. Proper attire is also a safety issue. Please see our brochure and website for all attire details specific to each class. Attire protocol will be STRICTLY enforced.
LVDA Safety Protocol and Illness Policy
These policies are subject to change based on guidelines and recommendations from the Governor, CDC and or the Vermont Department of Health. The health and safety of our children, staff and families is of utmost importance to us at LVDA.
All families and dancers are to be excluded from the Dance Studio if they have had a fever of 101 or higher in the past 24 hours and have had to take a fever reducer to bring down a fever. Temperature Checks may be taken if we feel it is necessary. Children will be sent home if they appear ill during class and will not be allowed back to LVDA for 24 hours if they have a fever, or multiple symptoms including cough, runny nose, sore throat, unexplained rash, shortness of breath ect. without the use of fever reducers. Credits will not be granted for missed class time.
Other illnesses that result in exclusion include:
Lice/Nits (We have a no-nit policy at LVDA. We ask that you inform an instructor if you have been around someone with Lice and have thoroughly checked your child’s hair)
* Covid-19 (Covid positive students/families may need to be excluded for 5 days after testing positive or symptoms began)
* Strep Throat (until on medication for 24 hours)
* Flu (until fever and symptoms are no longer present)
* Stomach Bug (until symptoms are no longer present, and water/food intake is normalized)
* Coxsackie (hand, foot, and mouth disease) until blisters are no longer appearing and are in the healing phase and fever is no longer present.
If your child has been diagnosed with any other illness or contagious disease other than what is noted above, please call or email the Artistic Director immediately and ask about attendance prior to bringing your children. We want to ensure we prevent the spread of any illness to the best of our ability.
All students shall wash hands or use hand sanitizer upon entering the Waiting Area and getting dressed for class. Parents who remain in the Waiting Area during class time are advised to wash hands or use hand sanitizer, as well. LVDA has the right to limit the number of family members in the lobby area to ensure safe social distancing guidelines if advised or warranted. Space is prioritized for students waiting to enter class, or for those exiting a class.
All frequently used areas are sanitized daily and multiple times daily with disinfectant cleaner, disinfectant spray, and disinfectant wipes. The studio is thoroughly vacuumed, mopped, and disinfected once per week, and otherwise in between when and if necessary.
LVDA Risk and Liability Waiver
I fully understand and acknowledge that dance and gymnastics have inherent risks, dangers, and hazards. Such exists in my or my child’s use of any LVDA equipment and participation in LVDA activities. I hereby assume all risks, dangers, and responsibility for my or my child’s actions while on the premises of LVDA., including inside the studio and the Waiting Room. By voluntarily signing this waiver, I agree to exempt and relieve LVDA and its representatives, employees, and volunteers from liability for personal injury, property damage, or wrongful death caused by negligence or any other cause.
LVDA Premises Protocol and Studio Communication
LVDA Premises Protocol: All LVDA families will use the front Main St. entrance of the Village Studio to enter or exit the building. Absolutely no use of the side door that leads to the playground area. This area is off-limits to LVDA. No food, drink (except water in a non-breakable, kid-friendly bottle), snacks, candy, gum, etc. are allowed in the studio/class. No screw-top water bottles are allowed for younger students. Students/Parents must not leave leftover food, drink, or garbage in the Waiting Room. All garbage must be deposited into the garbage containers. ABSOLUTELY NO diapers, wet food, or containers with liquid/ice allowed in any LVDA garbage containers. LVDA asks that all parents be mindful of their children’s belongings and waste by checking after children in the Waiting Room and bathrooms. LVDA strives to maintain a clean, tidy, sanitized, and safe environment.
Parent/Caregiver Responsibilities: A student 10 years of age or younger must be supervised by that student’s parent/caregiver before class and all students picked up promptly after class has ended. Parents must not rely on other present adults for supervision unless prearranged. At the Home Studio location, students and families (who do not drop off and leave) must remain on the studio site and refrain from wandering into the residential area for reasons of liability. At the Village Studio location, LVDA is not responsible for any children/families in the playground between the building entrances (this area is off-limits to LVDA) or the front lawn or walkways. Absolutely no smoking on any of the LVDA premises, or within 50 feet of the entrance.
Waiting Room Conduct: Students will remain calm and well-behaved while in the Waiting Room before and after class. Any student found behaving in a disorderly manner will be dealt with accordingly. Continued misconduct may result in dismissal from LVDA with no tuition reimbursement.
Studio Announcements: Parents are asked to reference and familiarize themselves with our Annual Calendar located in the LVDA Brochure and LVDA website. Parents are asked to read all notices posted on the Studio Bulletin Board, the Entry Whiteboard, LVDA Families Info Facebook page, emails, lamoillevalleydance.com, and any notifications through the LVDA Parent Portal. Parents must be responsible and proactive in keeping informed of current LVDA information and updates. It is encouraged to mark all important dates on your calendars. A meeting is held during the month of rehearsals for all parent volunteers. This meeting is critical to the performance and it’s highly encouraged for all parent volunteers to attend.