Essence Studios Every-day Rules
Be on time!
Hair should be neatly done.
Dance apparel should be clean and neat.
No chewing gum in class.
No food in the locker/dressing room.
Cell phones must be parked in studio door hanger.
No gossip in the dressing room.
No loitering in the dressing room; simply change and come to class.
Respect all staff, guests, and other dancers.
Be polite to others, and always speak nicely about others.
Only water bottles are allowed in the studio; no cups, nor food.
Please stretch outside the studios, until right before your class time.
Show respect for the property of others. Leave bags and lunches alone.
Stealing is grounds for dismissal.
Bullying, tirades, or jealousy will not be tolerated.
Parents and siblings must wait in the lobby.
Behavior
All students and parents will be relatively quiet in the hallways to respect others, and allow others to prepare for dance class, or study. NOTE: No cell phones are allowed to be used in the studio at any time, unless for music or taping. There is a hanger for the cell phones by the door to place them safely. The studios are a place to work, improve technique, and focus on dance with no outside distraction. Smart watches or other smart devices must also be quieted or taken off prior to class.
There will be no rough-housing or inappropriate behavior in the hallways or locker rooms. The receptionist has full authority to maintain order and discipline. The hallway is for stretching, eating in the designated area, and studying. Continual misbehavior and disrespect by either parents or students to the teachers or to other students will be grounds for dismissal from Essence Studios.
Parents in general, as in most professional studios, are not allowed in the studio space unless invited in. The observation windows are often covered, as it is distracting to the students to see people at the window. Parents can wait in the lobby waiting area.
STUDENTS MUST BE MINDFUL THAT THEY REPRESENT ESSENCE STUDIOS WHEREVER THEY GO, AND BEHAVE PROPERLY AND BE CONSIDERATE OF OTHERS AT ALL TIMES.
Internet Conduct
Any reference by text messaging or on the internet (i.e. Facebook, Instagram, blogging, etc.) to Essence Studio’s name or initials, its artistic or administrative staff, or fellow students in a derogatory manner could be cause for suspension or expulsion from the school or Hope Garden Children’s Ballet Theatre. Photos related to or produced from Essence Studios or HGCBT may not be posted on the internet without prior approval from the Artistic Director.
Attendance
No refunds or credits are given for absences or missed classes. Dance students are urged to make up any missed classes in any class of the same level or below, and must notify the instructor or director by e-mail prior to taking it. Make-ups are not carried over from one semester to the next. There are no refunds if a child withdraws or is ill.
Essence Studios requests all parents to notify the director by e-mail, text or telephone when a class has to be missed for a family reason, religious holiday, educational reason, or illness. Regular attendance is essential to maintain and/or advance in your level. If an injury occurs, students should still observe the lesson to gain knowledge and not fall behind in the concepts or choreography being taught. In order for an absence to be considered excused, the Artistic Director must be notified in advance of the absence by phone or e-mail. Only 5 excused absences are allowed per semester, and excessive absenteeism will result in the student being excluded from the Fall or Spring show. For Intermediate and above, any outside performances, master classes, contests, or auditions require permission from the director, and if they require many classes to be missed, then participation in the end of semester performance will necessarily be limited or will result in your replacement in choreography.
Intermediate and advanced students are encouraged to take a minimum of three to five weeks of summer intensives or classes, either at Essence Studios or at another institution to improve upon technique and artistry.
Tardiness
Students should arrive early in order to be fully prepared and ready to dance when the teacher opens the studio door and signals that students may enter. Students will not be permitted to dance if they arrive more than 10 min late to class, and will then be asked to sit off to the side to observe and take notes if possible. For the younger levels, Ballet I-IV, it is especially essential that the student arrive prepared and on time due to the shorter class period.
If class has begun, the student should report to the receptionist, and stand visibly by the door until asked to join the class by the instructor. Do not enter the classroom when music is being played, and enter carefully. It is rude and disrespectful to be late, and part of dance training is to learn time management. As the saying goes, arriving early is on time, and on time is late. If a student or parent/guardian knows tardiness is unavoidable for a certain class, please alert the studio by phone or email prior to the start of class.
Enrollment Deadline For Performing
Enrollment for Fall and Spring semesters is open, meaning any student can register and join a class at any time. However, to be a part of the Semester-end performances, a student must be fully enrolled at least 5 weeks prior to the announced performance dates. In addition, perfect attendance is required for those 5 weeks leading up to the performances. This ensures that the student feels confident enough in the choreography to be on stage, and it also provides our instructors with enough time to teach the new student the choreography, and make any necessary changes or adjustments.
Suspension and Termination
There is a strict policy of no smoking, illegal drug use, or alcohol use at any time by Essence Studios students. Any student with these infractions will be immediately suspended from the Studio.
Claire Jones, the Artistic Director of both Essence Studios and HGCBT, may dismiss any family, parent, or student from the school or company for breaking the rules, not abiding by the policies, for being uncooperative, disruptive, rude, destructive, or for endangering the health, safety and welfare of her/himself or others.
Dress Code
Please see our Dress Code page for details.
Weather
Please see our Inclement Weather page for details.
Locker Rooms
All Intermediate level and above students may have a locker, though the locker room itself is a public area for all students and guests. Therefore, there is to be no loitering, eating, gossiping, or inappropriate behavior permitted in the bathroom. Parents will be informed if any of this occurs, and proper measures will be taken upon meeting with Miss Claire. Younger students have cubbies (not reserved), and hooks in the hallway for daily use.
Waiting Areas
The lounging areas are for eating, doing homework, and waiting/stretching before class. Students must be courteous of others and relatively quiet. Parents are asked not to hover outside the studio doors so as to not cause congestion. They may view their student taking class through the windows of Studio A and B. Please clean up and report any food or drink spills.
Arriving and Departing
Students may be dropped off at the front entrance of Essence Studios, but please do not linger in the handicapped space as other students are coming and going. Do not park in front of the Beer and Wine store for long periods. Please use caution in the parking lot. Students should cover their ballet attire with a skirt or shorts and not walk around outside in ballet attire as it is inappropriate and unprofessional (See “Dress Code”). Ballet shoes should never be worn outdoors as it ruins them and tracks dirt into the studio. Please caution your children about the danger of car traffic in the parking lot. All Essence students below Intermediate MUST ask permission of his or her teacher or the receptionist before he/she leaves the school for any reason, even going to Subway, as we are responsible for the children once they arrive on premises.
Teachers and Conferences
Parents should communicate with the Artistic Director ideally through e-mail or telephone. Thoughtful responses to your child’s progress, goals, or behavior is best addressed in a scheduled conference, be it in person or over the phone, when there is time to properly address the issue. Instructors cannot effectively deal with questions when they are about to start class or between classes, so feel free to set up an appointment. Miss Claire, as Artistic Director, makes all final decisions on placement, with the teachers’ input. Therefore, do not suddenly approach the teachers about your child’s placement or progress.
Communication
E-mail is the preferred method of communication for the studio. If emailing the studio please put “student question” in the subject line. Miss Claire or other staff will reply as soon as possible. Basic questions can also be directed to the receptionist, while more detailed questions should be directed to Miss Claire. If Miss Claire is teaching, please send an email, or leave a message on the studio phone. In case of emergency, if leaving a message on the office phone is not an option, please call Miss Claire’s cell phone: (240)-750-9327.
It is the responsibility of the parents to read all emails from Essence Studios to get necessary information, updates, and reminders regarding registration, rehearsals, cast changes, schedule changes, and any other news surrounding the studio.
Forms and Other Documents
Hard copies of forms and other communications will be found at the reception desk. Please hand in any signed forms or other documents to the receptionist, or place them in the “IN” box on the reception desk.
Lost & Found
It is important that all students’ clothing be clearly labeled. The lost and found box is located at the end of the back hallway next to the cubbies. There is also an exchange box, where you can leave your child’s outgrown slippers, and ballet clothes, and freely pick up ones that others have left.
If you are registering:
In order to register, please download the Essence Studios Policy Agreement Form. This form must be signed by the student and a parent/guardian for child students to acknowledge that the above policies have been read and are understood. Hard copies of this form are also available at the front desk.
If there are any questions about the policies please ask the receptionist.