CLASS RULES AND ETIQUETTE

---

Arriving On Time: 

• Arrive 30 min before class start is recommended, to have enough time to properly warm up in order to avoid potential injury. Late arrival is disruptive to the other students, the teacher, and can set up the potential for injury if you do not have enough time to properly warm up.
• If you are late and the teacher lets you take class, or if you need to leave the room for some reason, please wait until the end of an exercises before you rejoin the class. You can stand quietly at the edge of the room until everyone finishes dancing and then you can join in on the next combination.
• If late for 15 minutes or more student cannot attend class, observe only.

Have a good attitude: 

• Leave personal/emotional problems outside of the studio. Do your best and have a positive attitude.

In the Studio:

• Absolutely no phones are allowed in the studio under any circumstances.
• No chewing gum, food, or drinks are allowed (except for a water bottle).
• Do not talk in class. It’s a time to concentrate on the teacher and on your own body, and your dancing improves with no distractions like comparing yourself to or gossiping with the person next to you. A good Ballet class has a quietly courteous atmosphere.
• If you get injured during class or pull a muscle, let the teacher know. Get ice, if possible, and watch the rest of class from the sidelines.
• If you have an injury prior to class, let the teacher know that you may not do everything full out.
• Don’t record or photograph anything without permission.
• Don’t “hang” or slouch on the barre or anywhere else, for that matter. Be attentive at all times, especially when waiting for your turn. And never sit down unless you are asked to.
• Let advanced students stand in front. Even if you arrived first, avoid the front of the room unless you know the combination.
• Change groups quickly, energetically ballet steps in the center.
• Body language is extremely important in ballet class. Ballet teachers are constantly ‘reading’ students’ bodies in order to give them specific instruction. If you are standing there with your arms crossed and/or slumping, the teacher will think you are bored or surly or uninterested. Please keep in mind that we are looking at you for the whole class, and how you stand, your facial expression and what you do with your arms tells us how well you are listening and whether or not you are interested in improving.
• Do not let your teacher see you yawn in class!
• Do not watch the clock for your teachers or tell them that class is over.
• If you have a question, please raise your hand and wait for the teacher – do not interrupt your teacher when they are in the middle of giving a combination or correction–unless it is an absolute emergency.
• Do not correct other students. That is the teacher’s responsibility.
• Do not correct the teacher. If the teacher has made a mistake (which is bound to happen) and it is causing confusion in the class, it is fine to politely ask for clarification. If you have a difference of opinion or philosophical perspective, it is best to save it for after class.
• Demonstrate good spatial awareness. This includes giving the instructor space, but don’t crowd those in the back of the room to do so.
• Be courteous and respectful. Stand-up and do curtsey when the instructor enters the room.  At the end of class, it’s especially courteous to say thanks to the instructor.
• Stow away the cell phone. Turn off—don’t just silence—your cell phone. Putting it on vibrate can still make distracting noise.
• Do not ask to go to the bathroom in the middle of barre. You should go before class and if you need to go after barre, you can ask your teacher. Of course if you have an emergency – we want you to take care of it.
• Don’t leave early. If it is a must, talk to the teacher before class.
• Be respectful to your fellow dancers, never ever laugh at them when they do something wrong.

Dress Code: 

• Dress appropriately and come prepared. Please mend ripped tights and wear leotards your level color.
• Look Good! Groom yourself to feel better in class. Take pride in the way you appear.
• No jewelry including necklaces, bracelets long earrings and/or wristwatches should not be worn during class.
• Please wear deodorant to class. And many people are sensitive to scents, so please avoid perfume.
• Never wear dance shoes outside the studio or wear street shoes in the studio.
• Your hair must be neatly pulled back and adequately secured.  Your hair also impacts your technique and can be a health and safety issue. Dancers who do not have their hair pulled back appropriately run the risk of creating bad habits, like unknowingly flicking their head to get their bangs out of their eyes, or not spotting because their hair hits them in the face when turning. If your hair is not secure, you may have to stop dancing and leave your dancing space, which causes any dancers who are dancing with you to lose their focus when you leave your spot. If they are behind you on a traveling step, it may actually cause a collision. Also, if your hairpins fall out, another student may slip on it.

Take correction well: If a teacher corrects you, congratulations!

• Take corrections with a positive mindset.
• All teachers want to see their students thrive and improve. It can be confusing for young dancers to understand that the only way to improve in ballet is to be corrected.
• If you hear a correction being given to another student, pay attention!
  There is a good chance it applies to you as well!
• A teacher will not ask a student to do something that they cannot achieve.

Keep it clean! 

• Respect the dance space. Pick up trash, your clothes, as a general rule, if you brought it in, take it out.
• This is a place of business; students/families must conduct themselves in a quiet, controlled, appropriate manner in all areas of the building. Young children should not be left unattended. No running.

Have FUN! 

Ultimately, this is YOUR class too, and you should be having a good time. Every teacher feels good when their students leave the room happy, so enjoy the process. Dance is an enriching experience, so be proud of your hard work, celebrate your accomplishments, and keep your eye on the continuing journey ahead.