2023-2024 Dance Season Guidelines

Dance Sessions

The Dance Season will be broken into three sessions:

• Session A: September 17 - November 4 (7 weeks)

• Session B: November 5 - December 22 (7 weeks - No classes the week of Thanksgiving)

• Session C: January 7 - May 11 (Dance Recital) (17 weeks - No classes the week of Lake Mills Area School District Spring Break)

Payments

Payments for the classes must be made on the first day of the dance session. Session B’s payment includes a $30 down payment for the costume. Session C is much longer than the other sessions, so it will cost more. 

If you need to set up a payment plan, please contact the RLAC office as soon as possible. There will also be an additional payment for costumes (see below).

Once the dance session or the costume payments are made, there will be no refunds.

Dress Code

Dancers can wear leotards or other clothing that allows them to move easily; however, proper dance shoes for the style of dance they are participating in are required for classes (ballet, tap or jazz). This is a safety issue. A student who is not equipped with the correct shoe may be asked to sit out of class for that day or asked to choose from the used shoe rack. We have some used dance shoes available for purchase, or you can trade in your old shoes. Please consider donating your old shoes that are still in good shape to be passed on to other dancers. 

When dancers arrive to class, their hair should be tied back so it is out of their face.

Please do not allow dancers to bring gum, food, or toys/fidgets to class with them. 

Attendance

When a dancer misses multiple classes, it can cause problems for the entire class - the instructor has a hard time preparing classes, must reteach what was taught in previous classes, and other dancers cannot move on to the next lesson while they wait for dancers to catch up. Therefore, if your dancer misses three or more classes, he or she will need to set up a private session with the instructor at an additional cost to the family. If a private session is not completed, the dancer will not be able to participate in the recital. 

Behavior

If a dancer is not paying attention, is causing distractions, or is being unsafe, he/she will have a supervised time out. The dancer will be asked to sit and watch what is going on in the class. If a dancer’s behavior regularly disrupts the class, the instructor will call a meeting with the parent. 

Dance Costumes

We will be ordering costumes for the recital in early December. 

• We will require a $30 down payment for the costume included in our Session B class payment.

• Costumes will need to be paid in full by March 8, 2024.

• Dancers will not receive their costumes until they are paid in full.

Overall, there are three payments for the dance sessions and one payment for the dance costumes for a total of four payments. 

Drop/Add Time

Because we must start preparing routines and ordering costumes, dancers must choose their classes by Session B. Once Session B begins, dancers cannot add other classes, and they will be expected to stay in their classes through Session C. Dancers will not be able to add classes during Session C, as we will have already begun preparations for the recital, including ordering costumes. 

Dress Rehearsal and Recital

The Dress Rehearsal is set to take place on Friday, May 10, with the recital on Saturday, May 11, 2024. 

We will confirm the times of the rehearsal and recital early during Session C. We will also send out details regarding hair and makeup closer to the recital, but please be aware that there are standards for hair and makeup. Without any makeup, the dancers’ faces will look very washed out on stage. 

The following details are subject to change based on how many classes we end up running during the 2023-2024 season:

• During the rehearsal, we will run through the show two times, but may allow the Pre-Ballet classes to leave after the first run through.

• Parents will not be allowed backstage during the dress rehearsal or the recital. 

• • We will have volunteers backstage to assist the dancers with costumes, hair and makeup. Please allow the volunteers to learn their roles during the rehearsal so that the recital goes smoothly. 

• A parent or adult must remain in the audience during the rehearsal.

• If there are any adaptations or modifications your dancer may require for the recital, please reach out to their instructor. 

It is the mission of the Rock Lake Activity Center to positively affect the health and wellness of the community through quality programming and activities. Through our dance program, we hope to instill a love of dance in each of our students that carries into their adult life.