STUDIO POLICIES WAIVER:
Commitment Expectations & Showcase:
All dancers enrolled in the Showcase and Company programs are expected to participate in our year end Showcase performances, tech rehearsals, dress rehearsals, and photo days. These dates are listed under our Important Dates section of our website. Please ensure that these dates are a priority and that you/your dancer can commit to these events before enrolling into the Showcase or Company program.
All performing dancers will be asked to wear make-up for performances and photos. Make-up is worn to enhance the features of the dancer under stage and photography lights. Please ensure that you have practiced makeup application ahead of time if stage makeup is new to you.
All performing dancers will be asked to have specific hairstyles for each routine for performances and photos. Please ensure you have neat hair for these events, and that you have practiced ahead of time if dance hair is new to you.
If a dancer is unable to attend the year end Showcase without valid emergency or medical reason and notifies the studio with less than 1 month notice, they will be charged a $100.00 re blocking fee.
All dancers are expected to have excellent attendance. If a dancer shows lack of commitment, such as missing significant amount of classes without medical or family emergency reasons, they may be removed from their spot, a portion of the routine, or the choreography altogether.
Excellent attendance is vital for progression in a dancer’s education, and becomes increasingly more important as we near our showcase. Please ensure you/your dancer can commit to attending classes regularly before registering for the Showcase or Company program.
The Company program has a special set of expectations, policies, and fees. Upon enrolling into the Company program, you are agreeing to these terms. Company program expectations, policies, and fees are outlined in the Company Registration Package, and signed at time of registration. Before registering for the Company program, please ensure that you/your dancer can commit to what is required for this program.
Costumes & Costume Care:
Costumes will not be handed out until fees are paid in full.
Costumes are irreplaceable and should be treated with the utmost care.
Please do not wear your costume outside of the studio or performances before the end of the dance season.
When storing costumes, always ensure they are hung up neatly in a garment bag. Garment bags can be purchased at the dollar store for $1.25, though we recommend dancers invest in a reusable, higher quality, more durable garment bag from Walmart or Silhouette.
Please carefully examine costumes for any wrinkles prior to performances. Steam costumes carefully to remove wrinkles. Do not iron!
Do not wash costumes in the washing machine. If needed, some costumes may be hand washed gently and must be hung to dry. Always consult your instructor or the director before washing costumes.
As many of our competitive costumes are re-used and borrowed to save on costume fees, please take extra special care of the costumes that will be returned to other dancers at the end of the dance season.
Please use body glue to secure costumes and bodysuits where necessary. Body glue can be purchased at Silhouette.
Behaviour Expectations:
VIREO is an inclusive, family-oriented dance studio. Each dancer at VIREO is expected to embody our philosophy of positivity and inclusivity by encouraging each dancer at the studio, and treating everyone (from dancers to instructors to parents to siblings) with the utmost kindness and respect. However, our accommodating and positive atmosphere does not mean that unacceptable behaviour will be let slide, that kindness can be taken advantage of, or that there are not expectations in place for dancers.
Dancers are expected to attend class on a regular basis, arrive on time and prepared, neatly groomed, and to arrive in the appropriate dance clothing, shoes, and hair. Dancers will be asked to change, or, in some cases, may be asked to sit out if they are not in proper dance attire, or do not have their hair properly styled.
Dancers are expected to approach their classes as an educational experience. This means working hard, putting their best efforts forward, and understanding that while dance is joyful and fun, there is an aspect of discipline and responsibility to dance that we have the privilege to develop.
Dancers are expected to honour their commitment to their class(es) by participating in all of our year end Showcase events (i.e. photo day, tech and dress rehearsals, etc.)
Dancers, parents, siblings, and instructors are all expected to do their best to keep the lounge and lobby area tidy. Please clean up after yourselves!
There is a zero tolerance policy for complaints, foul language, and negative or inappropriate conversation topics in the lobby. If you have a concern, we value it and want to hear about it so we can make your experience the best it can be. That said, please bring it to the studio rather than engaging in negative or hurtful conversation with others. Parents, family members, siblings, and friends - this includes you!
In the fast paced and instant world of social media and the internet, please be mindful of your communication style via email or messages. While we value each family’s concerns and want to make each experience positive, there is a zero tolerance policy for hurtful, angry, or inappropriate emails or messages to any staff member. If you wouldn’t say it in person, do not say it in an email or in a comment/message. Instead, let’s get together and have an open minded and human conversation in person. This is much more beneficial for all!
Tuition, Fees, & Payments:
Tuition is calculated by hours danced per week, but is based on the number of classes per dance season.
Tuition is non-negotiable.
Tuition discounts start at 2 hrs per week.
Tuition is capped at 7 hours per week - any additional classes past the 7 hour mark are free of charge.
Tuition is rounded up to the nearest half-hour (i.e. 2.25 hours is charged at 2.5 hours).
Tuition allows for 3 weeks break for Winter Break, 2 weeks break for Spring Break, all holidays, and allows for potential closures due to weather and other unforeseen circumstances.
There are no discounts or refunds for classes that fall on a holiday, for a class you/your child miss, or for classes cancelled due to studio closure.
There will be no make-up classes for holidays, breaks, or weather cancellations unless time permits or is scheduled at the director/an instructor's discretion.
Monthly payments are due by the 1st of each month.
Full year payments are due by September 1st.
All outstanding fees are due by June 1st. Any fees paid past this date will incur late fees.
All cheques and cash must be handed into the studio in an envelope labelled with student’s name, date, and payment details or it will not be accepted.
Accepted payment methods for tuition include cheque or post-dated cheques, Visa/MasterCard (incurs a 3.5% processing fee), and pre-authorized debit.
Cash payments and e-transfers may be made for one-time payments such as full tuition or costume payments. E-transfers can be sent to info@vireoschoolofperformingarts.com
We happily accept funding such as JumpStart, KidSport, or homeschool organization funding. Please note that as per the law, there are no refunds for such funding.
AUTO-PAY is required to be set up at time of registration through our registration portal. If you do not sign up for Auto-Pay, your registration does not appear in our system, is therefore incomplete, and you may lose your spot in class(es). Auto-pay only charges outstanding tuition or balances to your credit card after 10 days of not receiving payment. Auto-pay will not charge your credit card on file if payment has been made by another method, i.e cheque, pre-authorized debit, etc.
Delinquent Accounts:
Accounts in 30 days of arrears will be charged a $50.00 late fee. Every 30 days, the late fee increases by $50.00 Accounts in 45 days of arrears will result in dancers being unable to participate in classes until the account is paid to date.
NSF/returned cheque charge - $50.00
Communication:
All communication with the studio must be done via the studio phone at (250) 897-5769, or email at info@vireoschoolofperformingarts.com. Please note that starting with the 2023/24 season, our studio phone number is a landline and will be unable to receive text messages.
Studio phone and office hours are listed at the bottom of our website and are continuously updated. Messages/emails may be left after studio office hours, and we will happily return your call or email as soon as possible.
Please do not message, text, call, or social media message any VIREO staff on their personal or private accounts/devices regarding studio matters. All communication must be done through the studio.
Any changes to registration, withdrawal, communication regarding attendance etc. must be done in writing via email.
Receipts:
Receipts will be issued upon emailed request.
Refunds, Credits, and Withdrawals:
As our faculty is hired each year based on registration numbers, tuition fees are NON-REFUNDABLE.
Registration fees, costume deposits and fees, exam fees, and competition/convention fees are NON-REFUNDABLE. No exceptions.
Fees will NOT be prorated for late registration. No exceptions.
Withdrawals or changes to registration must be communicated via email. No other forms of communication (message, phone, or in-person) will be accepted as an official withdrawal or change. Tuition will continue to be billed until withdrawal or change to registration is communicated via email.
A dancer not attending classes will not be taken as a withdrawal - parent/guardian must provide written communication via email. Therefore, tuition will continue to be billed until withdrawal or change to registration is communicated via email.
For withdrawals before October 1st, the balance of tuition fees are waived.
For withdrawals after October 1st, you will be charged a cancellation fee of $50.00, but the balance of tuition fees are waived.
For withdrawals after March 1st, you will be charged full tuition for the remainder of the dance season. No refunds or credits will be given if tuition was previously paid in full.
The only exception to this policy is an official Doctor's note addressed to the studio, or 2 months written notice if moving to a new city with proof of new address.
There will be no refunds or credits given for solos, duets, trios, or other additional competitive or non-competitive choreography.
VIREO’s refund and credit policies regarding competition and convention fees reflect the policies of individual events/competition organizations.
There will be no refunds, discounts, or credits given for cancelled classes due to weather, illness, or other studio closure and all holidays are taken into account in tuition fees.
Due to unforeseen/extraordinary circumstances outside of the studio's control (i.e. global pandemic), examinations, competitions, Showcases, and/or other studio events may be cancelled. There will be no refunds or credits for studio events or Showcases, and will only provide a refund or credit for competitions or examinations should the company provide the studio with one.
Due to unforeseen/extraordinary circumstances outside of the studio's control (i.e. global pandemic), the studio may be required to close. If the studio must close, we will provide a full schedule of classes online. There will be no refunds or credits given for a full schedule of online classes. If the studio is unable to provide a full schedule of online classes, there will be a credit provided to each account for the following season; however no refunds or discounts will be given.
Due to unforeseen/extraordinary circumstances outside of the studio's control (i.e. global pandemic), the studio may be required to close and switch to blended or full online instruction. As tuition covers classes in-studio instruction, blended instruction, and online instruction, there will be no refunds, discounts, or credits for a full schedule of classes taught in blended or online formats.In the case that the studio cannot provide a full schedule of classes, tuition will continue to be charged at the same rate and a credit will be applied to the account for the following dance season.
There will be no refunds, discounts, or credits in the case that a studio event or Showcase is not able to occur.