2024-2025 Handbook
Dec 21, 2024 08:00 AM
Table of Contents
1 - Introduction
2 - Studio Manifesto
3 - Registration
4 - Communication
5 - Important Dates
6 - Code of Conduct
7 - Safety
8 -Privacy
9 - Dress Code
10 - Fee Structure
11 - Attendance
12 - Social Media
1/ Introduction
It’s our absolute pleasure to warmly welcome you into our family at Vibrant Velocity Dance Academy. Our team is thrilled to see many familiar faces return to the studio and even more excited to see some new faces join our community. We have created this one-stop handbook to hopefully shed some light on how things will run throughout the year and answer questions you may have before the year begins. We would love you to take the time to read this information carefully and keep your handbook in a safe place to refer to as you need it, don’t forget that our friendly staff are always here to help and will happily answer any questions you may have. Nothing is too big or too small, we promise! ☺
QUICK REFERENCE STUDIO INFORMATION
Address: 2764 S Arlington Rd. Akron, OH 44312
Phone Number: (330) 353-9382
Email: vibrantvelocitydanceacademy@gmail.com
Website: https://vibrantvelocitydanceacademy.com/
2 / Studio Manifesto
To start us off, it’s important to us at Vibrant Velocity Dance Academy that all members of our team share our vision, our purpose, and the philosophy that encompasses everything we do both in and outside of our classes. This is a vision that is shared and demonstrated by the directors, teachers, and staff members at our studio and it is the driving force behind every interaction with our students and their families.
Vibrant Velocity Dance Academy is a place where kids of all ages, shapes, and sizes learn to dance and perform. This is a studio where creativity, individuality, and self-expression are encouraged and has a community of teachers, students, and families who are passionate about performing arts. Our goal is to create a positive and happy experience for all of our students. We strive to nurture and develop talent, celebrate the achievements of all students, and inspire a love and appreciation of all styles of dance and the arts. We are committed to providing a safe and positive environment in which all students can feel empowered, comfortable, and free to express themselves. We believe in creating a community of people who love the power of movement as much as we do. Our experienced and enthusiastic teachers ensure that every one of their students leaves their classes feeling energized and joyful, filled with all the passion that dance offers.
3/ Registration
Before lacing up those dance shoes, it’s important that all students and/or parents – whether returning or new - fill out your registration paperwork so we can ensure we have the most up-to-date contact details for you. This information includes your registration form, media release form (so we can show off photos and videos of our amazing dancers in and around the studios), and public liability.
Our annual registration fee is $25 per family and must be paid in full before the commencement of classes. After you sign up for classes on our portal you can pay your registration fee right on our portal. Failure to pay your registration fee in time may result in losing your place in the class.
We encourage all of our students and families to try a variety of dance styles and we are more than happy to accommodate trial classes for existing students who want to try something a bit different. Please contact us if you would like to try a new class and we will happily schedule a quick meeting and fit you in for a trial (provided the class has not reached capacity).
** REMINDER ** Don’t forget - if you refer a friend or family member, have them inform VVDA Staff of who referred them to be eligible for the discount on the following month!
4/ Communication
By now you have probably noticed that we are BIG on communication here at Vibrant Velocity Dance Academy. We promise to respond to all inquiries within 24 hours and we will never leave a query unanswered. Our friendly staff can be contacted at (330) 353-9382 between 4:00-9:00 p.m.
For convenience, our primary means of communication is via email. You will receive regular newsletters and important information via email so please ensure you have provided the studio with an up-to-date email address that is regularly checked. We are of course happy to include multiple email addresses per family if you would like your correspondence sent to numerous recipients. Don’t forget to add our email address vibrantvelocitydanceacademy@gmail.com to your contacts so we don’t end up in the dreaded Spam folder!
We are also proud to provide you with information round-the-clock via our very own Dance Studio app. You can download Dance Studio Pro Portal on the app store on your phone. Just follow the prompts to install our app on your mobile device and you’ll receive alerts as they happen. Before you can install the app make sure you create an account on the web first at https://dancestudio-pro.com/online/index.php?account_id=27300.
In the infrequent case of urgent information (for example, unexpected class cancellations or performance changes), we will send an SMS and/or telephone to all families. So, for this reason, please make sure the mobile phone number you have provided to the studio is correct and up-to-date.
Facebook is a great way for us to keep in touch with a large number of people at once, so we encourage all families to join our Vibrant Velocity Dance Academy Facebook page.
We are always happy to chat in more detail about communications you may receive from the studio, so if you need any clarification please don’t hesitate to call us at (330) 353-9382 to chat with one of our helpful team members.
5/ Important Dates
We understand wholeheartedly how busy the lives and schedules of our dance families can get as the year rolls on, so we have tried to get all of our important dates organized and ready for you so you can plan other commitments. Below we have listed some of our most important “Save the Dates” with more information to be communicated via email as we get closer to the events. If you know ahead of time that your family will be unable to attend these events due to planned holidays or existing commitments, please let us know at your earliest convenience.
Date
Event
Description
Who it involves
08/16/2024
Registration Day
Register for your 2024-2025 classes
Everyone
08/17/2024- 08/18/2024
VVDA Company Intensive
Intensive is mandatory for all company members. Please wear black leotard, tan tights, and bring all dance shoes (ballet slippers, tan turners).
Company Members
09/08/2024
VVDA Open House
Open house from 12-3!
Everyone
09/23/2024- 09/27/2024
Bring A Friend Week
Students, bring a friend to dance with you throughout this whole week!
All Students
11/02/2024
11/9/2024
11/16/2024
11/23/2024
Company Choreo Days
Lucent time slot: 10-11 am
Radiant time slot: 9-10 am
Vibrant time slot: 8-9 am
Company Members
11/25/2024- 12/1/2024
Thanksgiving break
One week break for Thanksgiving. The studio will be closed.
Everyone
12/1/2024
Costume/Competition Fees Due:
All costume and competition fees are due. After this date, there will be a late fee of $25 each week.
Company Members
12/16/2024- 12/20/2024
Christmas Spirit Week
Wear Christmas clothes (sweaters, Santa outfits, etc) to dance
Everyone
12/23/2024- 01/05/2025
Christmas/ New Years Break
Break from dance will return on January 6th
Everyone
01/06/2025- 01/10/2025
Costume Fittings
Students will come to class and in class we will size them for their costumes for the recital
Recital Students
02/01/2025
Costume Fees Due
Costumes fees are due. There will be a $25 late fee each week after this date.
Parents
04/04/2025- 04/06/2025
TTB Competition
April 4th-6th. Location Akron OH.
Company Members
Picture Day
Date: TBD
Time: TBD
Location: TBD
Students in the dance recital
05/02/2025- 05/04/2025
LUXXE Competition
Location: Cleveland Masonic Performing Arts Center, Cleveland, OH
Company Members
04/26/2025
05/10/2025
Recital Rehearsal Dates
Dancers will come to the studio from 9-11 am.
Students
05/16/2024
Dress Rehearsal
Students will go to Barberton High School for their dress rehearsal. Bring costumes, make-up, and hair accessories. Parents will drop off and pick their children back up. Parents are not allowed to watch or stay. Time 4-8.
Students
05/17/2024
Recital Day
End of the season recital.
Everyone
6/ Code of Conduct
To ensure the smooth, safe running of Vibrant Velocity Dance Academy and an enjoyable experience for all, below you will find our code of conduct. As always we are open to feedback, so if any of the requirements outlined below are unclear or concerning, please give us a call to discuss further. Following a formal meeting, we reserve the right to dismiss or take disciplinary action on any students or parents who breach our studio’s code of conduct.
Families who do not comply with their fee or costume payment obligations may be charged a late fee, and/or excluded from performances. External debt collection may occur when fees remain overdue and this will be at the expense of the client. Costume expenses are the responsibility of the parent, and costumes will not be issued to students with unpaid class fees.
No classes (including private lessons) or teachers are to be disturbed unless it is an emergency. Parents are not to approach teachers or students during class and if messages or food/drink/medication need to be passed on to a student, it must be done through a Vibrant Velocity Dance Academy staff member. All parents must wait in the waiting areas or outside of the studios until classes have been dismissed.
We are unable to take responsibility for our students before or after their scheduled classes and it is the responsibility of the parent to ensure their child is picked up and dropped off on time. In the case of an emergency or unavoidable delay, please contact the studio immediately to inform us of the situation so we can keep your child calm and safe until they can be collected.
Any questions or complaints must go through Uniqke Tavanello – parents and students are not permitted to contact Vibrant Velocity Dance Academy teachers via phone, in person, or via email / social networking with studio issues unless it has been broached with Uniqke first. Personal meetings with us can happily be arranged via Uniqke Tavanello.
In the rare case of a parent or student showing disrespect or defamation to any parent, staff member, or student, a meeting will be called immediately and dismissal may be considered at the discretion of the teacher. Physical, mental, emotional, or cyberbullying by parents, staff, or students will not be tolerated and may result in dismissal from the studio.
Vibrant Velocity Dance Academy takes no responsibility for any stolen or misplaced property on the studio premises and we encourage our families to avoid bringing valuable items into the studio where possible.
Vibrant Velocity Dance Academy management reserves the right to change teachers or the time of class when necessary at any time throughout the year.
Choreography, costuming, and studio policies remain the intellectual property of Vibrant Velocity Dance Academy and may not be reproduced or sold by any students, parents, or staff without permission of the owner.
7/ Safety
With the safety of our families a number one priority, Vibrant Velocity Dance Academy is very serious about upholding Child Protection laws and policies within the studio as well as at public performances.
As part of your registration, you will have read and signed a media waiver allowing us to proudly use images and video footage of your student for advertising and promotional purposes. Should you have any concerns whatsoever with signing this declaration, please see our staff who will happily assist you.
The directors and staff at Vibrant Velocity Dance Academy are educated in the negative impact of inappropriate music and costume selection when it comes to performing dance routines and is wholeheartedly committed to ensuring children in all of our dance routines are not subjected to any inappropriate songs or costuming. We recognize that songs with sexist, explicit, violent, racist, homophobic, or criminal content may influence our dancers and/or audience and will strive to avoid using such music. We are committed to restricting costumes that project sexuality and contain explicit graphic or textual content.
Our staff members have all been trained in first aid. We enforce a nut-free policy at the studio to ensure the safety of any students or parents with allergies to nuts or nut products and encourage gluten and dairy-free foods when involved in fundraisers or studio events.
Vibrant Velocity Dance Academy takes no responsibility for any stolen or misplaced property on the studio premises and we encourage our families to avoid bringing valuable items into the studio where possible.
You will find within our enrollment paperwork a public liability. Please read this document carefully and sign it before the commencement of classes so you fully understand the rights and responsibilities of your family and our studio.
8/ Privacy
When you purchase or hire a product or service with Vibrant Velocity Dance Academy, the information we may collect from you includes your name, address, telephone numbers, email addresses, medical information, and perhaps credit card or bank details. It may also include details of the products and services we provide to you as well as the status of your enrollment. We only collect information directly from our students or their parents/guardians primarily to provide services and products to you and to administer and manage invoicing and debt collection.
We may occasionally use your information to promote and market to you information that we consider may be of interest to you unless you contact us and tell us not to do so.
We will never sell or pass on any of your information to third parties unless required by the government authorities or in the event of debt recovery. Any information passed on will be done so with appropriate privacy and confidentiality protection.
Information is stored securely in paper or electronic form and is accessible only by authorized personnel.
If you would like to know what information we hold about you or wish to update the information, or if you wish to be removed from all further direct marketing communications, please contact us by telephone (330) 353-9382.
9/ Dress Code
At Vibrant Velocity Dance Academy, we believe that having a dress code gives students a sense of belonging to our family as well as creating an identity for our studio in the greater community.
Our dress code also:
• Encourages discipline
• Helps students resist peer pressure to buy stylish clothes for class
• Helps identify non-students in the studio
• Diminish economic and social barriers between students
• Increases a sense of belonging and school pride
• Improves attendance
Dancewear can be purchased year-round from nearby dance stores such as Stage Center 908 N Main St, Akron, OH 44310 or The Dance-Wear House 5390 Fulton Dr. NW, Canton, OH 44718.
Please ensure all parts of your child’s items are clearly labeled - individual shoes, tights, leotards...you’ll be amazed at the amount of lost property we generate!
Further style-specific uniform requirements are as follows:
Ballet- Ballet girl students must have black leotards, pink tights, pink ballet slippers, and hair in a bun. Boys must have black leggings, white T-shirts, and black ballet slippers.
Lyrical and Jazz- Girls: any color leotard, tan tights, tan lyrical turners, hair pulled back. Boys: black leggings, back T-shirt, tan turners.
Hip Hop- Girls: any color leotard, sweatpants or shorts, tennis shoes, hair pulled back. Boys: t-shirt, sweatpants or shorts, tennis shoes.
Tap- Girls: any color leotard, tan tights, black tap shoes, hair pulled back. Boys: t-shirt, any pants, black tap shoes.
Acrobatics/ Tumbling- Students do not need footwear for this class. They must wear tight-fitting clothing with their hair tied back so that they cannot get it caught or tangled in any way when they are doing their tricks.
10/ Fee Structure
Please find below the fee structure for 2024-2025. Feel free to contact our office staff if you have any fee-related questions.
Age
Description
Price Per Month
2 years - Adult
One class per week (45 mins per class)
$60
2 years - Adult
Two classes per week (45 minutes per class)
$114
2 years - Adult
Three classes per week (45 minutes per class)
$162
2 years - Adult
Four classes per week (45 minutes per class)
$204
2 years - Adult
UNLIMITED CLASSES
$250
2 years - Adult
FAMILY DISCOUNT
10% off of all classes
2 years - Adult
REGISTRATION FEE
annual fee of $25 per family
Payment – you will receive your monthly invoice and have until the 15th of each month to pay these fees in full. Payment options include cash, check, cash app, or paying through the Dance Studio Pro portal.
Overdue fees will accrue a late fee of $25 after the 15th. If fees remain unpaid in week 4 of classes students will not be permitted to participate in their lessons.
Please note: All students are invoiced monthly, your invoice will be the same each term unless you change classes. If you decide to withdraw from classes mid-term for any reason, you will still be charged for the entire invoiced period. If you wish to withdraw from classes at Vibrant Velocity Dance Academy, it is a requirement that you notify the studio in writing before the 25th of the month. If you decide not to show up for classes you are still required to pay the whole monthly invoice unless you have given us a written notice before the 25th of the month saying you wish to withdraw.
Refunds will not be issued for missed classes due to cancellation or public holidays – if possible, we will endeavor to arrange make-up lessons for classes canceled by Vibrant Velocity or will offer an alternative class.
11/ Attendance
Your child’s attendance in class is very important to their peers and our teaching staff. As a member of the team, it is a commitment for you to ensure your child attends their classes on time each week and attends all lessons planned for them. Not only do absences impact the recital routines we create, but they also impact the social and confidence-building principles we work hard to foster in each age group.
If you know ahead of time that your child will be absent due to holidays/vacations, commitments, or school trips, please let us know ahead of time so the class impact is minimal. If your child is too unwell to attend class, we ask that you inform our team as soon as you can so they can let the teachers know and preparations can be made to catch up on any missed work.
Unfortunately, we are unable to accommodate make-up sessions for students who miss classes but will make every endeavor to schedule a catch-up class in the unlikely event that Vibrant Velocity needs to cancel a lesson.
12/ Social Media
Vibrant Velocity Dance Academy’s Social Media Policy refers to all social networking sites, video/photo sharing sites, blogs, micro-blogs, wikis, podcasts, forums, instant messaging, and geo-spatial tagging (for example, Facebook check-ins). Please see below for our regulations regarding Social Media and feel free to contact our staff if you have any questions.
- Please remember that your anonymity on Social Media is never guaranteed and to exercise particular caution when posts, images, or videos identify children in your care.
- Remain mindful that your behavior on Social Media remains in keeping with Vibrant Velocity Dance Academy’s code of conduct as outlined in chapter 6 of this handbook.
- Any comments or posts perceived to be obscene, defamatory, threatening, harassing, discriminatory, or hateful towards Vibrant Velocity Dance Academy staff, students, or families may subject the owner to disciplinary or legal action.
- Should you wish to engage on Social Media while identifying as a studio volunteer or employee, you may only do so with integrity, and respect, and adhere to the privacy and confidentiality policy.
- Any content revealing or referring to sensitive studio information is not allowed to be shared online.
- Intellectual property laws (for example, costume design and choreography) must be observed by all studio patrons when posting online.
- While affiliated with our studio, (for example, images of your child in Vibrant Velocity Dance Academy uniform) we will not tolerate any posts that are racially, sexually, physically, or religiously offensive.
- All matters pertaining directly to the studio - whether it be fees, scheduling, placements, or performance opportunities - may not be communicated via Social Media. We have an open-door policy and encourage all communication, complaints, and feedback to be communicated to the owner directly.
- Families found to be engaging in ‘hidden’ or ‘private’ groups formed for the specific purpose of discussing studio matters will be encouraged to join our Facebook group for public discussion and warned against discussing Studio matters in their private online groups.
- Photos or Videos taken from performances or rehearsals may NOT be posted online unless you have bought photos or videos that our photographer professionally took.
- You may not post photographs/videos that feature Vibrant Velocity Dance Academy dancers other than your own online without the proven consent of their parent/guardian.
- Identifying information of any featured minors - including names, ages, or location - must be removed when posting on Social Media.