Being Prepared
Is Crucial!
Before every competition and on-stage performance, every dancer must have the proper hair, makeup, and everything else.
Visit our Tutorial Gallery for tips to help you prepare!
Competitive Program Policies
Every student at Avant Garde Theatre of Dance who is currently enrolled and taking classes agrees to the following policies and procedures. These policies are subject to change, at any time, and should be reviewed on a regular basis for changes. Avant Garde Theatre of Dance has the right to refuse business to anyone who does not follow the policies and procedures, as listed below.
Emails and Texts
Check your emails regularly for important updates. All communication will be through email or GroupMe, not texting (it’s super expensive). However, if you would like to communicate with us via texting for any reason, you can always reach us with a text at 469-749-7969.
Competition Kit
All competitive students must purchase a Competition Kit by August 1st. Early purchase is recommended for personalization. For questions, contact us via email, text, or phone.
Essential Apps to Download
- Facebook App: Follow our page for updates and make sure you like our page.
- Parent Portal App: Track Attendance, Tuition Payments, Reminders, and more. This app is mandatory.
- GroupMe App: Download the app and let us know what your username is and we will get you added immediately after receiving your GroupMe username. Contact the office if you are not added by July 1st. This app is mandatory.
GroupMe Policy
GroupMe is used for quick communication from Avant Garde. It is not a platform for complaints or unrelated discussions. Misuse can result in removal from the group and potential expulsion from the program.
Keep posts positive and relevant to dance. For any doubts, send us a private message instead or ask us directly via text, call, in-person visit, or an email; before posting it to the entire group. This is to protect every parent and dancer on the team and their privacy, as well as the Avant Garde Staff.
Studio Closures
We follow the Ennis ISD calendar for most major holidays and breaks. Avant Garde remains open on several Monday holidays. These dates are marked on The Avant Garde Calendar, and email notifications will be sent at least two weeks prior.
Notifications will also be posted on our Facebook Page. If your contact information changes, notify the studio to ensure you receive emails and notices. Please check your emails regularly.
Parking
There is absolutely No Parking in the alley behind the studio.
We have been told by the city and neighbors that your car can be towed. This is not our policy, but it is the city's policy that we have to unfortunately follow.
If you are parked in the alley behind the school your vehicle will be towed at the owners expense.
However, you may drive through the alley to pick up and drop off your child.
As long as you are not stationed in the alley for longer than 5 minutes and do not abandon your vehicle, then you are fine. If you need to keep circling the block, that's fine too!
If you are planning to park your vehicle for longer than 5 minutes or will be abandoning your vehicle, even for a second, then you must park in one of the spaces that are available on the parking map we show here or across the street at the Dollar General Parking Lot. That lot has been made public for us to use.
Acknowledgement of Inherent Risk
In dance, as in any physical activity, there is an inherent risk of injury. By acknowledging this document, the parent or legal guardian acknowledges that the risk of injury and spread of illness is possible in the student’s dance class and will not hold Avant Garde Theatre of Dance, LLC. responsible for any such injury. Furthermore, the parent or legal guardian should inform the instructor and studio director of any past injuries or medical conditions that could affect the student in class.
Competition Season Schedule
Enrollment for Competitions opens on August 1st, for most Regional Competitions this season, with competitions scheduled between January and May.
Dancers must attend every competition without exception; failure to do so may result in expulsion from the competitive program.
We aim to provide three months' notice of competition dates, ideally locking in all four competitions by Halloween!
However, in this industry, things do change and happen with little to NO notice at all for the studio, so just be prepared for anything!
Class Schedule
Familiarize yourself with your team’s class schedule. An 85% attendance rate is required to remain on the team. Emergency absences, with proof, will not count against your attendance.
However, non-emergency absences such as other sporting events will be counted against your attendance.
Balancing commitments is crucial, and your dedication is vital to the team's success. If you are ever unsure, please feel free to ask and we will evaluate each situation independently.
Class Etiquette
We maintain a zero-tolerance policy against bullying to protect our dancers, handling disagreements fairly based on clear evidence.
Our goal is conflict resolution to maintain a positive environment, but proven bullying leads to immediate expulsion.
Students must show respect, discipline, and punctuality, with proper attire and no jewelry, food, or gum allowed. Water bottles are permitted, and dance shoes should stay indoors.
Personal belongings should be labeled, and students must wait for instructors before entering dance rooms.
Restroom Breaks
All students are allowed one restroom break during class. Ensure your child uses the restroom before class to avoid disruptions.
For students aged 3 to 5, it is recommended that a parent stay in the lobby during class, as we do not assist with restroom breaks.
Lobby Etiquette
The Management of the building is FBM Management and they are around the corner from our studio, in the same building. They have a few regulations for the lobby that we are passing down to you!
All children in the lobby are to be accompanied by an adult at all times.
Please keep children seated or standing in the lobby area. There cannot be any running around in the lobby and the noise must be kept at a normal volume, to respect the other businesses that share this space.
Any questions, comments or concerns regarding the lobby area or bathroom area can be taken up with FBM Management or we can help pass your message along to them.
Communication Policies
Respect is paramount. Any disrespect towards dancers or instructors by any dancer or guardian can result in removal from the program.
Please address any and all issues privately with Avant Garde staff to prevent misunderstandings and rumors. If you would like to discuss any issues in detail with Avant Garde Theatre of Dance, then an appointment must be set via email to [email protected], a text to 469-749-7969, or a phone call to 469-749-7969.
Coming directly into the office to address any issue directly, especially in front of others, will not be addressed at that point in time, an appointment must be set prior.
Solicitation
Soliciting to other parents or students for external activities is prohibited and may lead to removal from the program. Our focus is on maintaining dedication to the competitive program.
Guardian Responsibility
Instructors are not responsible for dancers before or after class day, as they are on breaks or teaching other classes. Guardians must be present at the start and end of each class day. Dancers will be told to stay in the office or will remain with the instructor in the next class until the guardian arrives.
Please also teach this to your child at home, that this is the rule of thumb!
If the studio cancels competitive classes, including for sudden events like bad weather, we will announce it on GroupMe. We will ensure the safety of all dancers until guardians arrive. However, we trust guardians to be prompt and prepared. Rest assured, if there’s a tornado, we’ll protect your children like our own – but please arrive at least to ride the tornado with us, if nothing else 🙂
Application Fees, Audition Fees, and Tuition Fees
All fees are non-refundable. Merchandise and unused services may be considered for refunds if written notice is provided to the studio before the card is charged, with proof of notice sent to [email protected].
If a student starts mid-month, their first month's tuition will be prorated. Monthly tuition is $145 with a $25 membership fee, totaling $170, and is due on the 1st of each month. All payments are automatically billed using a card on file in the office.
For financial assistance or to participate in fundraisers for your child's competitive program expenses, contact us via text, call, or email to schedule an appointment. Avant Garde supports fundraisers by sharing posts, providing studio space, and spreading the word, but does not directly participate or fund them. Avant Garde may host its own optional fundraisers for competitive dancers and families.
Contact us for discussions and support, as we are committed to helping without using staff time or financial resources for fundraising activities. Our focus remains on providing the best dance experience for our competitive dancers. Refer to the Pricing and Tuition page for more information.
Shows
Every competitive dancer must participate in both shows—one in May and one in December each season.
While we usually announce the dates three months in advance, they may change suddenly with little notice. Be prepared for a show on one of the first three weekends of May and December, as these are mandatory for competitive dancers. These events are our Super Bowls, and we all put in a lot of effort for them!
Annual Show dates are announced once confirmed by the venue. The dance season runs until after the Annual Spring Show in May.
Photos taken during performances and classes may be used for advertising, website, and social media, with a signed waiver. Without a signed waiver, photos won't be used for advertising.
Show and Competition Costume Fees
Costume fees are an essential part of our dance program. Each dancer will need a show costume for each role they are assigned in each show and a costume for each group routine performed at competitions. To know how many group routines your dancer will be in, visit the Company Teams page!
Breakdown of costume fees:
- Shows: 1 Costume for each role, for each show.
- $100 for a non-lead dancer
- $125 for a lead dancer.
- Competitions: 1 Costume for each group routine and each solo, duo, or trio
- $100 per costume
Late Fees & Payment Plans
To streamline our payment processes, we're allowing up to 10 days to schedule tuition payments for the season, but this is a one-time use option.
Any unpaid tuition balances after the 5th of the month (excluding forgiveness months) will incur a $25 late fee, with an additional $5 daily fee added, until paid.
For accounts with abandoned balances exceeding $100, a collections agency will be utilized. We also offer a one-time payment plan for tuition, holding one month’s tuition until the following month for a $50 fee added to the late payment.
Existing payment plans will be honored until the balance is cleared, but new plans will follow the updated rules outlined in this email.
Anyone who fails to follow this policy can be removed from the competitive program immediately, via email, without prior notice.
Financial Assistance & Fundraising
If you need financial assistance or want to participate in fundraisers for your child’s competitive program expenses, please contact us via text, call, or email to schedule an appointment.
Avant Garde will support in ways like sharing posts, providing studio space, spreading the word, or hanging flyers, avoiding direct participation or funding of fundraising events. Avant Garde may host its own fundraisers, optional for competitive dancers and families to participate in.
Contact us for discussions and support. Avant Garde is committed to helping without using staff time or financial resources for fundraising activities. Our focus remains on providing the best dance experience for our competitive dancers.
Private Lessons
Private lessons are highly encouraged, especially for new team members, to accelerate progress. Lessons cost $65 per hour and can be scheduled through the office.
If you would like to perform in a Solo, Duo, or Trio, you are required to reschedule your appointment at least 24 hours prior to the private lesson date, or else your card on file could be charged a $25 fee for the instructor’s fuel and time.
If you are performing a Solo, Duo, or Trio, you are required to attend all of the private lessons, as listed on the Solos, Duos & Trios Page of our website already.
Each dancer is required to purchase the Solo, Duo, or Trio private lessons, paid in full or broken into 2 payments, which will be paid over a 60 day period.
Should Avant Garde need to cancel any private lesson and does not intend to reschedule, then that private lesson will be reimbursed back to the guardian.
Competition Group Entry Fees
Group routine pricing can be found on our Pricing and Tuition page.
We have modified our new Competition Entry Fee payment schedule to align exactly with the Competition companies for this season. The Schedule for this Competition Season will be due in 4 equal payments.
These payments will be due August 1st, September 1st, October 1st, and November 1st.
However, we are also providing the option for members to pay for all 4 Entry Fee payments upfront. If you would like to pay all of your Entry Fees upfront, they must be paid upfront no later than August 1.
Late payments for competition entry fees will not be accepted, and no payment plans are available for competition entry fees.
We cannot negotiate entry fees with competition locations.
This is not a new policy, it has been this way at every studio in the nation as long as we know competitive dance has existed.
This long-standing policy ensures smooth operations between studios and competition locations and reflects standard practices in the industry.
Competitions are fun and memorable but also challenging.
Use the support of Avant Garde and your team, and remember to follow the policies when communicating with any party.
Dress Code
This is the required dress code for all classes. A notice will be sent to the Parent if your student is not following the dress code. After the third notice, we will schedule a Parent/Teacher meeting to resolve the issue.
- Ballet
- Pink convertible, footed, seamed ballet tights, a leotard that coincides with their level, and class belt (if in Competitive Program). All students must have ballet flat (split sole) shoes and a ballet skirt is permitted. Please, no extra or custom attire or jewelry of any kind and the child's hair must be in a ballet bun.
- Pre-Pointe
- Pink convertible, footed, seamed ballet tights, leotard that coincides with their level, and class belt (if in Competitive Program). All students must have ballet flat (split sole) shoes and a ballet skirt is permitted. Please, no extra or custom attire or jewelry of any kind and the child's hair must be in a ballet bun.
- Pointe
- Pink convertible, footed, seamed ballet tights, leotard that coincides with their level, and class belt (if in Competitive Program). All students must have pointe shoes and a ballet skirt is permitted. Please, no extra or custom attire or jewelry of any kind and the child's hair must be in a ballet bun.
- Jazz
- Black jazz pants, leotard that coincides with their level, and class belt (if in Competitive Program). All students must have Jazz shoes and their hair in pony tail, braid, or a bun.
- Contemporary
- A leotard that coincides with their level, black tights or black jazz pants or leggings, socks may be used, ballet shoes may also be used, and their hair must be in a ponytail, braid, or a bun.
- Acrobatics
- A leotard that coincides with their level. They should also wear athletic pants, jazz pants or leggings.
Please feel free to reach out to us with any additional questions at [email protected].
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Non-Compete
Avant Garde Theatre of Dance strictly enforces a non-compete policy. If you are actively enrolled in our studio, you cannot simultaneously enroll in any other studio within a 25-mile radius offering classes similar to those at Avant Garde Theatre of Dance, such as ballet, jazz, contemporary, acro, pointe, pre-pointe, or any other class we offer.
Knowingly violating this policy will result in immediate and permanent expulsion from Avant Garde Theatre of Dance.
