Rules and Info

Resonate Dance Rules and Information

(All info subject to change at any given time)

Mission: “To watch us dance is to hear our hearts speak.” Our goal for each student is to instill confidence, skill, and tap into what’s already in every dancer’s heart. We achieve this through hard work, love, instruction, and performance opportunities. Our costumes, music, and dance movements are wholesome and age appropriate.  “Dancing is dreaming with your feet.” We believe anyone can dance!

-GOOD ATTITUDE is everything! We love our positive and supportive dancers and families! If you are supportive, easy going, have a positive attitude, flexible, and want to have a fun time then this may be the place for you. Being a team player and having a positive attitude is a MUST! We reserve the right to refuse dance instruction to those who choose to be other than positive and cooperative.

-Contact info and communication: If you have questions, attendance concerns, or anything else, PLEASE address them to Alisha Sell.   Resonatedance@gmail.com or text/call us directly at 480-267-2964. We’re always open to talking and care about our dancers very much. How they feel is important to us. Even if the concern may be something that can’t be fixed, we can try to understand, explain, and try to help them feel better. Please check our dance blog and facebook page, text messages,  and your email REGULARLY for updates, announcements, newsletters, etc. www.Rez-on8dance.blogspot.com. You are responsible for that info. We also love to post class/recital pics and videos on there for you to share with friends/family and for your child to see and get excited about. If you don’t want pictures/video taken or posted of your child, please let us know! We often send text message and email reminders/updates so be sure to let us know if you aren't getting our texts or emails.

-Registration: You will be notified when open registration begins each session.  Each student taking a dance class must complete the online registration form. Registration fee is due at time of registration. Registration fees are $20 per student per class.  Fees are non-refundable and hold your spot for that class.  Registration fees are assessed annually and are used to cover the cost or time invested for enrollment, insurance, music, choreography, and much more.   

-Tuition: -If dues are paid by the 10th of the month, the rate is the published discounted rate. After the 10th of the month, the cost will be $10 more. Paypal is preferred and saves us both a lot of time, but cash or checks payable to "Alisha Sell" or "Resonate Dance" are acceptable.. Return check charge is $25. You are welcome to pay in full (all tuition and fees) at the beginning of each session. Tuition is due in full for session but I allow you to break it up in monthly payments. If you drop out early, and your spot can’t be filled, the remainder of the session fees are still due.

-Please no weekly visitors. 
We have found your sweet kids list to their teacher better and are more able to pay attention when parents or other visitors are not in the classroom.  I also can be distracting to the teacher and the other students when we have visitors in class. We assure you that you will be able to see and love watching all your little cutie has learned at the recital. Those wanting to observe for enrollment interest may do so but need to contact us first.

-Drop off and parking: For those attending at the home studio, please come from one direction (Univ or 6th st) and leave the other so we don't have cars making U turns or using the driveway to turn around. We don't want anyone hurt or neighbors upset. Also, please pick up your child on the side of the street that the studio is on to avoid little ones crossing the street by themselves. You can wait in the line of traffic and pull forward when other cars leave.   Every year someone neglects this request and too many close calls have happened!  PLEASE protect your kiddos! Please be respectful of my neighbors! (Pick up and drop off promptly, car pool, don’t let kids run around outside).  

-Commitment:  We run classes all school yr long!  Remember that when you register it is a full school yr commitment and although we all fees to be broken down monthly for your convenience, the full school yr payment is expected, as we are holding that spot for you.

-Dress code:  Most classes will be required to purchase dance shoes. You will be notified as to which ones you will need. (Tiny tots, intro to dance, combo and tumbling do not need shoes).  

Clothing: Please come to dance in attire easy to move in. Have hair up and out of face. Kid’s classes dress code is to be dressed as dancers so they act like dancers. Skirts are welcome as they aren’t long and bulky. For boys, comfortable shorts and a t-shirt are fine. Ballroom students should come dressed in fitted clothing that is easy to move in. Ballroom team--due to doing lifts, and for respect to others, please no short shorts or sleeveless shirts.

-Attendance: As much as we'd love to have you, we can't have you in a class if you are consistently absent. We understand occasional absences, but if you are consistently absent we will ask you to come back when your schedule is more open. Attendance is crucial for you to learn skills being taught and to know the numbers/formations in time for performances.  It is very hard on a dancer (especially a young one) to get behind.  There are no make up days if you are absent.  Tuition is due whether you miss or not.  

-Recitals and performances: Performances provide wonderful opportunities for our dancers to gain confidence as well as motivation to improve skill. Practice times will sometimes be extended around recital times and at dress rehearsals. Please be flexible! 

- Recital tickets:  NONE, FREE

- Recital Fees:  NONE, FREE

-Costume RENTAL Fee: $20/student/class/recital.  We prefer costume fee at the time of registration, but it is past due Nov 15th.  All costumes are modest. Costumes stay with the studio to keep costs low for parents. Costumes cost a lot of money. Please treat them with care and don’t throw them on the floor. Be sure that all costumes are checked out and in from the person assigned to costuming. This will be done before and after every performance. Please do not leave until you have the OK.  We may have to do a couple fundraisers a year to help with extra costume costs (especially for team).

-No classes: Due to rental arrangements, Holidays, etc. sometimes we will not have class. This typically doesn’t affect summer camps. We follow the Mesa School schedule regarding holidays. Tuition rate stays the same since it is a discounted per session rate that we allow to be broken down monthly for your convenience.  Some months naturally will have more classes than others due to holiday and school breaks.  

-Please no food, drinks, candy, gum, toys, or trinkets in class.  

-Please be respectful of my neighbors! (Pick up and drop off promptly, car pool, don’t let kids run around outside)

Here's our Expectations lists:

Expectations for Students:

1.       Being mentally and physically present

2.       Follow directions and only talk when it’s your turn

3.       Learn to work as a group

4.       Being on time (if you hear the class before you still inside please wait before entering)

5.       Actively engage in class activities and discussions

6.       Be respectful to teacher and peers.  Showing respect is imperative.  Those who do not will be asked to sit out.  

7.       Wear modest dance clothes that will not limit movements (aka No jeans), proper shoes (pink ballet shoes, ballroom shoes, or black hip hop shoes), hair out of face

a.       Resonate Dance is starting a Shoe Donation Box for any dance shoes that have become too small for your child to help those children that can’t afford to buy dance shoes.

8.       HAVE FUN!!!

Expectations for Parents:

1.       Please bring your child to class and on time and pick up on time—have them use the POTTY before class.

2.       Drop-off and Pick-up on the same side of the street as the studio and ABSOLUTELY NO pulling into any driveways to make U-Turns.  We do this to keep all of our students, your children, safe!

3.       Encourage your child to have a respectful and ready to learn attitude

4.       Encourage your child to practice movements learned in class at home
-     Please pay tuition by the first class of every month (pay in full option preferred or PAYPAL monthly.  

5.       No visit by parents, siblings or friends, as this is very distracting.  If necessary, please arrange with Alisha ahead of time.  

6.       Pay tuition on time.  Tuition is due at the beginning of each month ($39 for hour classes).  If you pay IN FULL for the entire session plus your fees you will receive a $10 discount.  

a.       Please have tuition turned in by the 10^th of every month to avoid $10 rate increase

b.       Place tuition in the mailbox inside the studio door (put all cash in an enveloped that has the child's name, date, class, and amount in the envelope).  

c.        Payments:  We take cash, check ($25 charge for returned checks), PAYPAL, and VENMO (free App),  PAYPAL is preferred and can be paid as bank to bank transfer to avoid PAYPAL fees.  Please download PAYPAL app on your phone to make those payments easier.  

7.       We follow the Mesa Public Schools calendar.  When there is no school, there is no dance.  Full tuition is due even when there are holidays or if your child is absent.  Tuition is a ‘per-school year- fee that we allow to broken down monthly for your convenience. There will be no make-up days.  

8.        We love our positive and supportive students and families.  Please be flexible and understanding.  Sometimes things happen beyond our control, and sometimes we have to make changes for the greater good.

9.       Please be respectful of my neighbors! (Pick up and drop off promptly, car pool, don’t let kids run around outside)

Check email often for updates and information.  Often info is placed on the website www.rez-o-N8dance.com blog or www.resonatedance.wordpress.com website as well.  Make sure we always have an updated email and cell number on file.  Also be sure my email address resonatedance@gmail.com is on your safe contacts list so our emails aren’t going to junk mail.  
If you have any questions of concerns please address them to Alisha.  480-267-2964 or resonatedance@gmail.com.  

We’re so excited to be working with all of you and/or your sweet children!

Sincerely,

Alisha Sell

Resonate Director

Resonate Ballroom team only:

- We will take new members at the beginning of each session. I will typically hold a try out to see if it's something they are interested in and so we can assess dancing as well. We sometimes have openings during the session, so feel free to contact me to see. Understand that when you join team, that you are committing to an entire session. If you know you can’t be on team the whole session, please leave that space available for someone who can.

- We encourage all who don’t make team to join our instruction only classes. Sometimes just a little experience is all you need.  These classes are sporadic and will be announced (usllay first Sat night of every month).  

- When you arrive please get ready for/join warm up immediately. If you come in late, quickly

get your shoes on and go to the back of the studio and warm up on your own before you join us. You will then need to follow along until we are ready to put you in. 

- Team requires you all to work as a team. No one owns a spot in formations. I rotate formations and those who are in numbers so others get chances to dance numbers they haven't learned yet, and so you all learn different sides and become more versatile dancers.

- Please remember that we are part of a team and our actions and attitudes concerning dance impact everyone on team.  Coming to dance class with great attitudes, coming on time, having great attendance, and working super hard without complaint will all make us a better team.  A HUGE THANK YOU to those of you who make great efforts to do this!!

- -I also wanted to emphasize how important it is that you show up to EVERY practice (team and instruction) unless you are sick, or have a legitimate reason for not being there AND that you notify me before class via email (I don't get my phone messages until after class on Thursdays) if you absolutely can not make it.  If you miss the class instruction then you miss the basic steps that we will be using in the routines.  It makes it hard to have to take team time to teach those steps when we need to just be learning the choreography during that second hr.   When you miss team, you partner is stuck without someone to dance with, it throws off the formations for the whole team, and we have to take time out of team next class catching you up.  Every student is effected when you are absent.  Please understand how important it is that you are part of a TEAM and we all count on you to be there.  Along with attendance being important, the same goes with consistent tardiness. Every absence will be considered towards your commitment to team. (15 mins late is a tardy, leaving 15 mins early is a tardy, 3 tardies =an absence, 3 absences in one month - warning, 4-we will ask you to try out next session if your schedule allows).

One of the parents said it best, "The team experience is as much about responsibility and pulling your weight for others who depend on you as it is about dance as far as I am concerned. It is important to learn to follow through on your commitments, even if there is something else you really want to do."  So well said!!

--I wanted to stress the importance of doing the team warm up and stretch.  Having a strong core will make a tremendous difference on how you dance and hold yourself and will help you in the lifts.  Warming up and stretching also helps prevent injury.  Even if you feel you are superman and the buffest person on earth or that your huge muscles are already warm, PLEASE be a team player and participate fully in the warmup anyway.  ;)  HA!  (wink wink)

--I also ask that you please not complain or question why you are in a certain dance or why you are with a certain partner.  There are typically good reasons for every decision that is made and every decision has a lot of factors involved that you may not be able to see or may not have considered. I just have to ask that you trust me on that and once again be a team player.  Thank you for your good attitudes!

- If you for some reason prefer NOT to be in a certain number please let us know.

- To be on team you need to be able and willing to do lifts and dips. Most all routines have them.

- On this team you are required to learn and help each other learn. You solidify routines and steps as you teach them and become a better dancer in the process. Please know that if you are asked to teach that doesn't mean that we expect you to know it perfectly or that we think you have it mastered, so don’t worry. It means that we feel you know the order of the routine enough to teach someone the basic idea and steps. Those that teach need to still be open to correction and change. If you forget a step when teaching, it's ok, just ask. We’d be happy to

help or have another person that knows the routine help.

- Please practice your technique and routines out of class. It will speed up your progress when we are together.

- If anyone wants to do a solo they are welcome to learn one with someone on team on their own time. Solos will then be chosen by tryout.  We can help you clean it and give you pointers and ideas but if you need choreography, you'd need to pay for a private lesson. It takes awhile to be skilled enough to be in a solo number. You must work really hard out of class and learn stage presence, performance skills, and be open to feedback. We will then let you know when it is ready to be put into a line up. Solo spots belong to the person who learned them. If anyone ever wants to fill in for someone’s spot on a solo they need to ask that person. Then we will view it to see if it's ready to be put on.

We’re so excited to be working with all of you and/or your sweet children!

Sincerely,

Alisha Sell

Resonate Director