Marjorie Kovich School of Ballet

Basic Guidelines for Beginning and Returning Students

Ballet School Etiquette for Students
Ballet has been around since the court of the French Sun King, Louis XIV! Since that time, teachers have passed down these rules of ballet etiquette, which are standard in all professional ballet schools around the world.

Be on time to class. It is a good rule to arrive at least 10 minutes before class. If a student is late for any reason, and misses part of the warm-up at the barre, he/she may be asked to sit and watch the class. This is not punishment, but a safety precaution to avoid possible injury.
Students are to wait inside the studio for their ride after class. Young students (ages 3-10) are not allowed to leave the building without being accompanied by a parent/caregiver.
No gum, food or drink is allowed in the Ballet Room. Bottled water is allowed.
No jewelry /watches may be worn in class.
Students are to act with respect and courtesy toward their teacher and other students.
Students are expected to act respectfully toward school property and pick up after themselves. Ballet books must be returned to cubbies after usage.
Students are to talk quietly while waiting for their class to begin.
Students must wear ballet shoes in class – this is a safety measure to avoid the student slipping & injuring herself. There is a lost & found basket in the studio where extra ballet shoes are available for students to borrow for class in the event that they have forgotten their own shoes. These borrowed shoes must be returned to the basket after usage.
All students must be properly attired (see Attire Guide) for every class. Girls’ hair must be put up in a bun or, if short, pulled back away from the face. Ballet shoes must have elastic sewn on & strings trimmed off, and the dancer’s name written inside.
Children are not to wear their ballet shoes outside.

General Guidelines for Parents

Class Time: Plan on bringing your child to class no earlier than 15 minutes before class begins. Make sure your young child uses the “ladies (men’s) room” before class.
Pick Up After Class: Parents are to pick students up immediately after class. If, on the rare occasion that you must be late to pick up your child, please call ahead to notify the director.
Observation Day: Parents are allowed to sit and watch class only on designated visiting days. If necessary, parents of very young students will be allowed to sit in the waiting area the first 1-2 classes while their young dancer becomes acclimated to his/her new class environment. On Observation Day, family and friends are encouraged to attend class and observe their dancer’s progress! Dates for Observation Days are posted on the School Calendar.
Tuition: Tuition is based on a 10 month semester of classes, beginning in August and ending in May. Tuition may be paid by the semester or by monthly installments. Monthly tuition payments are due the first day of each month, for the upcoming month. All tuition received after the 10th will be assessed a $10 late fee. Cash payments for tuition must be the exact amount - change will not be available. Make sure to get a receipt from the Director – all cash transactions must be made directly to the Director. Tuition checks must be placed in the tuition “basket” in the waiting room. Parents are encouraged to enroll in the Studio Tuition Auto-Pay program and have their tuition and recital fees automatically withdrawn from their bank account. Consult the Tuition & Fees Policy Page in your enrollment packet for detailed information.
Make up Classes: Students are allowed to take make up for classes missed in the event of illness, family emergencies and classes missed due to inclement weather within a one month period. Make up classes are not available after April 1.
Spring Recital: All students are expected to participate in the Spring Recital, with the exception of the Teen/Adult classes. Performing onstage is one of the most rewarding aspects of a student’s ballet training. Students who will be moving before the recital must notify the director by October 1 and fill out a Recital Non-Participation form.
All Ballet School notices and announcements will be sent via e-mail to parents and students. Please make sure that your working e-mail address is always made known to the school so that you can be kept up to date on school news & announcements. Please notify the school if your e-mail is not in use or if you have a new e-mail. Also notify the school if you have a change of address different from the one listed on the student’s enrollment form. Make sure that your spam filter does not block ballet school e-mails.
Inclement Weather: Anytime that the Norman Public Schools are let out due to bad weather, classes here at the ballet school will not be held. If the weather is treacherous due to ice, snow, tornado, etc after public school hours, please check with the local weather & stay at home in the event of ongoing and potential hazardous conditions. Parents may call the ballet school to be advised of weather conditions there.
Holidays: Norman Public Schools have numerous other holidays and professional days, etc. The ballet school will have classes on all of these days except those holidays noted on the school calendar. Check the Ballet School Calendar on our web site or in your enrollment packet.