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At Jill Listi Dance Studio, we know you have several options in your child's dance education. We appreciate the opportunity to give you child a quality dance foundation that promotes a respect and understanding for the art of dance. We are dedicated to helping each child develop into the best dancer that can and want to be. From the future professional dance to the recreational student, we give equal attention to all of our dancers. We believe that hard work produces achievement. This is a lesson that will instill a discipline in each student that will aid him/her in facing all aspects of life. We seek excellence from all of our students appropriate to their age level and interest. None of this can be accomplished without a cooperative and supportive effort from the students, their parents, our teachers and staff.
Our policies have been developed carefully to alleviate any possible confusion concerning our approach to your child's dance training at Jill Listi Dance Studio. These policies are based on twenty five + years of dance instruction and experience. Copies of our Policies & Procedures will be in your child's dance packet which they will receive their 1st day of class.
If you are interested in registering your child for dance, please go to "CLASSES" ~ "STUDENT APPLICATION" and complete the form. We will inform you of your child's class day(s) and time.
Thank you for choosing to become a member of our family at Jill Listi Dance Studio
****PLEASE NOTE****
WHEN REGISTERING FOR CLASSES, REGISTRATION FEES ARE NON-REFUNDABLE
There are many benefits in investing in a dance education. The following are a few advantages that extend into all areas of life.
Dance develops motor skills and coordination.
Dance builds self-esteem and confidence.
Dance promotes a physical well-being and healthy lifestyle.
Dance teaches socialization skills and the importance of teamwork.
Dance inspires self-discipline, self-pride and responsibility.
Dance facilitates creative expression through the joy of movement.
A few things we are especially proud of:
Our unique staff is diverse and well trained, with over 50 years of combined teaching experience. Our teachers are well known in the dance community and continue to expand their knowledge of the latest styles and techniques.
Jill Listi has been a member of Dance Masters of America for 26 years and is also a member of Louisiana Association of Dance Masters, Dixie Chapter of Dance Masters and South Texas Association of Dance Teachers.
The pinnacle of our 9-month dance season is a show that rivals the professionalism of Broadway Theatre and leaves the audience looking forward to our next production.
Our emphasis is on the importance of the core curriculum of tap, ballet, jazz and basic tumbling, yet we also train our students to be versatile. As our dancers grow in age and ability, we introduce other forms of dance such as the classic beauty of Pointe and lyrical dancing, the musical comedy of theatrical dance and the hottest trends in hip hop dance.
Our Jill Listi Elite Dancers are a competitive company that excels in technical and performance excellence. They have won many team and individual honors including overall high point cash awards, dancer of the Weekend awards and naional convention scholarships!
Jill Listi Dance Studio is involved in our community by proudly sponsoring the NAME THAT TUNE booth at the Games of Acadiana, which benefits the Miles Perret Center.
JILL LISTI DANCE STUDIO POLICY INFORMATION
The following information is a breakdown of all of our policies. Please familiarize yourself and your child with this information. We have updated many of our guidelines, so please take the time to read through each section thoroughly. These policies will be enforced; so if you have any questions concerning any of our policies do not hesitate to contact us at 237-1125.
STUDIO BEHAVIOR/DRESS CODE
The parking lot and other outside areas are NOT playgrounds. Parents must monitor their children when they are outside of the studio. They should only be outside when coming to class or leaving class.
ABSOLUTELY NO gum, food or drinks are permitted in any of the dance rooms.
Excessive talking or other misbehavior will not be tolerated and may result in the student being asked to observe class instead of participating. All students must respect the structure and teaching style of all instructors.
NO t-shirts, sweatshirts, shorts, school or street clothes are permitted in class because they hide technical flaws that a teacher cannot correct when hidden.
Appropriate dance attire for dance class is as follows:
BALLET CLASSES: SOLID color leotard (color will be assigned & ordered through the studio during the 1st month) , pink or suntan dance tights and PINK BALLET SHOES. Ballet skirts are optional. Hair is to be worn in a bun. No jewelry except small earrings.
TAP & JAZZ CLASSES: Any leotard & dance tights, jazz pants or shorts & dance top. They are to fit the body snug and should not be baggy. TAP SHOES should be BLACK; JAZZ SHOES should be TAN SLIP ONS O TIES!!! Hair should be pulled out of face.
HIP HOP CLASSES: Athletic shorts or pants with a fitted dance top or t-shirt. Any tennis shoes are acceptable as long as they are not backless. This is the only class in which Studio apparel may be worn.
JILL LISTI DANCE STUDIO APPAREL may be worn to and from class but may not be worn during class or in place of proper dance attire.
AFTER OCTOBER 1ST, STUDENTS WITHOUT PROPER CLOTHES OR SHOES WILL NOT PARTCIPATE IN CLASS.
PLEASE DROP OFF & PICK UP PROMPTLY
Students should arrive NO MORE than 15 minutes prior to the start of class. Our instructors have many duties to tend to prior to beginning a class or may be teaching another class; therefore they will not be responsible for any child who is dropped off more than 15 minutes before class.
If you intend to accompany your child into the studio, please park in the designated areas. If you wish to simply drop off or pick up your child, please follow the appropriate procedure for our drive thru. DO NOT PARK OR LEAVE YOUR CAR UNATTENDED IN THE DRIVE THRU AREA.
Students must be picked up no later than 15 minutes after class. Please contact the studio immediately in case of extenuating circumstances in order to notify your child and her teacher. If your child is enrolled in one of the last classes of the day, a late pickup fee of $10 is imposed if we have to wait more than 15 minutes for your child to be picked up before we can close the studio. Many of our staff members have families that they need to tend to as well.
COMMUNICATIONS
Beginning with the 2010 - 2011 dance year, we will use online communications as our primary source of communication with our studio parents and dancers. It is important to let us know if you DO NOT have any online capability. We will note this in your student record and advise you of studio events via telephone, notes or mail. Please be sure to complete your registration information to include your email address. In addition to email, we will, from time to time, be sending home notices with your child. Please ask and check dance bags every week to be sure you are fully informed. Your best method of staying current on studio information is our website. jilllistidancestudio.com. We post studio events, practices and needed information on our website daily. Please visit our website often to stay current on studio information.
Our email address is jilllistidance@bellsouth .net; we understand that telephone tag can be a barrier to expeditious communication. If you regularly use email, we can exchange detailed messages more efficiently. Staff members have email links from our website (jilllistidancestudio.com), under ABOUT OUR STUDIO CONTACT US section. We do check phone messages and e-mail messages equally and on an ongoing basis during our business hours. If this is a good way to communicate for you, please fill in your e-mail address in the space provided on the first payment coupon in your payment book.
CLASS OBSERVATION
It is our philosophy that the purpose of dance class is to instruct, not to put on a show. Even the quietest observers do distract students and can make them self-conscious or apprehensive if they are constantly watched. Although the physical design of our studio allows parents to watch at any time, please DO NOT enter the classroom during the course of the class for any reason even if the class is changing shoes or taking a break. Siblings not participating in a dance class must be accompanied by a parent at all times and are not allowed to un or play in any area of the studio. Curtains will be open on certain days to allow observation. Please check with your teacher for this information.
ABSENCES & TARDIES
When you enroll your child in a class, you are paying us to hold a place in class for your child; therefore each student is expected to attend the entire 9 month dance season. Regular attendance to class is MANDATORY. If your child is excessively absent for any reason, they may not be allowed to participate in our performance. Excessive is defined as missing more than 5 classes in our 9-month dance season. Attendance in the months of February, March & April is important in order for proper preparation for our May performance, therefore every effort should be made to avoid missing a class. Students should avoid missing consecutive dance classes. Teachers will not slow the pace of their class to accommodate a student who does not attend class regularly. Students who are over 10 years old are responsible for learning new choreography that was taught during an absence. Private instruction may be available at an additional cost; please speak with your child instructor to make these arrangements.
Every year, the dancer who attends class regularly performs the best and excels at a steady pace. One absent dancer not only hurts the progress of the individual, it also inhibits the progress of the entire class. Students should arrive at least 10 minutes before class so they will be ready to begin. Entering class after it has begun is disruptive to the teacher and other students, so if your child is tardy, please advise her to enter class quickly and quietly. Jill Listi Dance Studio should be notified at least 24 hours in advance of any absence, tardy or early pick-up. If a student misses 2 or more consecutive classes without notifying the studio, they will be dropped from the class and you will still be responsible for all fees incurred, as well as costume payments. If a child is to be picked up before the end of class, please inform the instructor prior to the start of class and let her know what time your child will need to leave. Please do not enter the classroom to get your child early. The teacher will allow your child to QUIETLY leave the class at the designated time.
ONLY DANCERS & STAFF should be in the classrooms during class. If you must contact your child while class is in progress, please talk to our staff located at the front desk.
ACCOUNTING AND PAYMENT PROCEDURES
Payments may be dropped off at the front desk of the studio, the mailbox located directly outside of the front door of the studo (locked) or may be mailed to:
JILL LISTI DANCE STUDIO
P.O. BOX 60186
LAFAYETTE, LA 70596
If you send payments with your child, PLEASE BE SURE IT IS HANDED TO A STAFF MEMBER AT THE FRONT DESK RATHER THAN GIVING IT TO A TEACHER OR ASSISTANT.
We accept checks, Visa/MasterCard, money orders or cash. When paying in cash it is YOUR RESPOSIBILITY to obtain a receipt. In case of any discrepancies regarding cash payments, we will not be able to honor cash payments not documented by a receipt.
We charge an additional $25 in any circumstance when your bank does not honor your check. After 2 returned checks, all subsequent payments must be made by cash, Visa/MasterCard or money order.
Students WILL NOT be allowed to participate in conventions, competitions or the performance if the account is not current.
TUITION
IMPORTANT.......PLEASE READ!!!
You are registering for a 9 month session of dance. You must pay your session fees as they appear on your Tuition Payment Schedule. There will be no discounts, skipped payments or "frozen" accounts due to activities unrelated to our dance year. If your child participates in other activities outside of Jill Listi Dance Studio, (i.e.....school or extra curricular sports, band, school plays, etc...) you will be expected to maintain a current paid status on your account regardless of attendance due to these activities. If you have any questions regarding this policy, please contact the studio and speak to one of the Directors.
In your Policies & Procedures folder, you will receive a yearly statement that itemizes your child’s dance charges for the year.
Session I:
September 15th; late after the 25th October 1st; late after the 10th November 1st; late after the 10th December 1st; late after the 10th
Session II: January 1st; late after the 10th February 1st; late after the 10th March 1st; late after the 10th
PLEASE NOTE: Costume & performance tickets will not be issued until all accounts have been paid in full.
Tuition is due by the 1st of each month and is considered late after the 10th.
Late fees on accounts are an automatic function of our computer software and are posted to accounts unpaid by the 11th of each month. Tuition late fees are $10 per class.
We check our mail daily at the studio and at our Post Office box.
Accounts more than 2 months in arrears will be frozen and the student may not be allowed to participate until account is brought current.
Please do not hesitate to contact our Business Manager, Debbie LeJeune at 989-8115 if special payment arrangements need to be made.
There are no refunds for tuition FOR ANY REASON. Please do not register your child if you do not plan for him/her to attend the entire 9-month season. Tuition is calculated on the entire dance year (September-May) and is the same each month, including those shortened by holidays. There are no exceptions, including student absences or weather days. In the case of weather related closures, we will re-schedule all missed classes.
COSTUME PAYMENTS & PERFORMANCE FEE
Payments for costumes and performance fees are ABSOLUTELY NON REFUNDABLE, for any reason.
Costumes are ordered during the first week of December, therefore costume accounts not paid in full by December 1st WILL NOT BE ORDERED. If your childs costumes are not ordered at this time we cannot guarantee that the costumes will be received in time for pictures or the performance. Additionally, any costumes that are ordered after our initial order has been placed, will incur a late fee of $25 per costume to compensate for the extra shipping and ordering costs incurred.
Costumes are not made custom to each student. Alterations are your responsibility.
The following items are covered by the performance fee:
>Class Picture in program >Performance Program (1 per student) >Tickets to the performance
Costs associated with the Heymann Center rental including, but not limited to :
stage crew~lighting techs~curtain flys~ushers~stage manager~parking~dressing rooms~sound engineers~security~fire marshalls,scenery, special effects & props
Reserved seating for both of our Sunday performances are available at the Heymann Perfroming Arts Center box office through Ticketmaster for $10 per seat.
General admission tickets to all performances are avaiable for purchase at the studio.
(Students receive 5 tickets per student, additional tickets may be purchased for $5 per ticket prior to the show; tickets will be sold at the door for $8 per ticket.)
YOUR POSSESIONS
Please bring all personal items in a bag that closes securely. Loose items are liable to get lost or picked up accidentally by another child.
Please label all personal items with child name in permanent ink to cut down on lost items. If your child misplaces a belonging, please check the lost & found.
We discard unlabeled, unclaimed items at the end of EACH MONTH. We are NOT RESPONSIBLE for lost items, labeled or unclaimed. Please DO NOT BRING VALUABLE ITEMS TO THE STUDIO.
CONVENTIONS
Dance conventions are a unique experience for students. It is a 2-day workshop, usually held on a Saturday & Sunday, where students from all over the country take classes from some of the industry top professional choreographers and dancers.
We believe that dance conventions offer students an opportunity to see other students their age perform at levels thought unattainable. Conventions also expand their world of dance from just the classroom, to learning from actual professionals from Broadway to the movies.
There are additional costs involved if your child participates, so notes are usually sent out approximately 1 month prior to a convention.
Overnight stay in a hotel may be required for some conventions. Cities that we travel to include, but are not limited to, New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Biloxi, Houston and Dallas. Parents are responsible for making their own reservations for hotel accommodations; host hotel information will be sent out with the convention notes.
Parents are responsible for their own children at a convention. Although the classes last most of the day, there are breaks and lunch hours. Staff of JLDS will not be responsible for monitoring children; nor will the staff of any convention we attend.
Students whose accounts are not current, WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO PARTICIPATE in a dance convention until their account is brought up to date.
Age requirements and ability levels vary from convention to convention, so please speak with your child teacher if you have any questions.
JILL LISTI ELITE DANCERS & COMPETITIONS
Jill Listi Elite Dancers is our studio competitive dance company. Students are invited to join when a teacher believes they are ready. Invitations are sent out in the month following our May performance.
There are age and ability requirements; therefore the teachers select individuals who have displayed a passion for dance as well as talent, maturity and responsibility.
Any other classes participating in competition are at the discretion of the instructor. INSTRUCTORS ARE THE ONLY ONES WHO MAY ORDAIN COMPETITION NUMBERS OUTSIDE OF JILL LISTI ELITE DANCERS. Our staff is highly qualified and we understand the skill needed to participate in a competition and will notify the student(s) and parent when we feel a student or class is ready. PLEASE REFRAIN FROM APPROACHING AN INSTRUCTOR AND ASKING IF YOUR CHILD MAY DO A COMPETITION NUMBER (i.e. solo, duo or trio).
Students whose accounts are not current will not be allowed to participate in competitions until the account is brought current.
PLACEMENT POLICY
Our staff is extremely careful and concerned when choosing the correct level class for each student. It is very important to remember that all students are individuals with very different talents, skills and ability levels; they will not progress at the same rate. In maintaining a high quality of dance education, it is therefore sometimes impossible to keep the same students together in class year after year. The most important thing is that the student should be comfortable in their learning environment, not inhibited. We are a progressive studio and ALL OF OUR CLASSES ARE CHALLENGING.
Just because your child class name does not change does not mean they will not learn anything new. The class names are simply a way of identifying the classes separately for business and scheduling purposes. We have many classes so it is therefore impossible to have a different class name every year.
Please do not become a competitive parent and want your child in a certain class because you think it is more advanced or a harder class. Class placement is solely at the discretion of the directors. We cannot stress enough that since every child is not equally talented, they cannot all show the same progress rate.
Beware of becoming the classic STAGE MOTHER who pushes her children beyond their capabilities or interest in dance. Children of these parents usually become frustrated with their dancing and want to quit, never realizing that dance is supposed to be fun.
The teacher judgment must be respected first and foremost. It is normal for every parent to view their child as he best dancer in the class but remember the teacher is looking at your child through trained, expert eyes. If your teacher judgment is not respected in all areas of your child’s training, his or her dance education may be compromised.
Jill Listi Dance Studio prides itself on having a friendly, family-like atmosphere with enough strong instructors to help each dancer develop into the best that he or she can and WANTS to be. From time to time, our teachers must make decisions whereby certain students are chosen for solos, competition groups or special parts or auditions. These decisions are not easily made and are thought out carefully. The parents and teachers must work together to help students understand that not all students can be chosen for all things. We want our students to be appy for and not ealous of each other. It is our intention to teach the students to learn from each other and to be motivated by each other.
We encourage all of our students to work hard and become the best dancers they can be, but they must work at a level that is suitable for them. Many students are easily discouraged when they are placed in too difficult a class.
HOLIDAYS & INCLEMENT WEATHER
We follow the Lafayette Parish School Board schedule for Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year , Mardi Gras, Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Easter. Classes WILL BE HELD on election days, report card days, conference days and teacher in service days. If we experience bad weather and Lafayette Parish Schools close, we will close as well. If you are unsure please call the studio after 2PM and we will have a message recorded stating when and if we are closed. Listed below is our holiday schedule:
September Studio closed for Labor day
November Studio closed for Thanksgiving
December Studio closed for Christmas/New Years
January Studio closed for Martin Luther King Day
February Studio closed for Mardi Gras
April *Studio closed for Easter/Spring Break
We offer combination dance classes of tap, ballet, jazz and basic tumbling for our Pre-K through Junior students. Classes range from 1 hour in length to 1 hour and 30 minutes, depending on the level of the class. These classes are all inclusive and tuition is based on the entire class.
Students who are in our Junior Advanced, Teen Advanced or Advanced classes will attend a jazz/tap combination class AND a separate ballet class. The classes are usually held on two different nights and tuition is based on the 2 classes together. Students in these classes are also expected to participate in the Ballet dance in our Performance.
ALL STUDENTS ENROLLED IN REGULAR DANCE CLASSES ARE REQUIRED TO TAKE BALLET. JUNIOR ADVANCED CLASSES AND ABOVE MUST TAKE BALLET SEPARETLY WITH MISS CATHY OR MISS LIZ FOR THE ENTIRE DANCE YEAR. Under NO circumstances will tuition be pro-rated to exclude ballet. We strongly believe Ballet to be the core of a dance education. Many techniques required for tap and jazz are based on ballet technique. We do not expect our students to become prima ballerinas, but we do expect them to understand the importance of ballet in becoming a better jazz and tap dancer. We offer several class times to accommodate our older students with busy schedules.
Students in Junior Advanced classes through Advanced classes will not be allowed to participate in our performance if they do not attend ballet class regularly. NO EXCEPTIONS TO THIS RULE!!!!
We also offer hip-hop classes for students in Kindergarten and older. Students who take only hip-hop are not required to take ballet class. Students enrolled in other dance classes at Jill Listi Dance Studio may enroll in hip-hop at a discounted rate.
We offer two levels of turns and leaps class for Intermediate through Advanced dancers. This class is geared to prepare younger students for the rigors of advanced dance classes and dance team tryouts, as well as challenge and fine-tune the abilities of our older dancers. This class runs from September through March; anyone registering for this class MUST ATTEND THE ENTIRE SESSION.
We offer introductory ballet classes with Miss Cathy and Miss Brittany for any students who are 8 years old or older, who are serious about dance and want to take advantage of extra ballet training.
GRADUATE PROGRAM
Any student who wishes to graduate from Jill Listi Dance Studio must be enrolled in the studio for three consecutive years leading up to their graduation year as a FULL time dance student. They must also successfully complete our graduate program. It is a series of three teachers training courses in the subjects of tap, ballet and jazz/acrobats. Students are eligible to begin taking these courses after their 8th grade school year.
Each course is a one-week session, and we offer two sessions a summer to accommodate vacation and summer camp schedules. A different course is given each summer.
These courses are ONLY OFFERED IN THE SUMMER, so every effort should be made to avoid missing or skipping a summer once you enter the program.
Each course is based on the syllabi taught by Dance Masters of America, and require students to take a written and demonstration test. The cost of each course is $225, which covers all materials needed to complete each course.
In addition to taking these courses, potential graduates are expected to become class assistants in order to get ands on training on becoming a teacher. A total of three class-assisting credits are required prior to graduating. Students may begin class assisting as early as age 10, and may be completed at any time.
CONCLUSION
We appreciate the opportunity to share our love of dance with your child. We are also looking forward to an exciting year for you and your child. Please do not hesitate to contact us at any time throughout the year if you have any questions or concerns regarding your child dance education. There is no doubt that with the cooperation of the staff, students and parents we can continue to achieve excellence in the art of dance
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