AMB Dance Theatre provides non-competitive dance education in Belleville NJ, promoting dance technique, self-esteem, personal growth, and cooperative spirit.

 

STUDIO ENVIRONMENT

 

Parents, guardians, and students can expect that all faculty and staff will respect the well being of each student, treat her/him fairly, and encourage their growth and self-esteem as unique individuals. Should any concern or issue arise, please do not hesitate to speak directly with faculty or the Artistic Director.

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EXPECTATIONS AND ETIQUETTE FOR AMB DANCERS (students and parents, please read!)

 

 

Just as teachers are expected to respect students, students are expected to respect each other, staff at AMB, and the building and studio.

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When using the bathroom area, students are expected to clean up after themselves, including throwing away trash, washing hands, and packing up belongings.

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As our studio is shared space, we ask that all students be aware that people of all ages are often present.

We ask that older students (and parents) be aware that they are setting the example for younger students, and reflect wise choices in their language and behavior.

 

Dancers are to arrive on time and prepared for classes. This includes wearing proper attire (outlined below) and hair pulled back.

 

Older dancers are encouraged to arrive a bit early for class to begin stretching and warming up.

 

In the event that a dancer is late and class has already started, the dancer is to come into the studio and wait by the door for the teacher to acknowledge them and give them instructions. Dancers arriving severely late may be asked to sit out of class to reduce the risk of injury after missing warm up.

 

Consistency IS important! Plan your time wisely (homework, extracurricular activities, etc) so that you can attend all of your dance classes each week.

 

As a matter of respect for dance peers and the teacher, dancers are to keep talking to a minimum during class and participate fully in the lesson.

 

Cell phones MUST be left outside of the studio.

 

Dancers are to leave bags, coats, and other personal belongings outside of the studio. 

 

No food or drink is permitted within the studio except water.

 

All dancers should bring a labeled water bottle to the studio.

 

Gum is prohibited during class or in the studio.

 

Dancers who consistently refuse to follow directions or disrespect their classmates may be asked to sit out of class (Behavior Policy outlined below).

 

NOTE: Students who do not follow etiquette expectations will first be given a verbal warning and subsequently given strikes according to our behavior policy outlined below.

 

 

SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY:

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While we understand that cell phones and social media are primary ways through which people communicate, we have set forth the following guidelines for cell phone and social media interaction between AMB Dance Theatre faculty/staff and students. 

 

 Please limit cell phone communication between AMB/staff and students to emergency situations only. 

 

Faculty/staff of AMB Dance Theatre should not accept friend requests from AMB Dance Theatre students who are under the age of 18-years-old. 

 

No photos should be taken in class without prior consent and written permission from parents ahead of time, and no photos of students should be posted on personal social media pages. 

 

No private information about students or other faculty/staff should be shared via text or social media, ever.  

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BEHAVIOR POLICY:

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We are committed to educate our students, model behaviors, and help dancers grow with love and respect in this program. If for any reason a student does not meet the expectations outlined above, AMB Dance Theatre enforces a 4-strikes policy with regard to students misbehaving at the studio – in or outside of class. Acquired strikes and behavior plans will be recorded and tracked by AMB staff. 

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** Students will initially receive a couple verbal prompts with guidance by staff and/or teachers to help students demonstrate appropriate behavior. Strikes will not be administered for these initial redirections of behavior. Strikes will only be given after behavior correction and/or redirecting does not work in the classroom context. Our goal is to help students shift their behavior in a more positive direction. 

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– Strike 1 is an official warning; student is still able to participate in dance class. Student and relevant teachers will have a discussion about a plan to support appropriate behavior in class. First strikes are administered after some attempts by the relevant teachers/staff to redirect behavior in a positive direction. In other words, first strikes are not given until a teacher or staff member decides that basic prompting is not sufficient to shift behavior appropriately. 

 

– Strike 2  Student will be asked to take a break from class to re-set, breathe, take a drink of water, and re-focus on class before coming back. Guardians will be contacted to discuss the behavior concern and talk about a plan moving forward for class. 

 

– Strike 3 student will be asked to leave the classroom and sit in the office until class is finished. In the case of a Strike 3, the teacher will talk to AD, student, and guardian about implementing a clear & detailed plan for shifting behavioral issues to make the classroom environment more positive for everyone.

 

—Strike 4 (extremely rare!) Student will be asked to cease attending class if disruptive behavior is not adjusted or controlled adequately after previous steps taken. Student is encouraged to return to class the following semester to try again. Strike 4 situations are rare and are avoided as much as possible by AMB staff.

 

 

AMB Dance Theatre Injury and Illness Policy

 

 

AMB Dance Theater's goal is to provide a safe, secure environment for dance and movement education. However, the risk of injury exists in any physical activity. 

In order to minimize the impact of injury and illness on the dancers in our studio space, and to protect dancers for the long-term, the following policy has been developed.

 

Age-appropriate warm-up and cool-down will be part of each class session.

 

If an injury should occur in class, the dancer should tell the teacher immediately, and will be advised to sit out and observe the remainder of class. If the injury is determined to require immediate care, a parent/guardian will be called and/or emergency transport to a medical facility arranged.

 

Students who have suffered an injury in class will be sent home with an incident report detailing the injury and reminding families of this policy.

 

If an injury is significant enough to require missing more than one class, AMB will require a doctor’s note detailing prognosis and any recommendations for necessary modifications, or clearing the student to dance without exceptions.

 

Serious injuries will require an in-person meeting with the dancer, his/her parent/guardian, and Artistic Director to discuss a plan for return to dance moving forward. Relevant AMB instructors will be consulted, and may be included in the meeting.

 

If you have suffered an injury outside of class, please notify your teacher at the beginning of class so that modifications can be discussed.

 

If you are ill and cannot attend class, please call the studio to let us know you will be absent.

 

If you are running a fever, please do not attend class.

 

If you get sick during class, please alert your teacher or a member of our staff immediately, so that we can call your parent/guardian.

 

DANCER ATTIRE:

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Students are to arrive with appropriate dance attire and their hair pulled back. It is imperative that dancers be able to move freely without inhibition and that teachers are able to clearly see the line of the body in order to properly assess alignment and posture. Students may not wear the following items: jeans, short shorts, pajamas, or big/distracting jewelry (no dangling earrings, bracelets, or necklaces). If a student consistently arrives without proper attire, s/he may be asked to sit out of class.

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DRESS CODE BY CLASS:

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Ballet – leotard, tights, canvas or leather ballet shoes, hair in bun.

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Hip Hop – leotard, tights, and sneakers, hair in bun.

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Acrobatics – Leotard, dance tights, hair in bun.

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Modeling - black leggings, black t shirt hair pulled back, appropriate shoes upon request

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CONSISTENCY AND CLASS ATTENDANCE YEAR ROUND:

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Consistency among classes is important. Fundamentals and technique built over the course of both Fall and Winter Semesters are reflected in choreography, and student confidence is encouraged and strengthened through the mastering of skill sets. Consequently, students are expected to enroll in the Fall Semester classes that they wish to perform in during Spring Concert. Please speak with the Artistic Director if you have any questions or non-adjustable fall conflicts. Additionally, if a student has two or more non-emergency absences from class during a Semester, he/she may be removed from a concert piece (Winter or Spring Concert) or their role reduced, at the choreographer and artistic director’s discretion.

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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR PARENTS

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ATTENDANCE AND PICK UP

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Students are to arrive on time for class. Students arriving severely late may be asked to sit out of class to reduce the risk of injury after missing warm up. Please call the office to let the instructor know your student will be late if you know you are running behind. In cases of repeated tardiness, parents will be contacted by the instructor. Pick your children up immediately after class. Please call the studio to notify the office if you will be late due to an emergency. IMPORTANT: If your student is 10 years of age or younger, they must be picked up inside the building by a parent/guardian.

AMB assumes no responsibility for children on the premises before, after, or between their

specified class times. Parents and guardians are responsible for arranging proper supervision of their children.

 

ABSENCES:

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It is important to the cohesiveness of your students’ dance training that they attend classes every week as scheduled. If your child will be absent from class, please contact the office prior to the class time. This is especially mandatory with regard to rehearsals and performances. Additionally, if a student has two or more non-emergency absences from class during a Semester, he/she may be removed from a concert piece (Winter or Spring Concert) or their on-stage participation reduced, at the choreographer and artistic director’s discretion. Please let the office AND the instructor know if your student will be going on vacation or has conflicting performances or sports events at the beginning of the semester.

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STUDIO CANCELLATIONS & COMMUNICATION

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AMB sends primary communications via EMAIL. We do not share email addresses with anyone outside of our organization. Important billing information, as well as studio updates, are sent via email. Please check with Alicia or Candy, to make sure that we have your correct email address on file. If classes need to be cancelled to instructor issues, an email will be sent to the entire class accounts no later than 1pm of that day. In case of Newark Public Schools cancellations due to weather, dance classes will be automatically cancelled in Newark. Important notifications will be posted on our FACEBOOK PAGE as well. You are encouraged to follow AMB Dance Theatre on FB and Instagram (@ambdancetheatre) as important information is often shared there.

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SNOW DAY POLICY 

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Snow days are determined by the Director, all parents will be notified within 3-4 hours before the studio hours. 

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NON EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS:

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AMB sends monthly Dance NEWS emails to all families with information about upcoming events, new developments, and any pertinent information about the studio. We ask that families read these newsletters as they contain helpful calendar reminders, new opportunities for our students, and other important information.

 

TUITION, AND PAYMENTS

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Payment must be made either :

 

In Full When Registering

• Payments must be made by Credit, Debit Card, Zelle or Cash.

• Payment for the full year is acceptable

• Monthly tuition payments are acceptable.

• Late fee of $20 if payment is not done by the first week of each month. 

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REFUNDS

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AMB Dance Theatre does not issue out refunds, unless there is a major cancelation. 

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CONCERTS AND PERFORMANCE OPPORTUNITIES

 

JUNE RECITAL

 

June Concert is AMB Dance Theatre's grand finale, held in late Spring.  The June concert includes all genres of dance, age groups, as well as composition classes at the discretion of the Artistic Director. As this is our year-end, cumulative performance, attendance during technique classes throughout the year is necessary to develop technical skills. Students are expected to enroll in Fall Semester for the classes that they wish to perform in at Spring Concert time. Please speak with the Artistic Director if you have any questions or non-adjustable fall conflicts.

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CLASS CONSISTENCY AND ATTENDANCE:

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As Spring Concert is a year-end cumulative event, consistency among classes is important. Consequently, students are expected to enroll in the Fall Semester classes that they wish to perform in during Spring Concert. Additionally, if a student has two or more non-emergency absences from class during a Semester, he/she may be removed from a concert piece (Winter or Spring Concert) or their on-stage participation reduced, at the choreographer’s discretion. Please speak with the Artistic Director if you have any questions or non-adjustable fall conflicts.

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OUTREACH AND TOURING:

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AMB looks for outreach performance opportunities on a yearly basis! These events often occur with Composition classes and AMB Dance Theatre company members.  They have included the Newark lights out, Gallery fire station, and Index Art Center. Please speak with the Artistic Director if you are interested in performance opportunities, or if you know an opportunity for an AMB collaborative performance.

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ADDITIONAL OBSERVATION OPPORTUNITIES:

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Parents, family members, and guardians are invited to observe the last 5 minutes of any given dance class. We are calling this open invitation, “Final 5,” in which parents can come in to see what classes are working on for the last minutes of any class. Outside of these last 5 minutes, parents are not allowed to observe class. Young students are encouraged to engage with their instructors and classmates in order to become confident and independent with as few distractions as possible. Special exceptions may be made. Please speak with one of the directors if you wish to observe any other times.