Welcome to the club, dance moms and dads! Now that you’ve formally signed your child up for lessons and (hopefully) you’ve gotten all the pertinent information about the season, you are officially a dance parent at Santa Barbara Dance Arts! Being a dance parent here is a little bit like being in a secret society; there’s this new lingo to learn and a whole culture that you are now a part of. Here’s the inside scoop on what you need to know for your new status as a Dance Arts dance mom or dad:
All about enrollment: Our Season refers to the fact that our program is a commitment from September-May with Open Enrollment starting November 1st. This is the period where you can change your schedule and be sure to drop any classes you will not continue in January. This is important if you want to avoid the November 16th Recital costume charge and Spring Tuition auto charges. Don’t worry, you have a Two week Grace Period from your agreed upon start date to adjust your schedule at the top of each session! We auto charge all enrolled dancers with a balance the second week of each session and on the 14thof each month if you chose a payment plan.
Learn about our shows. At Dance Arts, we offer an opportunity every year for our students to perform. Select classes perform in our casual in-studio December Showcase (December 1st). There are no costumes and convenient hour long performance windows. The Inspire Recital (May 16-18), is when our performance classes class showcase a routine onstage and in costume, and family and friends watch the show from the audience. Stay tuned all year to our emails and handouts for all the need-to-know recital info! Check out our website to learn more.
Pack a dance bag. Dance shoes, a water bottle, extra dancewear, and hair supplies … all of these things belong in your child’s dance bag. (Avoid allowing your child to wear their dance shoes outside; it’s damaging.) Be sure to label everything with your child’s name or initials! Our lost and found is across from the ladies room if something doesn’t make it home. Stop by The Dance Store to get your dancewear basics or set your dancer up with an account for snacks! We are proud to announce that we have a new filtered water fountain and Dance Arts aluminum water bottles (for purchase) to help Dance Arts be more environmentally conscious.
Introduce yourself to the other parents. We love building a community of like-minded moms and dads who understand our culture and enjoy having their children involved in dance. Our super-friendly dance parents are some of the best people we know, so we encourage you to introduce yourself in the lobby. Share stories, find carpools, plan playdates, or ask about their personal experiences at Dance Arts. Want more connection? Join our Santa Barbara Dance Arts Parent Group on Facebook.
Learn the next steps for your growing dancer. Our accelerated S.T.E.P Program has multiple tiered levels for your dancer to progress at Dance Arts from their youth to their high school years. We spend the season working on Style and Technique and then Evaluations are in April/May and Placement is in August. We offer a few mid-year promotions, and to learn more about progressing, have a look at our syllabi for each discipline. If your dancer is passionate about dance and looking for more opportunity and camaraderie, learn more about our teams for ages 6-teen: Company, Pre-Company, and Crew
Being a dance parent is pretty awesome but being a dance parent at Dance Arts is even better! We hope this primer serves you well and helps you feel welcome at the studio. We’re glad you’re here!