Youth 2023-2024 Student Handbook

Urbanity Dance is a nonprofit arts organization that exists to inspire, engage, and empower individuals and communities through the art of dance and movement. For more information about the work that we do, click here.

We have three studios located in the South End: Urbanity Headquarters, Urbanity Central, and Urbanity Balance. For directions and parking information, click here.

To contact the Urbanity Education Team, email us at studio@urbanitydance.org or call 617-572-3727.

 

Registration Policies


How to Register

You can register for classes online via our Amilia page. Amilia is a class registration system that we use to accept and manage program enrollment. When registering, participants create an Amilia account (free of charge) and can use this tool to enroll in classes and manage their registrations and payments at any time.

Selecting Classes

If your child is under age 6, students are to register for developmentally-appropriate classes based on their age as of September 1 of the current school year, no exceptions:

Childhood (Ages 1-5)
Baby: Age 1 | Toddler: Age 2 | Preschool: Age 3 | PreK: Age 4 | PreK/Kids: Ages 4-5 | Kids: Age 5

If your child is between the ages of 6 and 11, class level selection is based on the dancer’s age as of September 1 of the current school year with some occasional exceptions made based on teacher recommendation only:

Primary (Ages 6-11)
Primary I/II/III: Ages 6-11 | Primary I: Ages 6-7 | Primary I/II: Ages 6-9
Primary II: Ages 8-9 | Primary II/III: Ages 8-11 | Primary III: Ages 10-11

If your child is 12 or older, class level selection is based purely on teacher recommendation:

Teen (Ages 12-18)
Teen I/II/III: Open Level | Teen I: Beginner | Teen I/II: Beginner or Intermediate
Teen II: Intermediate | Teen II/III: Intermediate or Advanced | Teen III: Advanced
Open Level: designed for all dancers ages 12+, regardless of their experience level/dance background.
Beginner: designed for beginner dancers ages 12+ with little-to-no prior experience in this style.
Intermediate: designed for intermediate dancers ages 12+ who have prior experience in this style, whether at Urbanity or elsewhere.
Advanced: designed for advanced dancers age 12+ with significant experience in this style (instructor permission required).

Current Students: For Childhood and Primary students (ages 1-11), level placement is first based on age. Occasionally, for Primary students (ages 6-11), faculty will recommend students move to a class that is above their age group; these recommendations will be provided in writing before the end of the previous school year (e.g. if a 9yo is recommended to take Primary III during the 2023-2024 school year, their guardian(s) will be informed in writing by the end of the 2022-2023 school year). For Teen students (ages 12-18), level placement is based purely on faculty recommendation.

New Students: Initial level placement will be determined by age and/or dance experience as recommended by the Urbanity Education Team. Subsequent changes in level will be at the discretion of the student’s teacher and the Director. Please email studio@urbanitydance.org to discuss placement recommendations for new students.

Trial Classes

If a student would like to try a class before committing to a year-long registration, they may attend a free in-person trial class as long as registration is still open for that program and there are still spots available in the class. All trial classes must be scheduled in advance by emailing studio@urbanitydance.org. If you are interested in trying a class for an upcoming session that has not yet started, please email studio@urbanitydance.org to discuss available options.

Prorating Policy

Registration for the 2023-2024 school year will open in April 2023, and classes will begin in September. If a student registers after the first day of class, they will be charged prorated tuition. The amount is determined based on the number of classes remaining in the session at the time of registration.

Withdrawal/Refund Policy

If a student withdraws before the start of the session, they will be refunded full tuition minus their registration fee (registration fees are non-refundable). If a student withdraws mid-year, they will be refunded a percentage of tuition based on the number of classes remaining. Students in Showcase classes (most PreK, Kids, Primary, and Teen classes) who withdraw after May 1, 2024, will not receive a refund (exceptions may be made on an individual basis for emergencies). Students in non-Showcase classes (Baby Dance, Toddler Dance, Preschool Dance, all Acro classes, Friday Teen classes) may withdraw at any time for a prorated refund.

If a student is withdrawing from classes, an email must be sent to studio@urbanitydance.org. The number of classes remaining in the session will be calculated based on this date of written withdrawal.

Payment Options

Classes can be paid in full at the time of registration, or they can be split into installments. Several preset payment plans will be presented at checkout when you register online, or you can email studio@urbanitydance.org to set up a customized payment plan if the ones presented don’t work for you.

Financial Assistance

Urbanity Dance has financial aid available for students via full and partial scholarships. Click here for more information and to apply. In addition to tuition awards, dancewear is available free of charge.


Studio Policies

COVID-19

Nothing is more important to us than the health and safety of our community. We continue to strive to provide and maintain spaces that are safe and as risk-free as possible. For the most up-to-date information on our current COVID-19 policies, click here. If your child is exhibiting any symptoms of COVID-19 and/or if they have recently come in contact with someone who is known or suspected to have COVID-19, they must remain home.

Pick Up/Drop Off

Urbanity will release students to the parent/guardian(s) listed on the student’s registration profile in Amilia. If you would like to allow for another adult to pick up your child, you must email studio@urbanitydance.org no less than two days in advance of class with the person’s name, contact information, date of class, and waiving release to this person.

Waiting Rooms

Waiting areas are open to all students (youth and adult) and one caregiver per youth student. Waiting rooms will be open up to five minutes before the start of the student’s class, and their caregiver can wait inside throughout class, regardless of the student’s age.

We ask that folks taking advantage of our waiting rooms allow students to dance and learn without interruption. Please keep noise to a minimum, and consider stepping outside for loud conversations or phone calls. We do not permit parents/caregivers to film students during class but do encourage you to film your dancers after class in your own homes. If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to ask the studio admin on duty during your dancer’s class.

Classroom Etiquette

We want to keep the classroom environment safe, inspiring, and supportive. In order to maintain a positive learning environment, we have five rules for dance class:

  1. Walking or dancing feet only - no running.

  2. Listening ears on - no talking out of turn.

  3. Be safe - hands to yourself.

  4. Follow directions.

  5. Be respectful - everyone is welcome at Urbanity!

Additionally, all cell phones must be turned off, silenced, and/or put into Do Not Disturb mode during class. Cell phones must be left in coat pockets or stored inside a bag that is placed in either a study cubby or in the waiting area. Students may not be on their cell phone during any class.

Please talk with your students about the classroom expectations so they come ready to listen, learn, and groove! Severe discipline issues will result in a phone call to the student’s parent or guardian and a request for immediate pick-up from the studio.

Note: no food or drink, with the exception of water, is allowed in the studio.

Streaming Etiquette

Starting Summer 2023, we will no longer be offering streaming classes. However, several times a year, we offer caregivers the opportunity to observe their dancers in class and may still offer a remote viewing option for some such events. Should an adult caregiver choose to observe class via Zoom, they are required to change their display name to their own name AND the name of the student(s) in the class they are there to observe, and they must have their camera on at all times. Caregivers are only permitted to observe class via Zoom on designated observation days.

Anyone attempting to stream into class who does not abide by these rules will be removed from the Zoom call.

Physical Touch

Dancing and movement learning may require students to be in physical contact with each other and their teacher. Urbanity asks that Teaching Artists develop a safe space and culture of consent in the classroom, offering and normalizing options for students with or without physical touch, and developing a habit of asking for students’ consent before any exercise incorporating touch, recognizing the choice for students may change at any time. Asks for consent will occur in an appropriate and respectful manner, allowing for private communication for each student away from the full group. If you do not consent for your dancer to engage in appropriate physical contact with their classmates and/or instructor, please email studio@urbanitydance.org, and our Education Team will ensure that their teacher is made aware.

Dress Code

Our dress code is designed to ensure that all students at every age can move comfortably and safely, while allowing teachers to see alignment, posture, and placement. Any student may wear any dress code option regardless of gender identity or expression. We do not require specific brands, colors, or cuts.

All Classes

  • Face masks are no longer required as of 6/20/22 but are still encouraged

  • Hair pulled back from the face

  • No jewelry, with the exception of small stud earrings and/or religious items

  • No vulgar language or imagery

Childhood (Ages 1-5)

  • Comfortable clothes students can move freely in

  • No jeans, overalls, or street shoes

  • Skirts only if students have a leotard or shorts on underneath and can move their legs freely

Primary & Teen (Ages 6-18)

Tops

  • Tops students can move comfortably and freely in; options include athletic tops, tank tops, leotards; loose-fitting shirts are allowed as long as the teacher can still see the limbs and lines of the body

Bottoms

  • Leggings, athletic shorts, dance tights, yoga pants; no jeans, pajama pants, or skirts; sweatpants are allowed for Hip Hop classes

Shoes

  • Hip Hop: non-mark-soled sneakers; sneakers must be clean and only worn indoors (no street shoes)
    please use sneaker cleaners located by the entrance to each studio before class if you are wearing street shoes

  • Contemporary/Modern: bare feet or socks

  • Ballet: ballet slippers (we recommend the “Pro Elastic” Canvas Split-Sole Ballet Slipper by Bloch or the “Bliss” Stretch Canvas Split-Sole Ballet Shoe by So Danca); pre-pointe students should not buy pointe shoes until cleared by the teacher

  • Jazz: jazz shoes optional

Attendance

All classes meet once per week. It is important for physical and technical development, as well as for class dynamic, for students to be present and attend class regularly. Spring Showcase rehearsals begin in mid-January for most PreK, Kids, Primary, and Teen classes; if a student misses more than three classes, their participation in the showcase will be left to the discretion of the teacher and the Director, as determined on an individual basis.

We also ask that students arrive on time. Should a student’s tardiness cause them to miss most or all of warm up, they will not be allowed to participate in class. This is for the safety of the student, as not being properly warmed up increases the risk of injuries during class. An Urbanity staff member will reach out if a student is repeatedly dropped off and/or picked up early and/or late to ensure the scheduling works for the student and family while maintaining Urbanity’s safety protocols.

Make-Up Classes

If a student needs to miss class for any reason, they have the option to schedule an in-person make-up class by emailing studio@urbanitydance.org for a list of all session classes that are at the appropriate age level, including classes in different styles, that are not at capacity. When arriving for the make-up class, there will be a clipboard at the desk where the dancer can sign in. Cross-class make-ups will not be allowed during the last two weeks of a showcase session so as to not disrupt performance preparations. Make-ups must be scheduled within the same session as the missed class.

Emergency Cancellations

In the event of severe weather warnings or other local emergencies, Urbanity will cancel classes and notify each family via email at least two hours before class is scheduled to begin; our website will also be updated - check the website if you’re unsure if classes are running or not. Urbanity regularly follows Boston Public Schools’ cancellations and closings schedule. Students can then select a different class to attend according to our above make-up class policy.

Class Cancellations

Urbanity reserves the right to cancel a class due to insufficient registration. Every effort will be made to find an alternate class for your student should their class have to be cancelled due to low enrollment.

Photos, Videos, and Class Recordings

At times, Urbanity staff or faculty may take pictures or videos during classes for the sake of promoting Urbanity programming online and/or in print. If you do not consent for your dancer’s image to be used in this way, please email studio@urbanitydance.org so that we can notify their teacher and members of our Marketing Team that they are not to be photographed/filmed.