Policies and Procedures

Welcome to Meander School of Movement! Our nonprofit organization strives to provide accessible, high-quality dance education, and foster a diverse and inclusive environment. To ensure a safe and positive experience for all dancers, please review and adhere to the following policies.

Core Values & Code of Conduct

We believe dance should be empowering, safe, and respectful. All participants and their families are expected to uphold these standards.

Respect for All

Treat instructors, staff, volunteers, fellow dancers, and studio property with kindness. Discrimination, bullying, or harassment of any kind will not be tolerated. Teachers and studio directors may request meetings with students or families to address and resolve interpersonal conflict. If families or students refuse to participate in a course of resolution they may be asked to un-enroll.

Studio Etiquette

Arrive on time, dressed, and ready to learn. Listen attentively to instructors and keep side conversations to a minimum during class.

Inclusivity

Support your fellow dancers and artists. We celebrate dancers of all backgrounds, ethnicities, gender identities, sexual orientations, ages, body types, abilities, neurotype, and skill level.

Attendance & Punctuality

Consistency is key to a dancer’s progress and injury prevention.

  • Signed liability and media waivers must be on file before class.
  • Dancers should arrive 10-15 minutes before class begins to dress, fill water bottles, etc.
  • Late Arrivals: If a dancer is more than 15 minutes late, they may be asked to sit and observe. Missing the warm-up increases the risk of injury.
  • Absences: Please notify the studio via email (meanderschoolofmovement@gmail.com) at least 2 hours before class if a participant will be absent.
  • Inclement Weather or Other Emergencies: In the event of building closures due to weather, power outages, or other catastrophes, notifications will be sent via email and posted on our social media. We will follow South Whidbey School District emergency closures. Cancelled classes will be refunded or prorated to your account.

Dress Code & Grooming

Proper attire ensures safety, allows instructors to correct alignment, and fosters a professional mindset. We ask that you come healthy, clean, and dressed in clothes you can freely move in.

Youth Ballet Attire

Ballet historically has been a very gendered art form, but that is changing! Youth students may select from the following attire options for class, regardless of gender identity:

  • Option 1:
    • Leotard
    • Pink or skin toned sheer tights
    • Pink, white, black, or skin toned ballet shoes
    • Sheer ballet skirt (optional)
    • Sports bra (optional)
    • Tight shorts (optional)
  • Option 2:
    • Fitted white or black t-shirt or tank top
    • Black, grey, or white opaque tights 
    • Black, white, pink, skin toned ballet shoes
  • Warmups: fitted warmups are always allowed for the beginning of class. Loose warmups or warmups worn for a more extended amount of time may be allowed at teacher discretion.
  • For safety reasons, no dangling jewelry, large earrings, or sharp hair accessories are permitted. 

Adult Ballet Attire

Adults are encouraged to wear any athletic attire they are comfortable in. (Please be mindful of safety i.e. flowy long pants can be a tripping hazard). Feel free to wear ballet shoes or socks.

Ballet Hair

Long hair must be fully “up” – it should not be able to hit you or anyone else in the class, get in your eyes, fall out or otherwise distract you or others during class. Buns, pinned up braids, French twists, space buns, etc. are all good options.

Medium hair must be as “up” as possible to make it easy to see during class and avoid distracting you or others. Pins, twists, ponytails or little pigtails are all good options.

Bangs: please keep hair out of eyes so you can see clearly. Pins or a headband are good options.

Hip-hop/Jazz Combo Class Attire

Comfortable athletic clothing you can move in shoes (jazz shoes or sneakers) are optional and must be clean.

Contemporary Attire

Comfortable athletic clothing (layers allowed), students’ feet and ankles must be visible.

Creative 1 & 2 Attire

Students in the creative classes should wear whatever clothes they feel best moving in – this could be anything from leggings and a t-shirt, to their favorite princess or superhero outfit. We just ask that what they wear isn’t restrictive, and also stays in place over torsos, swimsuit areas, and undergarments.  

Hair & Jewelry for Hip-Hop, Jazz, & Contemporary 

Hair should be securely tied back off the face and neck ie. bun or ponytail. For safety reasons, no dangling jewelry, large earrings, or sharp hair accessories are permitted. Smart watches and fitness trackers are allowed.

*** If this attire policy does not meet your specific needs, please reach out to us to discuss alternatives. We want everyone to feel safe and comfortable. ***

Health, Safety, & Drop-off/Pick-up

The safety of our community is our highest priority.

  • Injury & Illness: Do not attend class if you have a fever, contagious illness, or open wounds. Please inform the instructor of any pre-existing injuries before class begins.
  • Drop-Off: Parents/guardians must escort dancers under the age of 10 into the lobby. Do not leave children unattended outside the building.
  • Pick-Up: Please pick up dancers promptly after class. Staff cannot be responsible for supervised care outside of class hours. After the final class of the evening, there is a 15-minute window where the studio will remain open. Our students’ safety is our top priority, so students will not be left unattended after the studio closes. Students left longer than 15 minutes after closing will incur a fee of $15 per additional 15 minutes our staff must supervise them beyond the window.
  • Emergency Contact: Ensure your profile in the Jackrabbit portal always has up-to-date emergency contact information and medical alerts.

Community Expectations 

  • Lobby Atmosphere: The lobby is a shared, quiet space. Please keep noise levels down so as not to disrupt ongoing classes. Please clean up after yourself.
  • Please be respectful and speak kindly to all people in the Hub children and adults. We understand children have big feelings and difficulty emotionally regulating in many stages of development and want to support parents and children by providing a kind, gentle, and safe atmosphere within the hub. Please do not yell at any student. If you are concerned about any behavior, please ask for support.

Media & Photos

We will not post any child’s face in marketing material. Please refrain from posting photos of classes in session to keep all of our dancers safe and their identities private. 

Instructors may take photos or videos for educational purposes. We may post these to a private studio account for students to review combinations or skills. Other families who have students in the same class may be given the link to view these videos, but none will be posted publicly.

Registration, Tuition, and Fees

As a nonprofit we strive to keep tuition rates low to remain accessible, and we rely on timely payments to keep our doors open.

Registered class rate is $20/hour for all classes (prorated by the minute).

Drop-in rate is $25/hour for all classes.

All tuition is auto-billed on the 5th of the month.

Tuition Structure

Kid/Youth Classes:

  • A card is required at time of registration and tuition will be auto-billed on the 5th of each month.
  • We require written notice of withdrawal 5 business days before auto-billing of tuition. Exceptions may be made for extenuating circumstances.
  • Pick-Up: Please pick up youth dancers promptly after class. Staff cannot be responsible for supervised care outside of class hours. After the final class of the evening, there is a 15-minute window where the studio will remain open. Our students’ safety is our top priority, so youth students will not be left unattended after the studio closes. Students left longer than 15 minutes after closing will incur a fee of $15 per additional 15 minutes our staff must supervise them beyond the window.

Teen/Adult Classes:

  • Classes charged on a month-to-month basis at $20/hour for registered students.
    • Students are only charged for classes they plan to attend. For example, if you know you can only attend two of the four classes in a given month, you will only be charged for those two classes. 
    • If you can unexpectedly attend additional classes (yay!), you will be charged the drop-in rate, $25/hour. 
    • Missed scheduled classes will be credited to future months, if the student gives notice by email two hours in advance. Exceptions may be made for emergencies if communicated within a reasonable timeframe. 
    • This applies to classes listed at “Teen/Adult” but not to classes listed as “Teen.”
  • Drop-in rate is $25/hour for all classes.

Refunds, Withdrawals, and Makeups

Refunds

Please contact us for refunds. All refunds must be processed through our umbrella organization, WIAC.

Withdrawals

  • A written notice of five business days prior to billing is required if you wish to withdraw from a Kid/Youth class.

Makeup Policy for Missed Classes

Due to our schedule, no missed classes are able to be made up at this time. We hope this changes as our school grows. Due to our schedule, no missed classes are able to be made up at this time (exceptions may be made on a case-by-case basis). We hope to change this as our school grows and we are able to offer more classes of equivalent level. 

Reminder, classes are prorated per month and your monthly bill will change depending on the number of classes held that month. The school will be closed on the following dates and you will not be charged for these days.

Holiday Closures

  • Labor Day (9/7)
  • Veterans Day (11/11)
  • Thanksgiving Break (11/26-11/27)
  • Winter Break (12/21-1/1)
  • MLK Day (01/18)
  • Presidents Day (2/15)
  • Spring Break (4/5-4/9)
  • Memorial Day (5/31)

Scholarships and Volunteer Opportunities

  • We offer need-based financial assistance and scholarships. Please contact us for more information.
    • Scholarship recipients are expected to maintain an attendance rate of 85% or higher to retain their funding.
  • Work exchanges or volunteer discounts may be negotiated on a case by case basis.

Scholarship recipients are expected to maintain an attendance rate of 85% or higher to retain their funding.

Scholarships and Financial Aid