About
Welcome to the 2024-2025 Dance Season!
Dear Studio Families,
Welcome to our 2024-2025 dance season! The years seem to fly by. Each dance season is filled with so many amazing moments and, in the calmer time of summer, my staff and I have some time to reflect as we prepare for the coming season. We are so grateful for the success and growth of our students and the studio. Each year our dancers become better, our performances more professional, and we grow closer as a studio family.
There are so many things that bring success to the studio, we would like to thank you specifically for the following reasons. First, your commitment to the studio as we have a tremendous percentage of returning students and staff each year. Secondly, the largest percentage of our new students come from word of mouth. One of the greatest compliments we receive is when you tell others about us, bring a friend to try a class, or invite them to one of our performances. Please know how much we appreciate this, and it never goes unnoticed!
The past years have certainly brought about the unexpected and challenging times. The Academy persevered and 0vercame many struggles to keep our doors open for our families and students as well as still providing performance opportunities with the Nutcracker, Competition, and Recital while maintaining a safe and thriving environment. We want to thank our wonderful families for their continued support and dedication!
Additionally, our teachers are an integral part of the success of our studio family. We are very proud of the staff we have built and take great care in selecting someone to join our team. This year the Academy welcomed some wonderful new highly qualified teachers to our team! We are so confident that the experience, enthusiasm, dedication and energy they bring will elevate our students and studio to a whole new level. We have great expectations that you will all love them and their classes!
Our studio prides itself on being a place for “everyone” including the new recreational student as well as the advanced, accomplished company member. We offer many class options in all genres of dance for all ages and numerous combo possibilities for students to maximize their training. Additionally, we provide “company status” for the more serious student to excel and develop their skills at an accelerated pace.
Please see the schedule for the 2023-2024 coming season. We hope you will take the time to review it and plan for the year to come. When you have chosen your classes please come by, email or call the studio for registration. Classes will be closed once they are full and are filled on a first come first serve basis.
Enjoy the rest of your summer! We look forward to seeing you all in August and making our 2023-2024 dance season the best one yet! Classes begin August 21st.
Gratefully,
Mrs. Astrid and Staff
Mission Statement
Our mission is not only to teach dance, but to nurture growing girls and boys in a healthy positive manner as they become young adults.
Our mission is to provide quality dance training for the recreational, as well as serious student, in a positive, caring, and constructive environment. We strive to do all we do with integrity, excellence, passion and compassion.
It is our privilege and pleasure to provide your children the basics of true classical ballet technique and creative movement in a fun, loving and positive atmosphere. We will expose them to the beauty of classical music and joy of dancing while learning discipline, self-esteem and confidence, grace and poise.
The Academy offers classes in classical ballet, pointe, tap, jazz, hip hop, lyrical, contemporary, Acro/Tumble, boys Hip Hop, Modern dance, Musical Theatre and creative movement for ages 2 through adult. As well as adult classes in all styles of Ballroom, Booty Barre, Ballet, Hip Hop, Pilates, Zumba, and private instruction upon availability. Our school is a state of the art studio with professional hard wood sprung floors and three spacious dance areas. All rooms are enclosed with floor to ceiling windows for easy viewing and access. We are also involved in ministry and aim to further outreach programs to serve our community in a God honoring way.
The Academy’s goal is to give each and every child personal, special attention and individualized instruction. We strive for professionalism in all that we do. We aim to build character and teach life-long lessons as well as to train students to dance and perform to the best of their ability. The Academy is a performance based school rather than a competition based one where we prefer to focus on the technique, talents, and sharing of our gifts with others through shows and demonstrations throughout the community. As well as attending local workshops, seminars and conventions to further our students’ education, progress and development in the art of dance. We do provide the opportunity for competition for those individuals & groups with the desire & dedication for it.
Teachers are chosen carefully (by audition) to ensure they provide the highest standards of training and technique and also display a nurturing, respectful, and professional attitude at all times. We feel we go a step beyond others as all of our teachers are trained to know their students by name, and not just numbers, as well as we try to know our parents and do our best for you.
Choosing dance will provide your child with training in physical coordination, balance, strength, and fitness. They will learn music appreciation, classical repertoire, and other styles of dance, not to mention self-discipline in all areas of life and making great friendships with others. Whether they aspire to dance seriously or choose to come just to enjoy themselves and learn new skills and steps, it is our hope and desire that their lives will be touched forever and they will cherish their time and memories from the Academy always.
Call Us Today And Come Try A Free Trial Class
Why Choose Us?
– Professional, Certified, Experienced Ft Lauderdale Dance Teachers at the higher levels and well trained, loving, dedicated teachers for the babies and little ones..
– Friendly, well-informed, full time office staff available during all teaching hours. Immediate assistance is available even when your student and teacher are in class.
– 4,000 square foot modern Ft Lauderdale dance studio with impeccably maintained facilities, improved and refurbished as needed, providing a fun, enthusiastic and pleasing environment for both student and parents.
– Limited dance class sizes for more individualized attention.
– Our dance floors are Professional Floating Marley covered floors, reducing the risk of injury and allowing students to dance longer without fatigue.
– Floor Length Mirrors in each classroom allowing students full view of their body placement and their feet from anywhere in the room.
– Full Length Viewing windows for parents to observe student’s class during observation times.
– End of Year Performance at a World Class Professional Theater: TBD in Fort Lauderdale.
– Annual full-length Nutcracker Ballet performance every December.
– Age appropriate music, choreography and costumes for all classes.
– No Extra “Recital Fees”, above tickets and costumes.
– We are conveniently located at the corner of Federal Hwy and 62nd Street or Cypress Creek Road in Fort Lauderdale.
Students and Alumni
Academy Students have auditioned and been accepted to prestigious summer programs including:
- Boston Ballet
- Atlanta Ballet
- Ballet West
- Royal Ballet
- Ballet Magnificent
- School of American Ballet
- Orlando Ballet
- Burklyn Ballet
- Joffrey Ballet
- Boca Ballet
- Miami City Ballet
- New World School of the Arts
Call Us Today To Try A Free Trial Class
Teacher’s Assistants in most children’s classes provide an extra hand to the students and help the teachers ensures that individualized attention is given to each student.
FAQ
Our studios are designed with floor to ceiling windows for easy access & viewing. Curtains are drawn for less distraction during class times.
We only ask you to stay if you feel your child might have a problem separating. As long as you leave us a cell phone number in case of an emergency, you can leave. Please take little ones to the bathroom before class starts. Please pick up your child promptly after class. Students MUST be picked up inside of the studio.
Students must be dropped off and picked up inside the studio and not in the parking lot. We ask that you let us know who is authorized to pick your child up. We cannot release any child for any reason to anyone other than those who have authorization. Please be prompt both when dropping off and picking up.
Please see our policies section
At the Academy, there are no contracts, extra “recital fees” or required “recital packages”. Your child will be cast in one recital routine per dance hour, requiring one costume, which they will be measured for in December. Our measurements and your size recommendation will be considered when ordering their costume. When in doubt, we will get the larger size. The cost of the costume will be $125.
We will be ordering the costumes during the Christmas break and deposit payments will be due November. This might sound very early, but there are only a limited amount of companies that mass produce recital costumes, and most dance studios follow the same timeline. We order early to be sure we have the costumes for picture day in April.
Recital tickets will be sold starting in April. There is a required minimum. There is no maximum. Tickets will be sold on a first come first served basis.
Photographs will be professionally taken of your child by Gerlinde Photography at the end of April at the Academy. We ask that all students be present for their group photo, even if you do not opt for individual photos, as they will be printed in the program. Professional DVDs of the recital will also be available for purchase.
Registration fees, Tuition, and Costume Deposit and Balance Fees are non-refundable. Please let us know if you are considering “dropping” a class. Quite often, a simple schedule change can eliminate the problem. We ask that you please submit a withdrawal in writing so we may delete your credit/debit card information from the system.
BILLING DOES NOT CEASE UNTIL WRITTEN WITHDRAWAL IS SUBMITTED.
As any athlete will tell you, physical movements must be repeated thousands of times in order to achieve one’s personal best. You will see much repetition in the pursuit of helping our students “be the best they can be”. You will see them execute the same steps many times hoping for improvement each time. In our program, we will follow a syllabus which we have compiled ourselves in order to instruct your child in movement appropriate to their age group. It is possible to physically damage a child if they are introduced too early to certain skills. Developing a dancer is a process. You might be thinking “my child is only doing this for fun, not to train for a career”. We believe the children should be trained properly in all aspects of dance regardless of whether or not they are training to dance professionally.
We will periodically send notices home with your child with important reminders. We will also post them on this website, and often send out email reminders. We will post information in the lobby as well.
– If you are ever late for class, please put your child’s shoes on outside the dance room. Please have them enter quietly as not to distract the others.
– Please call if your child will be absent, and make every effort to take a makeup class
– In case of inclement weather, please call the studio before coming in. Our cancellation does NOT always coincide with the schools. If we have power, we will have class.
Policies and Attire
The rules and regulations of the Academy are made to insure the smooth operation of the studio as well as provide the best level of training to each and every student. Questions and concerns are encouraged and will be properly addressed.
Students are to arrive on time for their class; late arrivals can be disturbing to other students and the flow of the class.
Students must be dropped off and picked up inside the studio, not from the parking lot.
Students register for the season that runs from mid August thru May. Tuition is based on the full 10 month season. You have the choice of either paying the full tuition in the beginning of the season, or paying month to month. If you join the Academy later in the season, tuition will be pro rated accordingly.
Tuition is due on the 1st of each month. If paid after the 10th of the month, a $10 late fee will automatically be applied. Tuition remains the same whether there are three, four or five weeks in the month.
Tuition is charged by the hour per week with discounts for additional hours. There is a 15% tuition discount for siblings.
The Academy accepts cash, checks or credit cards. Return checks fee of $25.
No refunds will be given for registration fees and tuition or missed classes. Students may make up their missed classes and are encouraged to do so. Please check with the teacher for an appropriate make-up for your child’s class. Please call and inform us when your child will be absent.
Our dress rehearsal date and spring recital date will be sometime in late May and will be announced soon. All students registered in a class, are included and participate in our annual recital. The Academy produces a story themed production at a professional theatre every recital. Students who attend 3 classes or more weekly receive the privilege of extra performance opportunities when they become available.
Costume deposits will be due in November. Costume payments must be made in full before Christmas break or by the first week of January. Since we must pay the costume companies in full upon placing the order, we cannot order any costumes that has not been paid for. There can be no returns for costume deposits or balance for any student.
Absolutely no food or gum chewing is permitted inside the dance floor area. Water Bottles only are permitted but not within the dance floor area.
The Academy maintains a uniform dress code for all ballet classes at all levels provided at the studio. This dress code ensures a neat and uniform appearance in our classes and contributes to the professionalism of the school. We have also found it to be a convenience to the parents and less distracting for the students. Each ballet class will be assigned a color coded leotard and all ballet classes are to wear pink tights and pink ballet shoes. The school leotard and all other needed dance supplies can be purchased at All That Shimmers. Hair is to be worn in a bun for Ballet classes at all times.
Tap and jazz classes may wear any solid colored leotard of their choice and pink or tan tights. Jazz pants & tank tops permitted. Tap and Jazz classes please check with your teacher for the appropriate shoes you will need.
Hip-hop and lyrical classes may wear any dance attire such as: fitted tank tops, dance shorts, jazz pants or leggings. (No baggy pants, jeans, t–shirts or street clothes). Hair must be pulled back in all classes.
No cell phones to be used by students inside the studio area.
Open House (or Parent Observation) will be held one week in October/November each year in which parents and guests are invited to class to observe your child’s progress & take photos and videos. Please check our calender page for dates.
Important Note
We will be communicating information to parents by email, through class room handouts, notices posted in the lobby area as well as info. being kept current on our website. Please be sure to stay well informed.
Free Trial Class
For your Free Trial Class, you and your child will be welcomed by our receptionist, and meet your teacher. She will take your child into the class, and have a ton of fun!
If applicable, your child will be evaluated based on their technique during their Free Trial Class. This will tell us which class your child will be the most suited for.