it is not the answer that enlightens, but the question.

Dancers must always wear clothes (shorts, skirt, pants, etc.) over their dance attire when arriving and leaving our facility. They must also wear some form of street shoes. Dancers should NEVER wear their dance shoes outside of the building as they will pick up debris, which ruins their shoes and the studio floors. 

Dancers should arrive no less than ten minutes before their class to have enough time to dress, prepare their hair and stretch. DCOM understands that sometimes it is necessary to drop dancers off well before the start of their class due to family schedules. If a dancer causes disruption in the lobby and must be spoken to by a staff member more than once, early drop off by that family will no longer be allowed.

Children need time to dress and stretch before class. All dancers should arrive a minimum of ten minutes early for each class. Dancers that arrive late are frequently out of step for half of the class. Habitual tardiness is discouraged as it is disruptive to the class and the teacher.

If a dancer is more than fifteen (15) minutes late, he/she will be asked to observe the remainder of the class. Dancers who are late, are encouraged to come and observe class, since much can be learned by observation. This is for the physical safety of the dancers. Dancers may not enter class late or leave class early without the instructor’s permission. If you are having difficulty getting your dancer to class on time, please notify DCOM and another class will be suggested for you if one is available.

Dancers must attend the classes for which they are registered. Official attendance is taken by instructors at the beginning of class. Should a dancer need to miss class, please report your absence ahead of time using the parent portal, so his/her absence can be considered excused. Excused absences will permit the dancer to attend a make-up class if one is available in the same or a lower level. Unexcused absences cannot be made-up at all and will negatively impact dancer success and progression.

Making up missed classes is an option, not a requirement. Tuition will not be refunded for any absence or cancellation.

Please note:

• Missed classes for any reason are not eligible for refunds.
• Absences must be reported prior to the missed class to be eligible for a make-up.

• Excessive unexcused absences that are not made up may, at the discretion of the instructor, manager, and Director, result in a dancer being removed from a class or repeating a class at a lower level

depending on regression.

Excused Absence: An absence that the staff is aware of ahead of time. Missed classes must be reported prior to class time to be considered excused and be eligible for makeup classes.

Unexcused Absence: Any absence not reported ahead of time. Unexcused absences from class cannot be made up. Unexcused absences can be grounds for removal from a show.

Mandatory: Any meeting, rehearsal or recital that must be attended. Missing these will result in a dismissal from the show and possibly even the studio.

Dancer Arrival & Parking:

Our customers are expected to cooperate with all parking procedures. It can get very busy at DCOM, and we expect full compliance from all dancers, parents, siblings, and guests in this matter. DCOM appreciates your cooperation in helping us get along with our neighbors. If there are any questions, please speak directly with an DCOM staff member.

The faculty and staff are not responsible for dancer supervision outside the studio. As such, it is imperative families adhere to the arrival and pick up guidelines below to ensure each dancer’s safety and well-being

105 1ST ST LOCATION: Parallel parking is available outside of Studios I & 2. All parents MUST COME IN to pick up dancer. Dancers are not permitted to walk into the street to parents in a moving vehicle. 

NEW OAK PARK LOCATION: Parking is available in front of the studio; parents should avoid parking in neighboring lots of other businesses. Parents understand they will be towed if they are parked in a different lot than The Dance Co. of Minot’s.

Picking up your dancer:

Dancers must be picked within fifteen (15) minutes after their last class or at class end if it is the last class of the day. We care intensely for our dancers, but our limited staff cannot be responsible for childcare duties that take them beyond their job descriptions and normal working hours. If you are running late, please call the manager. Should there be repeated tardiness (more than one (1) occurrence) from the same family, DCOM will charge the family twenty dollars ($20) for every fifteen (15) minutes or portion thereafter, to retain staff past their regularly scheduled hours.

We provide seating in the lobby as a courtesy to the families of our dancers to wait while their dancer is in class. Our lobby must be respected.

Parents who stay at DCOM during their dancer’s class must wait in the lobby and meet their dancer there after class. Dancers may wait for class to begin in the lobby. Dancers, parents, siblings, and all guests are to be quiet when waiting for their class to begin, showing respect to those classes already in session. We will use our intercom system to make noise announcements asking all guests to respect our class time. All parents and guests must adhere to all noise announcements and if they do not, they accept that they may be asked to leave the facility altogether.

If there are other children involved when picking up a dancer, they must be supervised. 

We strive to make our studio a safe and comfortable environment for everyone. With this in mind, we ask:

• Be considerate of those around you. At no time should someone be throwing objects, running, climbing on furniture, or roughhousing in the lobby and restroom areas.

• Be sure all children clean up snacks and always behave appropriately.