Studio Policies

Online Dance Classes

By participating in online dance classes, you agree to assume the risk involved in participating in instruction in your home or other non-studio location, you agree to indemnify and hold harmless Amherst Dance Academy, its owners and staff from any and all liability, claims, demands, and causes of action whatsoever, arising out of or related to any loss, damage, or injury, including death, that may be sustained by the participant while using the online instruction.

Class Enrollment

I understand that by using online registration, I am not guaranteed to receive the class that I have requested. I also understand that classes are determined by enrollment, so some classes may be closed (full) while others may close due to low enrollment. In any case, we will work with you to properly place your dancer, suggest an alternative class, or place him/her on a waiting list if the class of your choice is not yet available.

Should you choose to withdraw your dancer, or if registering as an adult, ‘yourself’, from class at any time during the school year, a written notice in the form of an e-mail, letter, or note given to management at the studio front desk is required. This request must be made 30 days in advance (Fall & Spring sessions only) to properly withdraw the student and adjust billing cycles and payment information accordingly. Regular tuition payments will continue as scheduled until the withdrawal is complete. Understand that if a dancer misses a full month but has not communicated with management at Amherst Dance Academy, outstanding tuition is still due. ADA is a dance academy where enrollment is based on the full dance year (August - May) and instruction is based on levelled dance curricula, not independent monthly study.
Upon enrolling my dancer with Amherst Dance Academy, I hereby release Amherst Dance Academy of all liabilities related to taking dance class on the premises and off the premises if performing in an alternate location. This release shall include and not be limited to the following: injury, theft, damage to personal property, fraud, identify theft, cancellation of class or classes, and misuse or misconduct of dance equipment.

Recital Participation and Costumes

For the regular dance season, all dancers have the opportunity to participate in two recitals each year (December and May). Dances are choreographed and rehearsed to prepare for the show, so instructors plan on all dancers participating. If your dancer will not be able to participate in the recital due to a schedule conflict, we ask that you let us know as soon as you can, but no later than 60 days before the show. This guarantees instructors will have enough time to adjust the choreography and rearrange the positions of the dancers for the show. Failure to notify the studio at least 60 days in advance will result in a charge of $50. Family emergencies, illness, and injuries are exempt from this policy.

Only the spring recital requires an out-of-pocket costume expense each year. These costumes are ordered early, so we require payment in the fall semester. Depending on the style and level of your child’s class, costumes generally run $70-100/each if purchased early at the group rate. Children are measured in October and a fee is placed on the dancer’s account November 1. You have 30 days to pay and get the early group discounted rate.
If you are on auto-pay, the costume cost will be charged to the payment method on file on November 30th, unless other arrangements are made. On December 1st, an additional charge of $15 will be added to each unpaid costume. Amherst Dance Academy cannot guarantee that late costume orders will arrive on time or that costumes will still be available for recital. Dancers will keep their costumes after the spring recital.

Payment Policy

Summer Dance Session
Payment for class(es) is processed at the time of registration. Due to limited class sizes, refunds and cancellations are possible up until the first day of class.
We have two payment plans available for the regular session (August-May)

1) Full-year payment - Pay your account in full, before the first day of classes and receive a credit toward the registration fees of this same dance year and account, usually a discount/benefit of between $45-$65.

2) Installment auto-payment plan - Divide tuition into 9 equal installments due the first of September through the first of May. An active, authorized credit card is required for this plan. Account holders can designate a recurring auto-payment date between the 1st and the 10th of the month. If for some reason a card is not useable (expired, declined, etc.), an account message will be sent allowing a 5-day grace period for you to replace the payment method.
After the grace period expires, a 10% late fee will be added to any outstanding tuition balance.
Accounts with outstanding balances longer than 60 days may result in account inactivation. Dancers may be temporarily withdrawn from classes until the account is in good standing.
Accounts must be paid in full before participating in a dance recital. Outstanding balances may result in missing the opportunity to perform in a dance recital.