Policies & FAQs
Classes are closed to registered students only.
Starting January 2024, guardians are only allowed to stay in the studio for their students free trial class, or during any private lessons for their student.
Studio care:
To ensure proper care of the studio please adhere the following policies:
No heels or street shoes, food, or liquid other than water allowed on the marley dance floor.
No touching mirrors (the mylar mirrors are expensive and fragile and can puncture with the pressure of touch)
Please discard all trash in proper bins.
Take care to take home all water bottles, socks, shoes, bobby pins etc to avoid clutter in the studio.
Do not flush tampons, paper towels, or other trash down the toilet. Toilet paper only.
Payment:
Payment, Registration form, General Liability/Photo Release forms are all due prior to class. Registration and Tuition is made through the Mindbody. Click BOOK on the schedule to sign up or sign in. Assistance with payment plans must be communicated and agreed upon prior to the first day of class. Please review your membership policies and check expiration dates on class cards, drop ins, and other promotional offers.
Membership Info & Policies:
*Monthly memberships with convenient auto-pay. No fees to join, and you can cancel or change your membership by emailing within 48 hours prior to the next billing cycle.
*Monthly memberships are billed the 1st of the month. Below cost breakdowns based on 4 week month average.
*Memberships can be paused for one month, once a year for free. Additional holds will incur a $25 charge. Please notify through email a hold 2 weeks prior to the date you would like to request the hold.
*Memberships can only be used for one student. Each family member must each have their own enrollment.
*Make up classes must be made within the billing cycle month. Make up classes do not roll over.
*Contracts can be cancelled by either party 2 weeks prior to the next billing cycle.
*No refunds on Memberships that are cancelled late or cancelled mid cycle.
Drop off & Pick up:
There is a scheduled 5-10 minute gap between classes for drop off and pick up. Please be ready within that window of time to safely drop off and pick up your student. Teachers are not required to watch students outside of the building as they will be preparing for the next class. Please be ready to pick up your student. If the students’ ride is running late, students may stay in the studio for safety purposes.
Please do not enter the studio while classes are in session, either communicate through email or text to the studio, or your student, that you have arrived so the student can exit the building through the backdoor and gate without disturbing the class in session.
Students will not be admitted to class 10 minutes after class time starts. Class is designed to start with a warmup that helps avoid injuries. If this warmup is missed (the first 10 minutes of class especially), it is not safe for the student to take the rest of the class, and the late entrance distracts the other students.
Student Conduct:
Students and guardians are expected to practice studio etiquette while inside the studio.
Studio etiquette includes proper classroom behavior, studio care (outlined above), and upholding the values that make BlackBox Studios a safe space. Students are expected to listen to the teacher, not talk in class unless they are asked a question or have raised their hand to ask a question and are called on, and to follow general classroom instructions. Students not participating in these policies will be asked to sit down during class until they are willing to rejoin or until class finishes. Students are to be courteous to their fellow students. Any bullying, harassment, or intolerance of diversity will not be allowed.
Students on Zoom are expected to stay on mute unless they are asked a question or have a question. Mute is for technical reasons only and ensures there isn’t feedback, reverberation, or distractions to the other students. Please stay involved and feel welcome to unmute to ask questions or use the chat. Students are welcome to keep video off for privacy.
Family Observation & Conduct:
Classes are closed to registered students only. Starting January 2024, guardians are only allowed to stay in the studio for their students free trial class, or during any private lessons for their student.
Family Observations Days will be scheduled throughout the year. During these observations it is important that parents remain as quiet as possible so students can hear the music and focus. Do not call out to your student during Observation as this distracts and confuses the student from following teacher instructions, and interferes with the focus of other students as well. If you leave during class, please do not re-enter the studio until class as finished as this distrupts class as well.
Students that are causing disruption must be taken out of the building to avoid distracting the rest of class. If you need to pull your student out of class during class time, please communicate with the instructor and then exit the building with your student.
Guardians are expected to drop off and pick up students on time, and communicate any concerns, absences, lateness, etc.
Physical cueing:
Dance instruction includes respectful physical cueing to help dancers feel certain muscles and alignments needed to execute technique. Please notify the studio in writing, and let your instructor know before class if you do not want to be touched.
Dress Code:
Ballet dress code is ballet attire (leotards, tights, skirt optional) with long hair secured in a bun. Ballet students in the upper levels are required to wear hair fully secured (no ponytails or loose hair that will interfere with spotting technique during turns), and must wear ballet slippers.
Pre-ballet students are allowed to wear hair as desired and socks, attire must be either ballet attire or stretchy athletic wear such as leggings, shorts, tee shirts, and tank tops.
Adult/Teen dress code is dance attire. Be sure the clothes you wear to class are stretchy, and not too baggy as the instructor needs to be able to see proper alignment and placement of the joints during instruction. Footwear should be ballet slippers, jazz shoes, socks, or barefoot if class requires.
No street shoes, sneakers, taps, or heels.
If you are purchasing through Discount Dance Supply please use Teacher Code: 143137 to help BlackBox Studios earn points towards recital costumes, shoes, and other items needed for the studio. Thank you for your support!
If you would like to shop in a store, BlackBox Studios highly recommends SF Dance Gear (San Francisco) or Contra Costa Dancewear (Walnut Creek)
Attendance/Absence/Makeups:
If possible, please notify the studio email if there will be an absence. If you need to take a makeup you can do so in a level similar or lower to the one you are currently enrolled in. For students on Membership plans, classes need to be made up in the same month that the class was missed. Classes do not roll over to the next month. For classes purchased with Class Cards or Drop Ins please note date of expiration.
Parking:
Free street parking is available on School Street and 35th Ave and the surrounding neighborhood. Be mindful of street sweeping signs and hours. Do not leave valuables in your car.