Policies & Procedures

Welcome to New York Academy of Ballet and thank you for entrusting your child's dance education to our NYAB faculty.  Maintaining a safe and supportive environment for all our young dancers is of utmost importance to NYAB.  Mental well-being and physical well-being are equally important in our teaching philosophies and in our administrative policies.  Following is useful information to help orient you and your family to NYAB along with Studio Policies that all students, parents, and visitors are expected to follow to help NYAB maintain the type of family-friendly, emotionally healthy environment our school was founded on.

General Studio Information

  1. NYAB opens 15 minutes before classes and closes 15 minutes after the last class.  Please pick up your child on time after their last class.  Our teaching staff expect to be able to leave the building once they are done teaching.  All dancers must wait INSIDE our building.  No child under the age of 17 will be allowed to leave NYAB until a parent or guardian arrives.
  2. We must have an e-mail address for each family.  NYAB communicates almost exclusively through e-mail, so it is important that we always have current e-mail contact on file.  Please make sure to check your email daily for any updates or announcements.
  3. The parking lot behind our building is a privately owned parking lot. NYAB has an agreement with the owner to allow NYAB cars to park AFTER 5:00pm every day of the week.  You must put a parking sign in your front window (signs located outside Miss Alessia's office on metal shelf).  Use the spots closest to the building.
  4. There are times when the Bardavon has priority use of the lot over NYAB.  When the lot is in use by the Bardavon, NYAB cars are NOT able to park in the lot.  The beat alternatives are dropping your child(ren) off and watching your child(ren) walk into our building.  If you park in the lot next to or behind our building when you are not allowed, your care will get booted and it costs $25 to get the boot off.  NYAB cannot negotiate of your behalf to get the boot off. The company that boots cars is hired by the owner of the lot and they are hired to do a job and they do it very efficiently. The parking lot across the street from NYAB is open and parking is free on Saturday and Sunday.  The only exception is if there is an event going on in Poughkeepsie.  If the lot is manned on Saturday or Sunday they are charging "Event Parking" which is $5.00 per car.  Drop off and pick up is the best option on those days. 
  5. Please send your child with a water bottle to class if they need water. As well as any snacks they may need.  We do have water in the fridge in our kitchen but this is for dancers who forgot their water, please make sure all dancers are prepared with enough to hydrate and nourish them during their time at NYAB.
  6. If an injury happens while at NYAB, please report the injury immediately to Miss Alessia or the teacher in charge.  There is ice available in the freezer.  There is also a small medical supply kit in the studio, please ask Miss Alessia for assistance if needed.  Help yourself as needed.
  7. Any lost items at the end of each day are dropped in the lost in found in the waiting room.  All unclaimed items at the end of each school year are donated to charity.  Any valuable items found will be kept in the office under lock and key.  It is your responsibility to inquire about lost articles.  NYAB is not responsible for lost or missing personal items.
  8. NYAB is a SMOKE FREE, DRUG FREE, and ALCOHOL FREE environment.
  9. All NYAB families are permitted to celebrate special occasions for their dancers with a planned gathering under the following rules;
    1. The gathering must be open to all students and families who happen to be at NYAB at the time of the event. Make sure foods served take into consideration allergies; nuts, strawberries, and other major known allergens as we have dancers in our school who have several different allergies.
    2. Only non-alcoholic beverages may be served.  Whoever organizes the event must also clean up after the event including vacuuming up any food remains on the floor and taking home all the garbage generated from the event.

Tuition & Fees

  1. A list of when payments are due for tuition, costumes, etc. has been emailed to you and is in your welcome packet. Payments are expected on time.
  2. There is a $30 late fee applied to all accounts for late payment of tuition after the seven (7) day grace period has past and then an additional $5 per week thereafter.
  3. NYAB has a "Tuition Drop Box" outside Miss Alessia's office.  All tuition and fees are to be dropped into this locked box if not handed to Miss Alessia directly.  Miss Alessia is the only person who has access to this box and will record all fees received and distribute receipts as needed.  Receipts are always issued for a cash payment.  Do not leave cash unless you get a receipt.
  4. There is a yearly $25 Registration Fee per student due upon registration.  All NYAB dancer(s) new or returning must complete new paperwork each year to be kept on file.
  5. There is a sibling discount on tuition of 5%.  The sibling taking the most amount of classes is NOT discounted.  The discount may be taken off all other siblings regardless of the number of siblings registered.  The discount must be taken off each sibling individually before adding together total cost of tuition.
  6. If you pay annually during the first week of our new school year, you may take your sibling discount as stated above and then you may take an additional 10% off the entire bill.  The 10% discount does not count on registration fees.

Performance opportunies

  1. NYAB presents an annual spring performance at the Bardavon in June.  This performance is open to all registered NYAB dancers.  The participation fee which goes towards the cost of renting the Bardavon, as well as costume fees ranging in price depending on the level of the class. NYAB hands out participation forms to all registered students starting in October along with a Performance Survival Guide. You MUST return the form indicating if you want to participate or if you are declining participation.  Participation is not mandatory.  If you choose not to participate your dancer(s) will still take an active role in their registered classes throughout the school year.
  2. There are other performance opportunities for older dancers throughout the year and dancers are selected for these performances by Miss Alessia based on what pieces from our NYAB reparatory we are performing.

Building safety

  1. Young children MUST be supervised at all times when not in class.  Please make sure young children pick up after themselves. We provide a library in the waiting room for younger children.  Please make sure young children are respectful of the books and put them away neatly.
  2. All children must be taught to respect NYAB property.  This includes throwing out garbage, eating over a plate, cleaning up after they have a snack and keeping their hands and feet off the walls and furniture and to themselves.
  3. Once the weather gets snowy and wet there are NO shoes allowed past the front entrance. This is the only way we can keep outside dirt and gravel from getting on our dance studio floor.
  4. There is NO RUNNING permitted by anyone in our building outside the classroom for safety reasons.  This includes down the hallways, up/down the stairs, and in the dressing rooms.
  5. Parents must instruct young children to keep their hands off the studio window and to not lean against the window.

code of conduct

  1. NYAB promotes a spirit of team work and healthy competition.  Teachers do not judge students.  Instead they encourage each student on an individual basis to achieve their own level of excellence in their studies.  Parents should speak with their children to encourage a healthy competitive attitude that promotes individual excellence and dismissed any jealousy between one student and another.  NYAB only wanted students who can be happy for themselves as well as for their classmates.  That same behavior will be expected of all NYAB parents so that the parents se the correct spirit and tone for their children's behavior at NYAB.
  2. The NYAB dressing room is a place for our young dancers to change their clothes as well as a place to socialize.  At no time will any disrespectful behavior, destructive behavior, any type of bullying, foul language, gossiping or inappropriate physical contact be tolerated in our NYAB dressing rooms.  If a problem is reported, all parties involved will immediately lose dressing room privileges' until a resolution between all parties is reached and a written promise for no further inappropriate behavior is received in our NYAB office. 
  3. Students should not bring valuables to the studio.  NYAB is not responsible for any lost or stolen items. All students are expected to not touch the belongings of others and to keep their own personal belongings inside their own dance bag.
  4. Harmony and respect for one another in our NYAB building is of primary importance to maintaining an environment conducive to the study of a classical art form.  NYAB is a teaching institution and our most important job is the education of our young dance students.  Therefore, all students, parents and visitors must keep their voices down to quiet conversation while classes are taking place.

classroom conduct

  1. Students are NOT allowed to enter the classroom until invited by their teacher with the exception of Advanced level Ballet dancers who should enter an empty classroom prior to the start of their class to begin warming up.
  2. When dancers enter the studio, they are expected to enter quietly to get prepared for their dance class. NO running around.
  3. No gum allowed in class. No cell phones allowed in class.
  4. Talking in class is not permitted unless you are asked a question by your teacher.
  5. No hanging on the ballet barres. No hands on the mirrors. No leaning on the mirrors. No food allowed in the studio.
  6. Each dancer is expected to respect their art, their instructors and their fellow dancers.
  7. Part of a classical dance education is maintaining a classical dance uniform.  All dancers are expected to furnish their own clothing and abide by our dress code. Please see our separate dress code policy for reference.  Any dancers who do not follow the dress code will receive daily/weekly reminders via email.