Classes missed due to short-term illness or vacation can and should be made up by taking a scheduled class at the student’s own or a lower level, or at a higher level by invitation of the faculty. Make-up classes should be attended as soon after the absence as possible. Students should not wait until “Make-up Week” to make up absences, as Make-up Week is specifically for teachers to make up any cancelled classes (Make-up calendar can be found on our main page). For any particular class, if all 16 classes for the semester were taught, a class will not be held during Make-up Week.
Injured students should observe classes, and they should make up their classes when healed to rebuild strength.
Dance class exercises are sequenced so that muscles are properly warmed up and each exercise can build on the one previous. Therefore, due to risk of injury, students arriving more than ten minutes after class begins may be asked by the teacher to observe rather than participate. These classes should be made up.
Parents are asked to email anticipated student absences to [email protected] as far in advance as possible. When email is not available, absences may be reported by phone to the Dance Office at 667-208-6648.
Student records include absences and make-up classes and are reviewed mid-semester. Placement in levels may be reassessed after long absences (one semester or more).
There will be no required formal academic grading or certification at the end of the school year. Evaluation and student-parent-teacher communication will be ongoing. Students’ progress will be a true measure of their accomplishment.
Peabody Preparatory Dance believes strongly that performance participation is an important aspect of training, although it is not included in the listed tuition cost or mandated for any student. A performance is a culmination of the student’s efforts in the classroom to that point—it puts technique into practice and creates the opportunity for students to learn choreography and see how class material is transformed into dances. Also, the discipline of the rehearsal process enables students to exercise initiative and develop expressive and musical qualities beyond the scope of their technique classes.
Upper-level students in the Pre-Professional Program may be invited to perform new and traditional choreography in the annual Winter Performance at the Walters and the Spring Showcase. Preparatory Dance also produces a year-end performance in May, usually a full-length story ballet, in which students in appropriate levels of all programs, who have been enrolled for at least the full existing Fall/Spring season, may participate. These professional-level productions require additional commitment and except for those in the Early Childhood Dance Program, students must attend the minimum amount of classes per week for their respected level for the duration of both the Fall and Spring semesters in order to perform. Groups of students also may be invited to participate in outreach programs and joint music/dance projects. Also, Preparatory Dance holds several studio presentations and open rehearsals, providing a more informal setting for students to perform, including the Early Childhood Dance Sharing which is a performance opportunity for students in the Early Childhood Program.
Students selected to participate in Peabody Preparatory Dance performances, who opt to make the additional commitment, are required to attend all scheduled studio rehearsals, which begin as early as twelve weeks before a performance, and all staging and dress rehearsals in the theater during the production period. Staging and dress rehearsal dates are announced at least six weeks prior to an event, but regular studio rehearsals are called weekly based on the progress of the production. Parents and students should refer to the Performance Guidelines, and should consult with faculty for clarification, to determine when they may expect to be regularly called to studio rehearsals, and parents must notify the Preparatory Dance Office of any class or potential rehearsal conflicts at least two weeks in advance. The artistic director may replace a student who does not follow the requirements established in the Performance Guidelines. All performance participants are required to pay a modest production/costume fee.
Students who choose not to participate in a performance should attend their normal classes throughout the production period, because this aspect of training should not be jeopardized. Performance repertory may be made a part of class, and non-performing students are expected to participate in this invaluable part of a dancer’s development. All students should keep apprised of the weekly rehearsal schedules in case rehearsals necessitate adjustment of class schedules.