Ethnic Dance ExpressionsEthnic Dance Expressions
School of Belly Dance
Classroom Policies
Ethnic Dance Expressions has policies to keep the facility safe and clean for the students, make class time fun and efficient and follow the restrictions laid out by the lease and the City of Gainesville. Please familiarize yourself with them.
Classroom Policies:
Attitude: Come prepared to have fun as well as learn to dance or exercise! Class is time to focus on YOURSELF. Leave the stresses of work, family and the world at the door and just enjoy yourself!
Attendance, Illness, Injuries and Tardiness: If you are going to be absent please let me know in advance or at least leave a phone message 352-384-9200 or e-mail me at Sallamah@bellsouth.net. If you are sick, please stay home. If you are recovering from an injury, come and observe class. You can still watch and learn. Please make every effort to be on time. Good attendance is imperative, as absences and tardiness will hold you back.
Dance and Exercise Class Cards: Are valid for several additional weeks. Notify me if you have extended work travel, are recuperating from an illness or surgery, or have a family emergency and the expiration date on your card will be extended.
Making Up Classes: EDE students may make up missed classes by coming in on a different day or to an earlier or later class.
Referrals: Refer a friend, and receive $5.00 coupon good toward classes or a hip scarf if your friend enrolls.
Class Coupons: Will be issued several times a year to continuing students and to students who are registering for the first time.
Birthdays: All EDE students get a FREE class for their birthday. Mention it at check-in.
Performances: Are fun and educational but are not mandatory.
Outside Training: Is acceptable but will not replace your training at Ethnic Dance Expressions. If you wish to perform with us, you have to keep up your class attendance and attend any rehearsals we may have.
The Dance Floor: Please do not wear powder or lotion on your feet if you are dancing barefooted as this will make the floor slippery and dangerous to those who are wearing socks and shoes.
Personal Belongings: Will not be permitted on the dance for for obvious safety reasons and to give us a much space as possible in which to dance or exercise. All personal belongings should be left in the reception area or placed in the white cubicles.
The Mirrors: DO NOT lean against, touch, bump or kick the mirrors. The studio walls are uneven and the mirrors are just floating in their frames. This means that the mirrors may break easily or shatter causing bodily injury even though they have a special coating on the back. Let's not tempt fate.
Noise: Only reasonable levels of noise directly related to the operation of the business will be tolerated per lease restrictions. No boisterous activity is permitted outside in the Plaza West parking lot.
Talking in Class: This is a small, intimate studio and conversations among students are distracting to me and your classmates. Please refrain from talking until the class is over or during water breaks.
Between Classes: I allow at least 15 minutes between classes to give you time to pay fees, speak with me, and socialize with your classmates. If you come in while a class is in session, please stay in the waiting area and converse very softly. If you need to use the rest room, try to wait until a water break or the end of the class. If you need to speak with me, please try to wait until the class is over.
Water: There is bottled water available in the refrigerator for students. Please take the water to keep yourself hydrated during class. You can pay for it before or after class. (35 cents a bottle.)
Food & Beverages: Only water in closed containers may be brought into the studio. No Food in the studio. The candy is free, please put wrappers in the trash!
Street Shoes: Please remove your street shoes before you walk across the dance floor. Shoes track in stones, sand, and glass that can become imbedded in the floor and feet. Exercise students should wipe their sneakers off on the doormat before coming into the studio. Dancers may go barefooted, wear tan dance shoes, socks, Grecian sandals or sand-a-sols. NO BLACK SHOES--they mark up the floor.
Copyrighted Materials: The handouts and the choreography sheets you receive are to help you study and are copyrighted. You may use combinations and technique from the dances but not the entire routine, even to other music. The handouts are only for your personal use and not for you to make copies of and freely sell or distribute.
Asking Students to Leave: We reserve the right to dismiss students who disrupt the harmony of the class or have tantrums. Learning to dance can be unnerving but there is no reason to take out your frustration on the teacher and classmates. Be quiet, listen to instructions, and have some patience. Also, we embrace diversity of all kinds and will not tolerate discriminating remarks or behavior.
Cell Phones and Pagers: Please put your phones and pagers on a silent mode.
Photo and Video Release: Students will be asked to sign a release allowing Ethnic Dance Expressions to post performance and class photos and videos on the website, Facebook, and You Tube. If you object, please let me know in advance.
Lost and Found: Large items are placed in the white cubicle by the door and breakables on the stand in front of the window. Valuables are kept in my office.
Holidays and Vacations: The studio will be closed for traditional holidays like Christmas, New Year, Thanksgiving, Labor Day, Memorial Day and the 4th of July. I also close the studio for UF Homecoming. Holiday and vacation dates will be posted in advance in the Studio and will be on the web site.
Emergencies: If there is an emergency and EDE will be closed, I will try to contact everyone by e-mail or phone ASAP.
Insurance: Ethnic Dance Expressions does not carry medical insurance for its students. It is required that all dance students be covered by their own insurance policies and if injury occurs, it is understood that the student's own policy is her/his only source of reimbursement.
Hold Harmless Agreement: All students and visiting teachers will be asked to sign a Hold Harmless Agreement and provide EDE with the name and contact information for the person they want us to contact in case of an accident or an emergency.
Merchandise: NO REFUNDS on merchandise. A 15%, no-refundable deposit is required to hold merchandise.
