Academy Rules and Policies

All students at the Kirova Ballet Academy (KBA) should be able to enjoy the art of dance in a positive, healthy, nurturing and distraction-free environment. Our faculty and staff do their best to promote respectful behavior from all students, parents and volunteers in the studio and all KBA performances and events. Students, parents, family members, and volunteers are expected to observe the following school policies to ensure that each student gets the most out of their time at KBA.

Attendance and Commitment
- Attendance
  - All students are expected to attend all classes they are registered for as ballet / dance is a disciplined art form that requires students to be completely committed.
  - Consistency and focus during classroom training are the most important components in the progress and success of our students.
  - Any student who is not prepared for class due tardiness, behavior misconduct, or not following the dress code may be asked by the teacher or KBA staff to leave the class and/or studio.
- Non-attendance
  - Students are only excused to be absent due to illness, injury, observance of a religious holiday or a family emergency.
  - Students are expected to notify the school by email if they are absent from class.
  - Students who do not attend class on a regular basis will quickly fall behind, and not build the necessary skills and strength needed to succeed and to progress to the next level.
  - KBA expects all classroom work, in all forms of dance offered, to be taken very seriously. Excessive absences and tardiness will be be noted and will effect a student’s eligibility to be promoted to the next level and impact a student’s ability to perform in productions.
- Illnesses and injuries
  - Students should NOT attend class or rehearsal when sick to reduce the possibility of making others ill.
  - Injured students are welcome to observe their classes or rehearsals.
- Rehearsals
  - In preparation for performances some regularly scheduled class time may be used for rehearsal.
  - Mandatory warm-ups
    - It is very important for students to warm up their muscles properly to prevent potential injury.
    - Students at the higher levels are required to attend all warm-up classes scheduled before rehearsals and performances.
    - Failure to attend warm-up classes may hinder the student’s eligibility to be cast in performances and productions.
    - For the safety of students, teacher reserves the right to ask the student to sit and observe the rehearsals only if they miss the required warm-up.
    - If a student must absolutely miss a warm-up class, it is the responsibility of the student to inform the teacher in advance and to arrive as early as possible to properly warm up before being allowed to rehearse.
  - Students must notify the school via email in the event they will be absent from a scheduled rehearsal.
  - Students are expected to attend all scheduled rehearsals.
  - Missing more than 2 rehearsals will result in the student being removed from the production or performance.
- Email is the primary form of communication at KBA. Dancers and their parents are responsible to ensure they are receiving and reading all emails and posts in the studio.
- It is the responsibility of the dancer or parent to provide a current email address and resolve any issues with their email provider to ensure delivery of KBA emails.
KBA Behavior Code
- Absolutely no disruptive behavior will be tolerated from dancers while in class, waiting for class, or leaving the studio.
- Treatment of KBA Staff, Faculty, Volunteers and other students
- KBA Staff, Faculty and Volunteers will be respected at all times.
- Dancers treat KBA Staff, Faculty, Volunteers and each other with kindness and respect. The golden rule: treat everyone as you would want to be treated.
- Use and misuse of facilities
  - Students are not allowed to run in the facilities.
  - Students are encouraged to warm-up and stretch in the lobby before starting class.
  - Upper School Division students may warm up and stretch in an available studio with permission from a KBA Staff member.
  - Upper level students may use KBA equipment (costumes, sound system, props, etc…) only with permission from a KBA staff member.
  - Students enrolled in Primary, Primary I and Primary II must wait in the lobby area for the KBA faculty to bring them to their classroom.
  - It is imperative that all young students are reminded to use the bathroom before entering the class. All Primary students must be chaperoned in the bathroom, which poses a challenge during class.
  - Students must throw all trash in the waste cans provided. Respect the KBA Studios as you would your home.
- Behavior in class
  - There will be no talking permitted at any time in class unless the teacher asks the student a question.
  - Students may not be dismissed from class at any time without the permission of the teacher.
  - Students are not allowed to sit during the class.
  - Students are not allowed to hang on the barres for any reason.
  - Mirrors may not be touched for any reason.
  - No food, gum, drinks (other than water) or street shoes are allowed inside the studios.
  - Students must show respect for the facilities and for the property of others.
- Lost and found articles
  - KBA is not responsible for lost or stolen articles.
  - Lost and found items will be held for 30 days; items left longer may be donated to charitable organizations.
- Parent Rules
  - Parents who bring siblings of dancers to the studio must control their child(ren) at all times. If a sibling is being disruptive and/or not under parent supervision, the parent and sibling will be asked to leave.
  - A parent or guardian must accompany all students under the age of 11 into and out of the KBA facilities.
  - For safety reasons, children under the age of 11 may not use the elevator if they are not accompanied by their parent or guardian.
  - Students are not permitted to wait for rides outside of the KBA facilities: KBA is not responsible for the monitoring arrival and departure of students.
  - KBA staff will not supervise kids after the end of the class; parents must pick up their children on time.
  - Late fees will be assessed for late pick-ups; $5 for the first 10 – 15 minutes after the class ends and $1 per minute there after.
  - Parent observation
    - Students achieve the most success when parents do not observe each class.
    - It is important for the student to develop a sense of independence and build a relationship with the teacher.
    - Parents may only observe class or rehearsals on observance days scheduled by the KBA staff. If you would like to observe your dancer on a different day you must contact the studio and have approved by one of the KBA directors.
  - Under no circumstances may a parent communicate with his/her dancer, enter the studio or disrupt in any way a class in session.
  - Parents are expected to follow the same behavior code as their dancer. Parents not following studio etiquette and behavior rules will be asked to leave the studio.
- Dress code
  - Students are required to wear the designated uniform for their level and class to all classes and rehearsals.
  - Warm-up attire is used to warm up the dancer’s body. Unless a dancer is injured, use of warm-up attire during the class is not permitted since it prevents the teacher and the student to detect improper alignment.
  - All students must wear appropriate cover-ups over their dance attire upon entering and leaving the studio.
Gross Misconduct
- Any student or parent who verbally or physically abuses anyone, verbally defies any faculty or staff member, commits any unlawful action, or commits any other action deemed by KBA to be grossly inappropriate will be dismissed from the school immediately.
- A person dismissed from school due to misconduct will not be entitled to any refund.
Class level placements
- KBA Artistic Directors, faculty and staff are committed to the technical and artistic growth of their students.
- KBA strives to bring each dancer to their individual potential in a supportive and nurturing environment. Level placement policies and casting in productions at KBA are geared to the individual student and at the sole discretion of KBA Artistic Directors, faculty and staff.
- Students are initially placed in Primary, Primary I or Primary II based on age.
- Placement for new students in upper levels will be based on both age, evaluation and previous experience.
- The students’ progress is then continuously evaluated and promotion to the next level is made on an individual basis.
- At KBA, we are very concerned with the proper and safe advancement of all of our students. We must make sure that a student is both physically and mentally ready to advance before they are moved up to the next level. It is essential that the body is in proper alignment and the muscles strong enough to before more advanced exercises are undertaken. Advancing before a dancer is ready leads to injury which we strive to protect our dancers from.
Inclement weather
- If the Miami-Dade and / or Broward County School System closes due to a weather emergency, the KBA will be closed.
- No refunds are made for classes not held due to weather conditions.

Proper understanding of the rules will lead to a more positive experience for dancers, parents, family and staff. Parents and students are encouraged to discuss all rules and regulations.

NON DISCRIMINATION STATEMENT – It is the policy of KBA to provide equal opportunity for all students. KBA does not discriminate based on race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin.