Rules and Regulations
Welcome to The Maine Dance Academy! We are so happy that you have chosen our academy for your child’s dance and tumbling education. We are committed to offering the highest quality choreographers and coaches that the area has to offer. Thank you for being part of our dance and tumbling family!
TUITION PAYMENTS:
Tuition is paid twice a year, once for the Fall Semester in September and once for the Spring Semester in January. When you register for dance, you are registering for the entire year. Families can choose to pay one of two ways:
-Payment in full the first week of classes with a $10 discount for paying the first week of classes. Tuition is due the second week of classes without late fees but families will not receive the $10 discount. Fees paid late the third week without a Payment Plan will accrue late fees at a rate of $10 per week. All students must either pay in full the first 2 weeks of classes or use a Payment Plan.
-Payment Plan: Families choosing to use a Payment Plan can do so by signing up for our ACH automatic Bank Debit Plan. These must all be turned in by the 1st week of classes as the first payment will be made by the second week of classes. You can download the ACH paperwork from our website under the “Other Info” tab. These ACH payments will be made in 4 payments for each semester. If an ACH payment is bounced, the family will have to make the payment in full in cash with the additional bank fee of $20 and this will negate the rest of the ACH payments for the entire year.
We will not allow Families to make payments on their own schedules. Families either pay in full the first 2 weeks of classes or sign up for an ACH payment plan. These are the only 2 options.
You can pay in cash, check, or VENMO when paying in full. All returned checks will receive a $20 bank fee and any late fees that accrue for a delinquent payment.
You can find me on VENMO at:
Required TMDA Dance/Tumbling Clothing:
TMDA will take dancers from age 2-18 and tumblers from age 3-18. All dancers and tumblers are required to wear TMDA Logo’d dancewear to dance and tumbling. These items are readily available in our dance store. Students not properly dressed for dance or tumbling will sit out that class. The only exception to this rule is if students are coming directly from a game and do not have time to change before class, then they will be allowed to wear their team jersey to class. Students coming from team practices will be required to change before coming into class. Students only need one outfit for the entire year and the items available for purchase are leotards, tanks, shorts, pants, dresses and unitards.
All ladies taking classical pointe (all dependent on what class you will be in) will be required wear pink tights only, black or pink leotards, pink or black dresses, pink or black skirts and pink ballet or pointe shoes to class. Ladies in Copeland, Pavlova, and Lopokova will wear pink tights and pink dresses/leotards while Nureyev and Baryshnikov will wear pink or black leotards/dresses. No dance pants will be allowed into the classical pointe classes. Hair must be worn in a bun for all ballet classes. All students must be enrolled in a regular dance class before they will be allowed to take classical pointe/ballet. Students must be at least 5 years old to be enrolled in ballet.
SPECIAL NOTE: Pointe dancers will not be allowed to go online to purchase pointe shoes, all shoes will be fit in our studio; this is for the health of your child
Dance requires discipline and part of that discipline is wearing the correct dance/tumbling gear. Shoes required by everyone in a dance class are taps and gores/sneakers. Other requirements may be paws and/or character shoes. This will depend on the class and age of the student.
Entrances and Waiting Areas:
Students will be dropped off at either the front or back door of TMDA, depending on what class they have been placed in. Their instructors will be there to greet them and allow them in. We will bring your children into the building and Parents will then come back for them 5 minutes before the end of their class. (Parents of only our youngest 2 dance classes are allowed to stay in the waiting area at the beginning of the school year and then once your children feel safe with us, we will ask you to drop them off and return to pick them up). If a student has class from 4-5pm, they will be let out at 4:55pm and that is when Parents are asked to come back to the building to get their children . Students are only allowed to come into the building once their instructors are there to meet them. Parents should only drop off their children when they see the doors opening to the studio to allow students in. All outer clothing and footwear will be left in the locker room, and the waiting area, depending on which door your child will be assigned to enter. All outer shoes will be left in the shoe cubbies. Parents entering the building to purchase items in the dance store will be required to remove their outer shoes as well and place them in the cubbies. No dance bags will be allowed into the studios, these must be kept in the locker room or waiting area.
The bathroom is not to be used for changing into dance gear; you must use the locker room for that. All students must keep the noise to a minimum while waiting for their dance class and they also must be respectful of their instructor who oversees these classes until they are brought into their respective studios.
Student Placement:
Every class has at least 2 instructors:
-Students in dance are placed by age until 5 years old. After that, students will be placed by talent and skill. Those who show a continuous weekly effort in practice, skill and talent will be placed in one of our 5 Troupe classes or our Company class where each student is expected to know their choreography each week without exception.
-Students in tumbling are placed by age until 4 years old and then are placed by tumbling ability.
-Students in ballet/pointe are placed by talent, skill and dedication. All new students, no matter what age will be placed in Copeland and once they have mastered the ballet skills necessary to move, they will be sent to Pavlova and so forth. Students earning pointe shoes will do so at the discretion of the Pointe Instructors. 10 years of age is usually the earliest a student will earn their pointe shoes. Students earning pointe shoes will only be allowed to wear them at recital if they have learned all their turns left and right while on pointe shoes.
NEWSLETTERS:
There will be a monthly newsletter sent to all classes through Facebook Groups on the 1st Sunday of the month. It is imperative that everyone reads these newsletters as this is the only way we can relay dance/tumbling news to everyone. At the beginning of each dance/tumbling year (our year runs from September through to May) our students will be placed into classes and then parents of these students will be placed into Facebook Groups. Within these Facebook Groups you will receive your choreography for each week, monthly Newsletters, Costume Pictures and Requirements and any updates that will pertain to your certain group. You will need to have Facebook to be part of these groups. It will be your responsibility to check these groups often for the news you will need for your child.
COSTUMES:
COSTUMES WILL BE ORDERED BY OCTOBER 15TH FOR ALL DANCE CLASSES AND BY JANUARY 15TH FOR ALL TUMBLING CLASSES. THIS IS HOW COSTUMES ARE ORDERED FOR CLASSES:
DANCE CLASSES:
-45 MINUTE TO 1 HOUR CLASSES: 2 COSTUMES FOR THE YEAR WITH A $75 COSTUME DEPOSIT PER STUDENT WITH FIRST TUITION PAYMENT.
-1.25-1.5 HOUR CLASSES: 3 COSTUMES (4 for TROUPE AND COMPANY) FOR THE YEAR WITH A $75 COSTUME DEPOSIT PER STUDENT WITH FIRST TUITION PAYMENT.
BALLET CLASSES:
2 COSTUMES FOR THE YEAR WITH A $75 COSTUME DEPOSIT PER STUDENT WITH FIRST TUITION PAYMENT.
TUMBLING CLASSES:
1 COSTUME FOR THE YEAR WITH A $75 COSTUME DEPOSIT WITH FIRST TUITION PAYMENT.
DANCE STORE HOURS:
The Dance Store will be open on Tuesdays and Wednesdays only. Dance store hours for each month will be posted in the monthly newsletter. Everything a dancer or tumbler needs for clothing and footwear is available in our dance store. The Dance Store hours are as follows:
Tuesday: 4:30-8:15pm
Wednesday: 4:30-7pm
CHOREOGRAPHY OWNERSHIP:
All choreography is the sole property of TMDA and will not be shared or copied for any reason. Sharing TMDA choreography on social media is strictly prohibited and cause for immediate dismissal from TMDA.
WARNING OF RISK TO PARTICIPANT AT THE MAINE DANCE ACADEMY:
The Maine Dance Academy (TMDA) is not responsible for providing medical accidental injury insurance for students. Parents/guardians are required to provide adequate accidental and medical insurance for their child enrolled in TMDA.
Parents Responsibility: My child and I are aware that participation in all TMDA dance classes is potentially hazardous and may involve risk of injury. TMDA, Colleen DuPlissie, the teachers, the assistants, the secretaries and the owner of the property at 15 Sweden Street, Caribou, Maine shall not be held responsible for treatment, injury or losses related to TMDA. Neither Colleen DuPlissie, nor any teacher, nor the studio, nor the owners of said property are liable for the loss or damage to personal property. As a parent, guardian, and/or participant, I am aware of the hazards and my ability or my child’s ability to participate. Each student may decline to participate in any activity but only with written permission of a parent or guardian. Please inform the teachers of any physical limitations or conditions. I hereby, for myself, my heirs, executors and administrative waive and release all rights and claims against The Maine Dance Academy, it’s employees, volunteers and owners from all losses, injury, damages, fees and other expenses arising out of, or in connection with all our participation at The Maine Dance Academy. I have also read the entire rules and regulations posted on TMDA’s website and will adhere to them accordingly. All losses suffered while dancing at TMDA are the sole responsibility of the Parent and or Dancer/Tumbler and will not hold TMDA liable for anything.
**When you register for classes you will sign and date the above waiver to finish your child’s registration process. In signing, you agree to all the above rules and regulations of The Maine Dance Academy.
Staff of The Maine Dance Academy
You can contact us through email at any time or find us on Facebook and Instagram. Do not hesitate to contact us with your concerns or questions. Our staff for season #31, 2024-25:
Colleen DuPlissie – Creative Director
misscolleen@themainedanceacademy.com
Jordyn Rossignol-Studio Manager
Shannon Rossignol-Dance Store Manager
Delaney Williams Butler-Lead Choreographer
Malerie Buck-Celtic Instructor
Danielle Hanson-Choreographer & Photographer
Elizabeth Kinney-Lead Ballet Choreographer
Emily Michaud-Choreographer
Christopher Parent-Dance Instructor and Tumbling Coach
Danica Haskell-Choreographer
Brittany Morrison-Instructor
Allison Wheeler-Lead Tumbling Coach
Raegan Whipkey-Tumbling Coach
Thank you for choosing The Maine Dance Academy! We look forward to a wonderful year with all of you!