Members and Parents sign contracts pledging their understanding of and agreement to the program’s obligations and the following policies.
Dropping Courses Policy:
- Less than excellent participation (i.e. effort, attendance, etc.) in any course will lead to dismissal from that course. Dismissal from, or dropping any course in the Members’ prescribed Company Program will result in loss of Membership. A drop fee, a charge for each class taken, and any other fees accumulated from participation (i.e. competition entry fees, costume fees, etc.) for each dropped course, will be assigned to the Member family’s account. Loss of membership for any reason will also result in exclusion from all Company Courses and all P.T.C. Fee Reductions, including reverting to regular vs. subsidized rates and application of any fees that were previously waived due to Membership.
- Prior to signing the Membership Contracts, families can request not to include prescribed courses without forfeiting Membership. Faculty will review any reasonable request if given adequate time to do so before the Contract Submission Deadline; the faculty response will be final.
- The Company Program given to your child includes all courses. After at least one full week of classes, enrollment in optional Additional Courses may be offered.
- Families can request to enroll Members in Additional Courses not offered them after at least two full week of classes; enrollment will be contingent on faculty permission.
Absences Policy:
After 3 absences, a meeting with the Member’s parent(s) and the Director will be required to review continued membership. A student leaving the Company program can transfer into a regular Caulfield School of Dance program but membership fee subsidies will no longer remain in effect. If this happens late in the year, it is possible that performing in the yearend show may not be possible.
Members are encouraged to audition for professional/exceptional performing opportunities. The Parent of a Member who wishes to pursue such an opportunity need only inform Director Cori Caulfield in writing providing all known details as much in advance of auditioning as possible. The Director will, after consultation with faculty, discuss the merits of the experience against the consequences of potential absences with the Parent. Every possible accommodation to the Member getting the maximum benefit from the P.T.C. Program and “outside” performing experience will be made.
Performing/Competing Policies:
The readiness of each individual Member will determine casting for each performance. In the case of a rehearsal close to a performance, or a rehearsal that is for some other reason critical, a single absence (or instance of substandard participation) for any reason can lead to exclusion from an upcoming performance; whereas, a Member who has missed rehearsals over the course of the year may lose no opportunities to perform. This policy allows for the timely preparation of numbers for performing and teaches Members professional performers’ working realities.
Though Member families pay fees to the competitions early in the year, and they are non‐refundable, Member families confirm their understanding that not all Members may be ready to compete in all competitions. Some may not compete at all. Though exact competition dates are announced with as little as a week’s notice, membership is a commitment to participate at the time and date set for group numbers by the competitions, whatever they may be, even if they conflict with non-group events.
Artistic Integrity and Credit Policy:
In recognition that artistic creation (i.e. even the shortest selection of choreography; design concepts; etc.) is intellectual property, Members and Parents pledge not participate in the theft of another creator’s work and to always insist that permission is obtained from, and credit is given to any other creator as may be pertinent in all their artistic endeavours.