FAQs

Why are students not permitted to dance in class if they are more than 10 minutes late to class?
Every dance class begins with a warm up that is used not only for instructional purposes, but most importantly, to prepare a dancers body for higher impact activities later in the class.  While we understand extenuating circumstances happen, our primary focus is a dancer’s safety.  As is typical in most dance classes, students who arrive more than 10 minutes late and, therefore miss some or all of the warm up, are welcomed into class but asked to participate via observation rather than dancing in order to avoid possible injuries.

Why are students not permitted to wear skirts, warm up attire, or jewelry during class?
Aspire’s focus is to provide exceptional technical training.  Skirts(except in pointe), warm ups (such as leg warmers, bulky sweaters), etc prevent instructors from being able to see the placement of a student’s body and therefore prevents corrections.  This can lead to incorrectly performing steps which  ultimately could lead to injuries.  Jewelry is not permitted in most dance classes as it can get broken or cause injuries as well. 

Why are dancers required to have their hair in a bun and footed pink tights for ballet?
Not only are buns and pink tights traditional in a ballet class, they are essential for proper training.  Buns pull the dancer’s hair off their neck, allowing the instructor to view and correct the proper head placement and line.  They also prevent the hair from ‘flying’ during class and becoming a distraction.  Pink tights are a standard in ballet class not only for appearance but for training.  Pink tights show the shadowing of leg muscles, therefore help instructors to coach proper muscle usage and training.  Footed tights provide a consistent line of the leg with the shoe, also helpful for training.

Why don’t dancers wear underwear under their tights?
Both tights and leotards have cotton lined panels and act as an undergarment.  Underwear is NOT to be seen if your dancer chooses to wear them. 

Should my child take a bathroom break before class?
YES!  In order to eliminate class disruptions and possible accidents, please help your child to the bathroom before class.

Why are cover ups necessary for my dancer to leave the building?
While wearing just tights and leotards is normal attire to dancers, it is not normal to people outside the studio. For the safety of your dancer and to help educate them on professional etiquette, please ensure they wear a cover up over their tights and leotards.  Thank you for helping to keep our dancers safe!

Why can’t my dancer wear their dance shoes outside?
Dancers should NEVER wear their dance shoes outside the studio. Not only will it damage their shoes, they also track in small rocks and dirt that can hurt our bare feet while dancing.

How do I know what class my dancer should enroll in based on their age?
Similar to the public schools, Aspire uses September 30th as the guide for enrollment based on age.  All class placement is at the instructor's discretion.

Why are students required to take private lessons if they miss more than 4 classes between February and June?  Our instructors begin teaching choreography for our annual spring showcase starting in February, using steps and technique taught during September-January.  While it is important for students to attend classes the entire year to avoid missing important instruction, the classes between February and June are critical to producing an excellent final product where dancers are confident and proud of their accomplishments.  Students who miss more than 4 classes during this time impact the class progress and frequently feel frustrated as they try to catch up to their fellow dancers. Private lessons are required to help alleviate this.