Frequently Asked Questions
What performance opportunities are available to my dancer?
Hyde Park School of Dance supplements in-studio classwork with a variety of performance opportunities at a host of local venues. Some of these opportunities, such as our annual performance of The Nutcracker, are elective performance workshops. For these productions, casting is by audition, rehearsals take place outside of regularly-scheduled classes, and there is a workshop fee associated with participation. Other performance opportunities, such as our annual Spring Concert, are completely free to take part in. There are no auditions, workshop fees, or out-of-class rehearsals. For all-school performances such as the Spring Concert, dancers learn their routines in class, borrow our costumes free of cost, and perform together for public audiences. There are a variety of other performance opportunities offered during the academic year, particularly for company members and other older dancers. To read more about some of these performance opportunities, please visit our recurring events page!
What fees can we anticipate beyond tuition?
If your dancers are not participating in elective performance workshops, you do not have to anticipate any additional fees beyond their tuition.
HPSD does not provide dancewear for its students, so the cost of the required uniform is incumbent upon you. That said, we do offer a free dancewear exchange for our families to make use of. Donate your dancers' outgrown items and find something that fits them in the dancewear exchange box located in the lobby of Studio B at any time for an economical uniform option.
For all-school performances like the Spring Concert, HPSD provides costumes for dancer to use for dress rehearsals and performances. There is no costume fee for these performances. Elective performances require a performance workshop fee from participating dancers to cover the cost of staffing out-of-class rehearsals, venue rentals, event staffing, and more. These workshop fees also cover the use of our costumes.
We also offer an optional tuition payment plan. The administrative fee for making use of this four-installment plan is $15, due at the time of registration. There are no administrative fees when tuition is paid in full upon registration.
HPSD does not provide dancewear for its students, so the cost of the required uniform is incumbent upon you. That said, we do offer a free dancewear exchange for our families to make use of. Donate your dancers' outgrown items and find something that fits them in the dancewear exchange box located in the lobby of Studio B at any time for an economical uniform option.
For all-school performances like the Spring Concert, HPSD provides costumes for dancer to use for dress rehearsals and performances. There is no costume fee for these performances. Elective performances require a performance workshop fee from participating dancers to cover the cost of staffing out-of-class rehearsals, venue rentals, event staffing, and more. These workshop fees also cover the use of our costumes.
We also offer an optional tuition payment plan. The administrative fee for making use of this four-installment plan is $15, due at the time of registration. There are no administrative fees when tuition is paid in full upon registration.
How can I determine the most appropriate level for my child?
There are a variety of factors to consider when looking for the class that will best fit your child. If your dancer took class with us in the previous academic year's Winter/Spring session, he or she received a level recommendation for each class in which s/he was enrolled. These level recommendations are carefully given by the instructor who observed your dancer in the studio each week, and should always be observed.
If your dancer was not a part of our program during the previous year's Winter/Spring session, or if s/he is interested in beginning classes in a new type of dance, please make use of the class schedule's published age minimums and the guidelines below to determine an appropriate level for him or her. If you need further assistance, just let us know!
DANCERS 7 & UNDER
For dancers up to the age of 7, several of our class levels have associated age groups that overlap by a year. A five-year-old dancer who has taken another dance class before or is maturing quickly might prefer the challenge of Pre-Ballet II for 5- and 6-year-olds, whereas a five-year-old dancer who is new to dance, shy, or still developing group-setting listening skills, will likely have more fun and learn more in Pre-Ballet I for 4- and 5-year-olds. In situations where your dancer is eligible for either of two different levels, it is up to you you to determine the level at which your dancer will be challenged enough not to lose interest without being pushed beyond realistic expectations to the extent that he or she begins to feel frustrated. If you need help determining which level will best set your dancer up for success, please contact us!
DANCERS AGED 7-18
In classes like ballet and modern, our syllabi are very strategically graduated. Age minimums should be observed, but dancers who are older than the required age minimum who are just starting out in modern or ballet will be best served by beginning with the lowest-level class that is not to easy for them.
In other areas of our program, such as our hip hop classes, class levels give you an idea of a given class's difficulty without necessarily inferring a requisite relationship between two classes of differing levels. For example, dancers who have never class before but have a natural affinity for breakdance may find that Breaking II is the best place for them to start despite never having taken Breaking I.
More details on the class levels we offer can be found on our ballet, modern, jazz, and hip hop pages. If you are still unsure of which class will be the best fit for your dancer, we are happy to help - just contact the office!
Please also keep in mind that dancers who are new to the program or to a certain type of dance we offer should consider enrolling in a trial class in order to ensure their selected class will be an appropriate fit. Instructors reserve the right to suggest an alternate level if they feel a dancer's class choice is too easy or too difficult.
If your dancer was not a part of our program during the previous year's Winter/Spring session, or if s/he is interested in beginning classes in a new type of dance, please make use of the class schedule's published age minimums and the guidelines below to determine an appropriate level for him or her. If you need further assistance, just let us know!
DANCERS 7 & UNDER
For dancers up to the age of 7, several of our class levels have associated age groups that overlap by a year. A five-year-old dancer who has taken another dance class before or is maturing quickly might prefer the challenge of Pre-Ballet II for 5- and 6-year-olds, whereas a five-year-old dancer who is new to dance, shy, or still developing group-setting listening skills, will likely have more fun and learn more in Pre-Ballet I for 4- and 5-year-olds. In situations where your dancer is eligible for either of two different levels, it is up to you you to determine the level at which your dancer will be challenged enough not to lose interest without being pushed beyond realistic expectations to the extent that he or she begins to feel frustrated. If you need help determining which level will best set your dancer up for success, please contact us!
DANCERS AGED 7-18
In classes like ballet and modern, our syllabi are very strategically graduated. Age minimums should be observed, but dancers who are older than the required age minimum who are just starting out in modern or ballet will be best served by beginning with the lowest-level class that is not to easy for them.
In other areas of our program, such as our hip hop classes, class levels give you an idea of a given class's difficulty without necessarily inferring a requisite relationship between two classes of differing levels. For example, dancers who have never class before but have a natural affinity for breakdance may find that Breaking II is the best place for them to start despite never having taken Breaking I.
More details on the class levels we offer can be found on our ballet, modern, jazz, and hip hop pages. If you are still unsure of which class will be the best fit for your dancer, we are happy to help - just contact the office!
Please also keep in mind that dancers who are new to the program or to a certain type of dance we offer should consider enrolling in a trial class in order to ensure their selected class will be an appropriate fit. Instructors reserve the right to suggest an alternate level if they feel a dancer's class choice is too easy or too difficult.
How do we register for classes?
There are several ways to register for classes, but the process always involves 1) selecting your class(es), 2) completing required registration information, and 3) submitting registration and tuition payment to the office.
We accept registration forms by mail, by fax, by email, or in person during open office hours, and tuition payment can be made by cash, check, money order, or any major credit card. We also have an online registration system, which collects your registration details and credit card information electronically.
Both the registration form and the online registration option are detailed on our registration page at hydeparkdance.org/register. There you'll also find access to the class schedule and a step-by-step guide!
We accept registration forms by mail, by fax, by email, or in person during open office hours, and tuition payment can be made by cash, check, money order, or any major credit card. We also have an online registration system, which collects your registration details and credit card information electronically.
Both the registration form and the online registration option are detailed on our registration page at hydeparkdance.org/register. There you'll also find access to the class schedule and a step-by-step guide!