Duluth School of Ballet

This is a list of questions frequently asked about certain aspects of our programs. If you have other questions, please feel free to call us at any time.

Your tuition payment is due the first day of each month. A 10% late fee will be added to accounts not paid by the 10th of the month. Please note that we do not send out bills. We will mail you a reminder notice if we have not received your payment by the 10th of the month.

Yes, we accept Visa, Mastercard, and Discover as well as checks and cash. You may pay by cash or check.

Why is my tuition the same each month whether there are three classes in a month or four?

Our annual tuition is a yearly amount divided into ten equal payments. We guarantee that each class will meet 35 times between the day we start in August and our final day of classes in May. In fact, we build extra classes into our schedule so that we don't have to worry about scheduling make-up days if we have to close because of bad weather, or some other unforeseen situation.

The number of classes in each month will vary, however, based on holidays and the calendar.

Suppose my child decides she doesn't like it? Can I drop at any time? Do I still have to pay the tuition for the entire year?

You may withdraw from any or all classes at any time by giving 30 days written notice to the office no later than the end of the month. If you give less than 30 days notice, you are obligated to pay the next month's tuition.

Participation in our end-of-the-year performances is not mandatory. However, we do ask that you give us written notice by Dec. 1 if your child is not going to participate. If your child does not participate, it will not reduce your tuition. Performance Fees, once paid, are not refundable.

You are welcome to wait while your child is taking class. We have a well-appointed lobby, and observation windows in each studio.

We just ask that you use common sense while watching classes through the windows. Do not tap on the class or wave at your child - it can be distracting to both the instructor and the students. Keep in my mind that some students do not like being watched, whether it is their own parent, or someone else. If you see the students are being distracted, just back away from the window.

Registration for our summer programs opens the beginning of March. Registration for annual classes usually begins about mid-April.

Of course you can. Any missed class may be made up in any other class of the same level. Please check with the Front Desk for the appropriate times and days. However, no refunds or reductions are made for missed classes.

We understand that being late is sometimes unavoidable for all of us. However, a pupil who is more than five minutes late for class may be asked to observe rather than take the class. The final decision is at the discretion of the instructor. This is not a disciplinary measure, but is done with the student's best interests in mind - especially where higher level classes are concerned. A student who misses the first few exercises at the barre runs the risk of injury by not being properly "warmed up."

We only close for the following holidays:
The last Saturday in September (the Duluth Fall Festival);
Thanksgiving (we close for the entire week);
Christmas (we close for two weeks based on the Gwinnett County school schedule);
Spring Break (we close for a week, based on the Gwinnett County school schedule);

In case of bad weather or natural disasters, we generally follow the lead of the Gwinnett County Public Schools. HOWEVER, THERE ARE EXCEPTIONS. PLEASE CALL THE STUDIO. SOMETIMES THE WEATHER IS BAD IN THE MORNING, BUT FINE BY THE AFTERNOON.

We initially place children in classes according to their age. However, if we feel that the student needs to be in another level, we will place the child accordingly.

Do children in the Early Childhood Program take part in a performance at the end of the year?

Yes. All students at the Duluth School of Ballet take part in our Spring performance at the end of the year. We create a full-length children's ballet for the school, so that all of our students understand that dance is not just putting on a costume and "doing a dance." We generally give three or four performances, with each performance lasting about an hour. The school is divided into casts, so that most children are only in one performance.

At age seven, children move into Grade I-A ballet where they are introduced to the formal classical ballet technique. The Duluth School of Ballet teaches according to a graded syllabus that has its roots in the Vaganova syllabus of training, with heavy influence from the Royal Academy of Dancing program.

We publish a newsletter at the first of each month. It is placed on a table in the lobby. Our newsletter is also published online on our newsletter site at the beginning of each month. We strongly urge you to read the newsletter each month. It is our main communication tool. Be sure we have your e-mail address, as we e-mail special notices and updates as necessary. We do not share or give out e-mail addresses.