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Registration Fees and Tuition

Annual Family Registration Fees (you can register by mail or by phone/email with credit card. 349-3633, 694-0883 or mobile 898-3529.


Pre- Registration $10 per family if postmarked or processed by June 30, 2009. Early Registration $15 per family if postmarked or processed by Aug. 17, 2009 before fall classes start
Regular Registration $20 per family if postmarked or processed anytime on or after Aug.18th, 2009. Classes start Sept 8th, 2009. Stop in to register onsite at our Okemos location is Monday, Aug 31st, 5-7 pm. We will be having a huge blowout box sale of used dancewear, shoes, costumes. For new shoes and dancewear see Bottoms Up in Okemos.
Classes run in terms (Summer, Fall, Holiday, Winter, Spring Terms) For the school year there are four terms (approx 2 months long each). Students may opt in or out for recital-non-recital students attend every term except spring. For group technique and company classes (6 students or more): tuition is $64 per term for 30 minute class, $72 per termfor 45-75 minute class, see multiple class discounts below if you are taking 3 or more classes yourself or if your family is taking 6 classes or more.



Mini-Gotta Dance Rate-for students taking 3 group classes $200 per term per student
Gotta Dance Rate-for students taking 4 or more group classes $240 per term per student (competition students pay $40 more per routine for Winter Term as they will have additional practices on Sat and/or Sun.
We Gotta Dance Rate-for families taking multiple group classes $400 per term cap per family
Solos, Duets, Trios, Quartets, Quintets (Intensives)-Off Peak Rates available any day and time during June & July, and anytime EXCEPT M-Th 4:30-8:15 Aug-May The following monthly rates would be divided by the number of dancers in the intensive and would be in addition to regular monthly tuition for group classes: $200 per term for 30 min, $400 per term for 45 min total (to be divided among number of participants)
Solos, Duets, Trios, Quartets, Quintets (Intensives)-Peak Rates-Aug-May, M-Th 4:30-8:15 pm The following monthly rates would be divided by the number of dancers in and intensive class and would be in addition to regular monthly tuition for group classes: $288 per term, available with instructor only.

FAQ's

1. How do I know if my son/daughter is ready for competition and what is involved?

Students that show a high aptitude and desire for dance and especially for performing on stage are usually good candidates for competition. If you are interested in learning more let us know and Carol Hazel, our director know and we will evaluate your student by having him/her come to the class/team that appears to be the best fit so we can assure proper placement and see if he/she is at an appropriate age/level for one of our competition teams. Competition exposes students to dancers from all over the nation and inspires them to reach for higher levels. They also tend to excel faster as they learn a routine more extensively and with more attention to the finer details as there is more time and energy spent on polishing the routine. Students also get more performance experience as they perform the routine(s) for competitions, recitals and sometimes other events. When a group is asked to do their first competition there are no strict requirements, we want students to get their feet wet and see what competition is all about before really "going for it". Once students decide this is something they want to pursue, is they are 14 yrs or younger we do require them to take ballet at Synergy to develop their technique and it is highly recommended to take the corresponding technique class. When our company is asked to perform for various venues some of the competition groups are selected to perform depending on the appropriateness for the particular venue. There is a costume for each competition class as is the case for technique classes (at the older levels we try to recycle costumes and use some dancewear to minimize costs as dancers tend to take more classes). The entry fees for competition typically run approximately $35 per routine for each competition you enter. For competition the students do need to polish the dances to more perfection so it isn't easy and there is a lot of repetition but they start getting excited when they feel how well it is clicking because the routine starts taking on new life and the kids really start clicking together. They usually get excited at what they are able to accomplish from their attention to details.

How do I figure out what level my son/daughter should be at and how is placement determined?

The first tool for you is to go by the age guidelines on the class schedule. If the student is new to dance try to get into a class where he/she will be the oldest of the age range. Like a beginning 9 yr old should go into a 7-9 yr class instead of a 9-12 yr class.

Placement is difficult sometimes because students, of course, want to be in the most advanced classes and don't always understand the importance of building a strong foundation so they can fly. It is important that students are placed appropriately for a rewarding learning experience. We don't tend to water down levels in order to be popular because we realize once a student has worked hard enough to get to the higher levels he/she deserves to enjoy a class that is truly advanced and challenging and allowing students that aren't ready slows the pace as you can imagine. If you think about it, wouldn't we love to have all advanced classes? We place students out of care and concern for their growth. As the studio director I preferred that my own daughters not progress to the next level until they were truly prepared as I realize how important the foundation is and their ability to enjoy successes and challenges at each level.

Pre-School through 8 yrs: These classes usually do not have levels because they are grouped so closely by age. If a student really excels beyond his/her age group to the point where they are not challenged they are moved to the next age group but most students progress somewhat with their age at the younger levels.

9-12 yrs: You will see beginning, intermediate and intermediate/advanced levels at this age group because this is where students usually tend to pick Dance as a recreational expressive outlet or as an art form they seriously have a passion to pursue and want to excel through the levels at an accelerated pace. There is a lot of variance at this age group and we feel that it is beneficial for students to be in a group where they are not over their head (that is discouraging) and they are not so far beyond where they get bored.

13 yrs/up: You will notice that there are beginning, intermediate, intermediate/advanced and advanced levels.. We get new students that have found that this is something they want to pursue, they start out in beginning classes but tend to excel very fast if serious due to their maturity and mental capability to absorb more than a younger student. Then it ususally jumps to Intermediate/Advanced and Advanced because many of the students at this age have been dancing all their life or have picked it up a later age and got serious.

How do I know what types of classes to take?

Some students just want a creative and/or physical outlet and take one class of interest such as Hip Hop or Tap. This can be a great lifetime hobby. Most students, however, want to really learn how to be an accomplished dancer, and take several classes. When a student is exploring dance or has a strong interest in dance, I always recommend that they start with ballet, jazz, and tap and add lyrical, modern (when they are older) and gymnastics for a well rounded dance education. If they should get serious about dance this will make them versatile and give them employable skills for broadway, theatre and commercial work. Most kids enjoy the variety also. Hip hop is becoming more important to a dancers abilities also. If a students goal is to become a professional ballerina I would suggest taking multiple ballet classes and from several instructors. Whether a student is studying dance for recreation or with more serious goals towards a career in dance (performance, choreography, teaching) a well-rounded dance education will give them the foundation to be successful because dance teaches you alot of valuable life skills (confidence, discipline, teamwork, dedication) in addition to the physical attributes (strength, agility, flexibility, poise, coordination, rhythm).

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