Frequently asked questions

Please do not purchase anything for the dance trial class. We want you to be 100% confident in your decision to enroll in dance lessons first. If you already have dance attire feel free to wear it however loose comfortable clothes that your child can move and stretch in are perfect. Jeans are not allowed in any dance classes. If you are trying a hip hop class please wear clean soled sneakers to avoid tracking in dirt and rocks. For all other classes we do have a small selection of "borrow" shoes that you may use for the trial. It happens rarely, but should we not have the correct size socks or bare feet will suffice. Please arrive about 15 minutes early to check in with the receptionist, find some shoes and there is a small bit of paperwork we need parents to fill out.

The Auburn location is located in the heart of downtown. Clients are encouraged to park at the back of the building in the Safeway parking lot. The parking lot side is used as our main entrance. The Main Street doors remain locked at all times. The Federal Way and Maple Valley Locations have ample parking surrounding our building.

A receptionist is available during all of our class times. The school year session (September-June) operating hours are Monday –Thursdays 4pm-8pm and Friday and Saturday 9:30am-noon. We are closed on Sunday. Our 6 week summer session (July –August) is typically Monday- Friday from 9am- 4pm, and closed Saturday–Sunday. You can register for classes 24 hours a day 7 days a week online. We follow a similar closure schedule to the local School District and are closed in observance of Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, Mid-winter break, Spring Break and Memorial Day weekend. There is typically a 2 week closure at the end of June/early July and then again in August.

Good attendance is essential to advancement in our program however we understand that sickness and occasional conflicts will come up from time to time. Please give the office a call to have your dancer excused. You have 30 days to make up the class (optional) in the same or lower level class. You may also use your make up class in a different style class if you wish. If frequent absences become a problem, your dancer may not be allowed to perform in the June show, in this case a warning will be given an opportunity to fix the frequent absenteeism.

We understand how busy life can be. It is important to be on time, however if you are running a few minutes late please take the time to get ready in the lobby and then quietly and discreetly enter the studio. In the advanced classes any dancer more than 15 minutes late may be asked to sit and observe class since they have missed the majority of the warm up and we do not want to risk injury. This is at the instructor’s discretion.

If the local school district must cancel classes due to extreme weather or events beyond our control, classes will be canceled, and you may make up the lesson within 30 days in a similar level class. Refunds or credits are not given. The Auburn location follows the Auburn School District snow closure decisions. The Federal Way location follows the Federal Way Public School closures decisions. The Maple Valley location follows the Tahoma School District closure decision.

Withdrawals: We require 30 days’ notice to discontinue any classes. Withdrawals must be done by completing our digital withdrawal form or in person by signing a physical copy of the form. Your 30 days’ notice begins once we receive the completed withdrawal form. All automatic payments will stop after the 30-day notice period. Non-Attendance does NOT constitute withdrawal notice or adequate reason for not paying tuition. ● If you withdraw after April 1st, all remaining costume fees must be paid with final payment and your costume will be available for pick-up. ● Annual payments are non-refundable. If you choose to withdraw all tuition prepaid is forfeited. ● Spotlight Theater, day camps, workshops & intensives are paid in full 7 days before the session begins. Once payment is processed, all tuition is non-refundable, non-transferable and credits are not issued. While you are not required to attend, refunds or credits will not be given for any reason.

The Sampler Series and Theater program is date specific, please register at least 3 days in advance to prevent class cancellation. The Children's and School Division will take later enrollment up through the end of February. We will pro-rate or adjust your tuition to reflect the appropriate start date. That way if you enroll mid-month you are not paying for the classes that have already passed. However, you will need to make arrangements to catch up the missed costume payment allocation. That can be done in a one time installment or divided up over your remaining months. The Conservatory Program enrollment ends at the end of September. Please contact us to arrange for a placement audition. The Arabesque Academy can take enrollment throughout the year. We prefer not to have any new enrollment after March. Please contact us to see if we have availability.

We understand these things can happen. Our clients pay by automatic payment with either a Visa or MasterCard, credit/debit card on either the 1st or the 15th of the month. If your payment is declined you will receive an email notifying you as such. Many times this is corrected by updating an expired card. We do automatically attempt to reprocess the card in 24 hours. You have a 5 day grace period before your account is assigned a $10 late fee. CDT will begin collection procedures on any account 90 days overdue.

This is not an unusual response with 2-4 year olds and even sometimes 5 year olds. There are many different reasons for this reaction. Some children need a few classes to observe what is happening in order to feel comfortable enough to participate. We usually hear about how this student dances all the time at home and even does the moves from class at home but not at the studio. This is performance anxiety and will pass. The good thing is that your child is learning even if they are just observing. Please keep in mind that the studio can be a loud place with all the other kids, music and tap shoes. If your child is more sensitive to noise they may take longer to fully participate. Also there is a lot of movement to get used to, and sometimes in the younger classes it is organized chaos. That can be overwhelming as well. Finally, they just may be more sensitive and might not be ready. In general, it takes 3-6 classes for the average “shy” child to feel comfortable. If there is a severe anxiety it may take longer. We work with students and parents as long as you are willing to and it is not causing a disruption. You, the parent, should always be your child’s biggest cheerleader. Never get angry or frustrated in front of your child at their lack of participation. Play “dance class” at home, encourage them to show you a new step or shape they may have learned, ask to see their stamps. Please arrive early to give your child a settling period. Learn some of your child’s classmate’s names and talk about their new friends. Most importantly be patient with your child. If after 4-6 classes things haven’t changed a break may be the thing to do.

Absolutely! However, it is in your child’s best interest to let us know as soon as possible if you want to switch classes. Each class time has a unique performance routine and costume. To switch classes after your dancer begins learning their routine or you have paid for a costume is difficult (not impossible) and possibly costly. Let us know right away if you are anticipating a time conflict.

Yes, you can! While the studio is for dancers only, we have viewing windows that allow parents to sit and observe class. We also have closed circuit TV feed in our lobby for parents to to watch from the lobby. Sometimes as a treat, instructors may invite parents in to show off a great routine or if a dancer has a special guest. This is at the instructor’s discretion.

The uniform dress code is important to dance training for many different reasons. Young children are often distracted by their large skirts and frilly tutus and possibly become jealous of their friend's beautiful outfit. This makes the instructor’s job much more difficult. As dancers get older and more advanced in their dance training, the simple leotard and tights combination make it possible for the instructors to see the dancers' bodies so they can make the proper corrections. It is much easier for teenagers to accept no skirts for ballet class during puberty because it was the rule when they were little. Each class level is also indicated by a different color leotard (like Karate with the different color belts) Once promoted, dancers are often very excited to get their new color leotard and have such a sense of accomplishment, which builds self-esteem.

You may be right; however, each dance studio has a slightly different program. It is best to call and arrange for a free placement class. We’ll ask you some simple questions to figure out which class you should attend. We always work to promote a dancer, not demote. So even if you were at Level 3 at your old studio and we ask you to come to our Level 2, please do so and let the teacher be the judge. We want our dancers to be appropriately challenged in their classes. We do not allow children to be placed in a class that the faculty finds unsuitable.

All of our performances are optional. Competition team auditions are held in June and Nutcracker Auditions are held in August, Spring Ballet auditions are held in February. If you do not want to perform in these extra opportunities, simply do not show up for the audition. If you are enrolled in the Children's, School and Conservatory Division and do not wish to participate in our June performance simply return the commitment form (handed out in January of each year) marked appropriately. Dancers may still participate in classes. Teachers will plan their choreography so the non-participating dancer is at the end of the line so they can learn and be fully engaged in classes, yet it is not a disruption to the routine when they are not at the show. With our inclusive tuition model your dancer will still receive a costume like their dance friends. The Arabesque Academy preschool performance and graduation is also optional and simply mark the commitment form if you are not able to be a part of the ceremony. The Sampler Series does not have a traditional performance; however the final day of the session is an in-studio observation day.

For group classes, yes, our tuition scale is based on the hours of lessons your entire family dances. This way the discount is already built into our fees. The annual registration fee is $35 for a single student, $40 for the family. That is paid per season, per family, not per dancer or per class. Private lessons are not discount and are priced per dancer. In the event your children need 4 or more costumes you will receive a monthly discount. See the discount section of the tuition page for more information.

We take students ages 3 and up! The best time to start dance is when your child is able to enter the studio by themselves and begin learning in a classroom like setting. They need to be potty trained, able to listen and follow directions (age appropriately) and be able to participate in class without a parent in the room. The age is different for each child. We believe it’s never too late to dance! We offer teen and adult classes as well.

Photography during most theatrical performances (dance and theatre) is traditionally prohibited; however, we make an exception at our June performances and allow parents to video tape and photograph their child’s performance. We do ask that you turn off your flash as a courtesy to the performers and other audience members. Please keep aisle clear and do not obstruct another audience member’s view. Nutcracker And Spring Ballet parents are asked to video the Dress Rehearsal instead of the performance.

We do not share or sell any of our clients information with any 3rd party.