Student Handbook
2024 – 2025
We inspire the love for dance, encourage artistic expression, and increase accessibility of dance and performance.
Attendance & Punctuality
Please submit an absence through the student’s DSP account to notify the front desk if a dancer will not be able to attend class. You can make up a class (up to 3 classes per semester, and must be made up within the same semester) Please contact the front desk to schedule a make-up class. Make-up classes must be in the same dance form at the same or lower level as the missed class. Accelerate! classes may be made up in Intermediate 1 for ballet or level 1 for other dance forms.
No tuition credits or refunds will be given for absences or missed classes.
Make-up classes are not allowed for pre-scheduled Holidays, Studio closures, scheduled rehearsals for CCD productions, and unexpected closures, due to inclement weather or other unforeseen events. To ensure all students are well prepared for the Annual Showcase, between May 5th and May 28th, 2025, dancers may not have any absences in a single class, including classes held Friday and Saturday on Memorial Day Weekend—no exceptions (CCD will be closed on Monday, May 26 only). Participation in the dress rehearsals are absolutely mandatory.
Due to risk of injury, students may be asked to observe if they arrive more than 10 minutes late to class. This is for your student’s safety.
Dress Code
Please check our webpage for the Dress Code. All items can be purchased or ordered through Boulder Body Wear. Students may use the dress code with which you identify, and need to be consistent throughout the entire year.
Students MUST be in the 2024/2025 dress code in ALL classes and rehearsals, and we encourage higher level students to have multiple sets. Advanced students will have Dress Code Free Saturdays during classes ONLY.
Students may not be able to participate in the classes if not able to have the correct dress code. (After September 1, 2024)
Dance shoes should NEVER be worn outside, and these include all shoes students wear for all classes. Skirts may not be worn in ballet/pointe class. They are optional for Pre-Professional Ballet and Variation Classes.
We are happy to make necessary alterations to this dress code for religious purposes. Please speak with the front desk to make arrangements.
Accessories
Watches, bracelets, necklaces, and large earrings are a safety hazard and are not permitted in class – small, secure earrings are okay. Students who wear necklaces, bracelets, or other jewelry to class will be asked to remove them. CCD is not responsible for jewelry removed during class. Religious accessories, such as hijabs, are permitted. Please speak to the Artistic Director to arrange.
Warm-Up Clothes
‘Warm-ups’ clothes cover up students’ bodies and make it hard for teachers to see their technique and physical needs. Warm-ups are only permitted in class until the end of the third exercise of the class. Warm-ups and other clothing are allowed in classes like Conditioning. See our dress code for style-specific guidelines. Ballet warm-up booties are meant to be worn inside. Students are not allowed to wear these booties into the studio if the booties were worn outside.
A special note for female dancers
Tights serve as underwear beneath their leotards, so be sure to buy dance tights which have a cotton crotch. Underwear inhibits movement, breaks up the lines on the body, and is not allowed under tights. We know this can be a bit of a surprise for younger dancers, but they adjust quickly. If you need advice about dealing with women’s issues around this, please ask for a private conversation with your teacher.
A special note for male dancers
Male students should always wear dance briefs or a dance belt under their tights. These items serve the same purpose as a jockstrap and protect a male dancer from injury. You can purchase dance briefs and dance belts from Boulder Body Wear.
A special note for our transgender and non-binary dancers
You may use the dress code with which you identify. A gender-neutral bathroom/changing area is available and belongings may be stored in our general-purpose lockers. CCD is also committed to continuing to evolve with how we provide a safe space for our transgender community.
Hair Expectations
All dancers should have hair pulled away from the face.
For ballet and ballet-related classes, long hair should be pulled into a secure bun. Bangs must be secured back. Short hair must be kept from the face using clips, barrettes or pins.
For all other dance classes, dancers with short hair should have hair pulled away from the face. Long hair must be pulled into a ponytail. Bangs must be secured back.
Students in the Young Dancers’ Program may wear their hair in ponytails.
We recommend keeping a separate bag with a brush/comb, bobby pins, elastics, clips and hairnets in the dancer’s dance bag, along with hairspray/gel.
If there are ongoing concerns with a student’s hair, they will be asked to sit out of class when not in code.
Needing Help?
We know it can be tricky learning to put hair in a bun, and we are happy to help you. Just ask at the front desk. [Times before and after class can be very busy for the front desk, so please leave adequate time for help with hair.] While we are happy to help, you are responsible for your child’s hair. Please attempt to learn to do the appropriate hairstyle by your 3rd week in classes. Dancers at the Advanced level should know how to do their own hair, so practice should begin at the Intermediate 3 level.
Student Expectations
We ask our students to raise their hands to ask questions or make an observation. We ask our students to:
Conduct yourself at all times in a positive, cooperative way and follow the rules of the school.
Give your full attention to the teacher in class without socializing.
Stand tall and proud with your hands to yourself – hanging/leaning on the barre and touching the mirrors and stereo equipment are not allowed.
Ask your instructor for permission if you need to sit down or leave the room. Please use the restroom before class to avoid leaving class for bathroom breaks.
Students may not enter a studio without the permission of a teacher.
Show respect and encouragement for all fellow dancers in the school.
Act as a role model for younger dancers.
Please do not run through hallways.
Do not use, touch, or play with others’ belongings without permission.
Observing Classes
Minimal distractions are essential for an optimal classroom experience. Therefore, viewing windows are kept closed during all classes, with the exception of viewing weeks.
Viewing weeks are the first full week of every month and are listed on our school calendar, as well as our monthly newsletter. Parents are welcome to observe through the observation windows during viewing weeks.
Please “check in” from time to time, rather than standing at the window for the full length of the class to avoid crowding or blocking hallways.
Do not pull chairs or other furniture up to windows.
Our walls are not soundproof – please keep conversations quiet while observing.
Class instructors must give permission to photograph classes. Video recording is also at the discretion of the instructor, and should only be used for rehearsal purposes.
Entering and exiting the building
Dancers must wear ‘cover-ups’ (sweats or street clothes) over their dance clothes anytime they are entering and exiting the building or any event with CCD. Most dancers are or will become comfortable wearing dance wear here in our building, but it is customary to add layers when coming and going or to change in the dressing room, for physical health, personal safety, and community safety.
Use of Facility
Use the dressing rooms for changing – do not change in the restrooms.
A gender-neutral bathroom/changing area is available, and belongings may be stored in our all-gender lockers.
Parents of young dancers, please help your dancers change in the dressing rooms – do not change in the lobby or hallway.
Dads with daughters and moms with sons who need help dressing – please use the family restroom as needed.
If the teacher is not in the studio, dancers must wait quietly in the hallway until they arrive.
Food & Drink
Please be sure to eat healthy meals and snacks prior to arriving for class.
No food and drinks are allowed in the dressing room. Please have your snacks and drinks in the lobby area.
No gum, candy, or food inside the studios.
No drinks except for water bottles inside the studios.
Personal Belongings
Keep all personal belongings including cell phones in tidy order and keep the dressing room and lobby neat.
Mark all belongings (including shoes and dance bags) with your full name.
Do not use, take, or touch others’ belongings without permission.
Leave all valuable items and large amounts of money at home to avoid any risk of loss or theft.
Colorado Conservatory of Dance is not liable for lost, stolen, or damaged personal property.
Lost and Found
Unclaimed clothing items are collected nightly and added to the lost and found box, located in the cabinet between Studio 3 and the Front Desk, as that is where there is adequate space to do so.
Valuable items and pointe shoes are held at the front desk.
Unclaimed items will be donated to charity monthly.
