Policies

Our policies

Here you’ll find information about how we run our classes and events, what you can expect from us and what we expect from you so that get the best ballet experience possible!  We will ask you to read this page, as well as our Covid-19 guidance, when you sign up for your first lesson so you can agree to the terms set out when you register. The information applies to anyone taking part in our classes or events and parents or guardians will need to register/give consent where participants are under 16 years old. If you can’t find the information you’re looking for or have any other queries, please get in touch with us using the details on our contact page.

Booking lessons

Classes and events are booked through my fitness class which you can link to here https://completeballet.myfitnessclass.com/or from one of our other pages. You will need to create an account and complete our registration questions (you only need to do this once) before you can book on to classes and events. Spaces in all classes and events are limited, especially due to current covid-19 restrictions, so you must be booked on in advance to secure your place. If you turn up on the day without a booking, we cannot guarantee that there will be a place for you. We appreciate that not everyone is able to book online, so if you have any difficulties, please get in touch with us to make other arrangements.

Paying for lessons

All classes and events must be paid for before you take part. The costs and fees for classes and events are shown on My Fitness Class and you can pay online at the time of booking or pay later at the class by contactless payment. In line-with the government’s current covid-19 guidance, online or contactless payments are preferred to cash but we do still accept it as we appreciate that not everyone is able to pay for lessons online or by card.

Our loyalty card scheme, which allows you to buy a block of 10 lessons at a discounted price, is currently on hold due to the uncertainties that Covid-19 brings. You will not be able to purchase loyalty cards at the moment but if you have one from previous lessons before the lockdown, you can use these as payment for classes now.  

Cancelling classes, non-attendance and refunds

If you have booked on a class or event and are no longer able to attend, you must cancel your booking on my fitness class app no later than 24 hours before it starts and, if you have paid, you will be entitled to a full refund or transfer your booking to another date. If you cancel with less than 24 hours notice, you may be allowed to transfer your booking to another date at our discretion. If you book and pay for a class or event and do not turn up, no refund or alternative will be given. If you hadn’t already paid for the booking, you will be expected to pay for the missed lesson before you can book any more classes or events with us.

Refunds will be made via the original payment method but we would encourage you to transfer your booking to another date if possible. If you have used a class pass or loyalty card as payment for the class, it will be returned to you to be re-used, providing you have given the appropriate notice as set out above.

If we need to cancel a class or event in exceptional circumstances or due to events outside our control (e.g. extreme weather conditions, Covid-19 restrictions), an email will automatically be sent from my fitness class. We will also contact everyone who had booked to arrange a refund or an alternative class.

Attending classes and events

Please arrive ready to start your class on time. If you are late, you may miss important instructions and the warm-up section and risk your own safety and wellbeing. Being late at special events may disrupt the session for other people taking part. We reserve the right to refuse entry to late comers at a class or event and no refund will be given.

A parent or guardian is required to stay in the building for the duration of the lesson where young children are taking part.

Online lessons

Any child participating must have a suitable parent/guardian present, or have their consent to participate in this activity. You must be logged in to your online lesson at least 5 minutes before it is due to start. Ensure that your camera/webcam is on so that the teacher can monitor your progress, however as we are working remotely, it is not always possible to give personal feedback. You can find out more about dancing safely online further down on this page.

Special events

We run a number of special events throughout the year, sometimes open to everyone, sometimes for specific classes or age groups. You can see the types of events we organise on our website and to get details of what’s on, you can subscribe to our newsletter. We also promote them on Facebook and Instagram and list them on My Fitness Class for booking. Our events could be held in a dance studio, theatre, cinema or other location and there may be specific rules or requirements set out which you will be expected to follow, particularly in relation to Covid-19. We ensure that the companies or individuals we select to run special events are appropriately trained or qualified, and the venues we use are safe and appropriate, so you can have a great experience on the day. We welcome feedback and we may email you to ask for your comments and suggestions after an event.

Holidays

Classes and events do not run on public holidays and we will keep you informed of any other dates or holiday periods when our usual classes will be off.

What to wear

For these specific classes, you will need the correct clothing or footwear to take part:

  • Character dance (national and folk dancing classes): Canvas or leather character or dance shoes with cuban or low heel. See some examples
  • Ballet on a ball (Progressing Ballet Technique): Shorts, cropped leggings or convertible ballet tights so that your lower legs can more easily grip the exercise ball used in the class.
  • Royal Academy of Dance examination syllabus classes: A set uniform may be required and details will be provided separately.

For all other classes, we recommend you wear:

  • Comfortable clothing that you can move freely in
  • Your hair tied back from your face
  • Ballet shoes or bare feet (socks may be permitted in some venues where the floor is not slippy)

What to bring

For classes, please bring a bottle of water with you and you may also want to bring an extra layer of clothing to keep warm if necessary. You will be told about props (e.g. scarves, fans) or other equipment used in the class, when you book. We have a couple of classes which require specific equipment and you may not be able to take part without it. These are detailed below. Under current government Covid-19 guidance, it is not possible for any equipment or props to be shared and for some classes, this may mean you are not able to take part if you do not have them with you.

Ballet on a ball -Juniors, Seniors & Advanced (Progressing Ballet Technique) -All dancers will need:

  • A large exercise ball (size depends on the dancers height/age)
  • A small exercises or ‘fusion’ ball
  • A yoga or exercise mat

You can get specific details of the equipment from the Progressing Ballet Technique website here, but please remember, it is only these three items above to begin these classes. You do not leave everything listed.

Adult Ballet Fitness -the last part of the class includes floor work and you will need to bring a yoga or exercise mat with you.

Pointe Class -For foot exercises in the class, you should bring:

  • A resistance/exercise band (a pair of tights or leggings makes a good alternative)
  • A small hand towel
  • A small massage ball -ideally spiky or a foot roller (a rubber toy ball works just as well)

Your health, wellbeing and safety

Your wellbeing and safety in class are very important. Any dance or exercise class has certain risks and the degree of risk depends on your health and physical fitness. When you register for your first class, please provide details of any health problems or medical conditions that you think your teacher needs to be aware of, or anything else that you think is relevant.

You must advise your teacher of any change in your health condition which affects your ability to exercise and if necessary, you should seek further advice from a Doctor. We are trained in first aid and collect emergency contact details for all of our participants. If you haven’t exercised for a while, you should seek medical advice before attending.

In light of the Covid-19 pandemic, we understand that it can be very daunting for some people to attend events and classes with others but please be assured that we follow government guidance to prevent the spread of Covid-19 and minimise the risks. We ask you to follow the procedures that we, or the venues we use, have put in place to ensure you have as safe a class as possible. Anyone who disregard Covid-19 safety measures, such as social distancing, may be asked to leave the class or event and no refund will be given. Please do not attend any classes or events if you have symptoms of Covid-19. You can find out more in our additional Covid-19 guidance.

Dance has huge benefits for mental wellbeing too and you’ll find that we create positive and supportive learning environments in all of our classes and events. We expect anyone taking part to be respectful of others. We do not tolerate bullying or any form of discrimination and anyone displaying these behaviours will be asked to leave the class or event and may be stopped from attending complete ballet activities in the future.

Online classes

Given the nature of these activities, you participate at your own risk and should only do those activities that you consider safe for your own body and the space that you are working in. Before participating, please consider:

  • if you have enough clear space, that is free of obstacles, and suitable to work in safely;
  • that the floor surface is suitable to work on;
  • and that you have footwear appropriate for that surface.

If it’s not included in the session, please warm-up and cool-down appropriately (before and after the session) and do feel free to stop and/or modify activities as necessary.

To help protect particants, our online lessons are held on a secure platform and are only accessible with a private link and password sent directly to the person taking part, or their parent or guardian. These details are not to be shared with anyone else.

Safeguarding

We are DBS checked and trained in safeguarding children and adults at risk of harm and abuse and we will take any reasonable action to safeguard the welfare of participants. Safeguarding others is everyone’s responsibility and if anyone has any concerns, please share them with the teacher.

Our Privacy Policy

We follow General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) to collect, use and share your data appropriately. This section tells you about what information we ask you for and why, and also who we share it with.

How we collect and use your information

We collect your email address when you subscribe so that we can send you details of our events and classes. When you sign up to join a class or event, we ask for personal and sensitive information, such as your:

  • Name
  • Home address
  • Telephone number
  • Date of birth/age
  • Emergency contact details
  • Health or disability information
  • Gender and ethnicity (only for RAD exams)

We only collect the details we need to help ensure your wellbeing and safety in the lessons and to provide you with updates and information that you choose to receive. We do this with your consent. 

Looking after and sharing your information

We keep your information confidential, except in the following circumstances:

  • We share your name, date of birth, gender and ethnicity with the Royal Academy of Dance if you want to be take part in dance examinations
  • We may need to share information, including medical or health information, with emergency services, as required, in emergency situations
  • In light of covid-19, we may be required to share your name and contact details with Test and Trace services or with venues running our classes and events, to help prevent the spread of the disease
  • Where we have concerns someone is at serious risk of harm or abuse, we will share only necessary information with the local authority or police for safeguarding purposes

We use apps and software such as mailchimp, zoom and my fitness class to collect your data and help us organise, promote and run classes and events. We check that these providers, and any others we may use, have policies in place to look after your information.

If you have any questions about how we collect and use your data, please get in touch using the details on our contact page. You can find out more about how the Royal Academy of Dance uses information, on their website www.royalacademyofdance.org/privacy-policy.

Photographs and videos

We may take photographs or videos during our classes or events to help us promote what we do. We may use them on our website, Instagram or Facebook accounts or use them for email campaigns. When you sign up, you will be asked to give your consent for us to do this. You will always be told if photographs or videos are being taken in the lesson or at an event and we will only use the images or video footage of  dancers who have given us their consent. You can change your consent for photography/video at any time in your My Fitness Class account. Following guidance from the Royal Academy of Dance, we do not take photographs or record videos during online sessions involving children.

Cookies

Cookies are text files placed on your computer to collect standard Internet log information and visitor behavior information. When you visit our website, we may collect information from you automatically through cookies or similar technology and use it to improve your experience on our website. For further information, visit allaboutcookies.org.