2025-2026 STARLIGHT DANCE TEAM

NOW CAST FOR THE 2025-2026 SEASON!

MISS AUDITIONS? IT’S NOT TOO LATE TO JOIN!

CONTACT MISS SHELBY- DANCE DIRECTOR

DANCEWITHSTARLIGHTSHELBY@GMAIL.COM

Starlight Dance Teams have been cast for the upcoming 2025-2026 season! Cast lists are posted HERE, scroll down to find them! Don’t forget to RSVP for your spot by JUNE 6TH, 2025.

Use this button to reserve your spot:

Missed auditions, but still want to dance with Starlight? No worries! Contact our Dance Director, Miss Shelby to schedule a private audition, and fill out the forms using the two buttons below. We would still love to have you!

Note: All dancers cast on Starlight Dance Team are required to participate in their team’s Dance Intensive this summer.

Here is the link

(the link is not active but will be soon!)

WHAT IS DANCE TEAM?

Starlight Dance Team is an artistic, competitive sports team! With multiple teams competing in various dance styles, we have a team for every dancer. Offering a variety of levels, teams are specially tailored to correspond with and support dancers in their current developmental stages. Rehearsal times vary from 1/2-2 hours per week for each team. Beginning dancers with little to no experience start out competing on our Nebula, Luna, or Showstopper teams. Nebula is our brand new beginners team for petite and mini dancers. Nebula will focus on building a strong technical dance foundation, and helping these dancers gain exposure to the world of competitive dance. Luna team is our open style team, and Showstopper is our musical theatre dance team. These teams help students gain experience with various styles of dance, and begin learning the importance of expression and storytelling in song and movement. From there, dancers move up to be cast on our Galaxy production team. Galaxy includes all intermediate and advanced dancers, and incorporates multiple styles of dance. routines use numerous artistic and technical elements to create one big, bold cohesive story or theme. As dancers continue to advance from year to year, they will have the opportunity to receive castings on multiple intermediate and advanced teams in addition to the Galaxy team. These opportunities give our dance team members an education that focuses on building their skills, technique and overall confidence throughout the years. 

Teams will begin with intensives in Summer 2025, regular rehearsals in August and/or September 2025, and performances and competitions roughly once a month from December 2025 to June of 2026.  Team members are charged a monthly fee (partial, need-based scholarships available) to cover required classes, choreography, staffing, and registration/admission to our various events throughout the season. Enrollment in more than one class, in addition to team rehearsals, may be required depending on the team or teams a dancer is placed on. Our musical theatre program & classes are considered separate and are not covered under dance team fees. The cost of required classes for each team are included in monthly dance team fees. Dancers on intermediate and above teams receive unlimited dance classes with their team fees!

Teams perform at multiple non-competitive shows, 4-5 competitions, take part in 1 dance convention, dance in a parade, and have dance team exclusive end-of-the-year events!  We have several teams to accommodate all budgets, lifestyles and skill levels, so please do not be discouraged if you are a beginner or have other time constraints outside of Starlight. Our teams accommodate beginning through advanced, pre-professional dancers for ages 5 through 19.  Each dancer receives a team uniform and one high quality costume per competition routine included in their monthly dance team fee. All dance team members have access to an exclusive team backpack and rhinestoned jacket, which are worn to competitions by all team members during the season (new members required to purchase separately).

WHAT MAKES STARLIGHT DANCE TEAM SPECIAL?

Our dancers are confident and empowered in their bodies. Despite industry norms, we passionately believe that when children dance it should be in costumes, to music, and performing moves that are age appropriate and do not showcase tiny bodies in adult ways. All body types are welcome here.

Starlight Dance Team is unlike any other team sport your dancer could participate in. We are a community of artists who seek to always uplift, respect, and strengthen one another. Your dancer will build bonds at Starlight that can last a lifetime.

Not only will your dancer receive high-quality technical training from our qualified faculty, they will learn leadership and teamwork skills, develop their work ethic and discipline, and build strong self-esteem when training with Starlight.

TRANSPARENT PRICING

Dance team fees are charged monthly and cover many of the things your dancer needs to compete with us throughout the entire season. Through monthly team fees, we provide dancers with: team rehearsals, unlimited technique classes, access to expert and individualized coaching, non-competitive performance opportunities, specialized dance team merchandise, competition media, team building experiences, and exclusive dance team only events.

NEW THIS SEASON: For our 25-26 season, Starlight has lowered our monthly fees for all families and created a separate package which includes all competition fees, costume fees, media for 3 of 4 competitions, and new uniforms! Our competition fees bundle is a lump-sum package of one time costs per dancer, which will be charged in two installments at the beginning of the season. This will allow us to keep families monthly cost down, while also letting us order costumes and uniforms much earlier than in previous seasons. This gives us a chance to get these items to your dancer right away, without anyone worrying when they will arrive!

Our competitors price these items out individually, with large markups, for a profit. Our Dance Director, Miss Shelby, came from a single parent household where having random, high fees charged throughout the season put financial strain on their family. With the support of our owner, Chelsea Gaskin, Miss Shelby has helped to set Starlight apart from other studios and make dance more accessible for all families! Starlight does this by:

• Creating a pricing strucutre with up front costs for all team related fees. No surprise fees during the season!

• Bundling those dance team costs into TWO packages; one monthly team fee charged throughout the season, and one competition fees bundle for one time costs, charged in two installments.

• Monthly fees include: ALL required classes, + UNLIMITED CLASSES FOR ALL intermediate and above teams, Dance Team Tee Shirt, Costs for first aid etc. for Team Parents, Staff pay for classes, staff pay for Portion of Comp that includes large group numbers, hotels for staff to be present for large group numbers, general admin fees, class tuition, and team tuition.

• Competition Fess Bundle includes: Uniform fee, Competition Group Entry Fees ($90 per routine x 4 competitions) (includes entry fee which ranges from $65 - $75 per comp plus the admin time spent entering routines and communicating with comp and part of the cost of teachers hours at the competition), Media Fees for 3 of our 4 competitions, and Costume Fees per routine (includes accessories and simple props).

With our upfront and honest pricing, no parent or guardian will be overwhelmed by last-minute, surprise fees associated with our events. Our parents can confidently budget for their families throughout the season, knowing and trusting that their dancer is taken care of. We understand that your dancer’s education and performance opportunities are a big investment. Your dance team fees help Starlight make the art of dance and the competitive dance world more accessible for our whole community. We greatly appreciate your investment in your dancers and in us!

Please note: Rookies are subject to some separate costs at the beginning of their first dance team season. These costs are associated with small odds and ends that Veterans typically already have from previous competitive years with Starlight and do not need to be repurchased seasonally. These are costs for items such as a Dance Team jacket and backpack. All dancers are subject to these occasional odds and ends, if or whenever needed throughout their seasons with us.

NEW 2025/2026 SEASON:

MULTIPLE LEVELS

TO MEET YOU AT YOURS

Dancers are placed according to their skill level, experience, and desired level of commitment. Dancers on all teams will rehearse once a week for each team they are cast on. Rehearsals are 30 minutes long for all teams, with the exception of our production (Galaxy) and advanced teams, who rehearse for 1-2 hours each week. Any dancer cast on intermediate and above level teams should expect to have one and a half hours minimum of rehearsal time each week (ex. a dancer placed on Luna will need to rehearse with Luna for 1/2 hour weekly & Galaxy for 1 hour weekly).

For a schedule of rehearsals and list of required classes, please see our chart below!

Dance team levels are as follows:

NEBULA, LUNA, AND ALL NEW SHOWSTOPPER TEAMS: NOVICE | Beginner friendly; NEBULA is our brand new, 2025-2026 petite and minis beginners team! Nebula is for younger, novice dancers. Dancers on our new Nebula team will be required to take one 45 minute technique class and participate in one 30 minute rehearsal every week. Nebula dancers are not included in our Galaxy Production routine, but Starlight will treat them like the little stars they are nonetheless! LUNA is our advanced beginners team, for dancers who may be older than those cast on Nebula, but still having little previous dance experience. SHOWSTOPPER is our all new, cross-over musical theatre dance/song & dance team! Previously apart of Starlight’s Theatre company only, Showstopper has the honor of becoming the very first team to function within our dance team structure, while still having the opportunity to perform at MTCA! It’s perfect for performers who love both the art of dance and vocals!

GALAXY, ZENITH, POLARIS, EQUINOX, COMET AND SOLSTICE TEAMS: INTERMEDIATE | Any dancers cast on our Intermediate and Advanced teams are required to compete on our GALAXY Production team, in addition to their intermediate and/or advanced teams. Dancers who do not accept their castings on Galaxy will be ineligible for our intermediate and advanced teams. Galaxy team rehearsals meet once a week for one hour, with rehearsal tuition being FREE for all dancers!

All dancers with some previous dance experience who are cast on Galaxy and accept their roles will be eligible for casting on an Intermediate team. Each of our Intermediate teams focuses on a different style of dance. We offer teams in the styles of: Jazz (POLARIS), Tap (EQUINOX), and Acro/Gymnastics (ZENITH). at the Intermediate level. Our COMET (Hip Hop) and SOLSTICE (Lyrical) teams are new for the 25-26 season and will give dancers the opportunity to compete in even more styles this upcoming season! Placement on intermediate teams will require some prior dance experience, and is not based on age. Intermediate team placement will be based on technical skill level. Dancers will need to meet a set of technical skill requirements for placement on each of these teams. Intermediate teams will meet for rehearsals once a week for half an hour per each team. Intermediate dancers are required to take assigned technique classes in addition to attending all team rehearsals. All required classes will be scheduled according to team castings, and failure to enroll in required technique classes will result in a dancer’s eligibility for intermediate teams being revoked.

SUPERNOVA ENSEMBLE, SUPERNOVA JUNIORS & SUPERNOVA SENIORS: ADVANCED, PRE-PROFESSIONAL | Dancers with higher technical skill levels and/or more experience have the opportunity to be cast in our SUPERNOVA ENSEMBLE. These dancers will receive advanced, pre-professional level training. Supernova Ensemble dancers must accept their roles on Galaxy and Supernova Select teams to remain eligible for this level of training during the 25-26 season. Supernova is not for the faint of heart! We recommend this level for serious dancers who are interested in continuing their dance journey beyond their school years, and those aiming to become professional dancers. However, we are open to (and very excited about) casting dancers on this team who can show us their dedication and commitment to leveling up their dance training! Casting in our Supernova Ensemble can be achieved by having exceptional work ethic, self motivation, discipline, exemplary class and rehearsal etiquette, strong devotion to the team and fellow team members, and a true passion for artistry showcased through movement.

Supernova Ensemble consists of one large group of dancers, competing one routine together in a style of the Dance Director’s choosing. The full ensemble is then broken down into smaller select groups, our Supernova Junior and Senior teams. Select group placement is not based on age, but rather a variety of factors that prioritize a more refined grouping of strengths and individual styles within each team. Participation in one of Supernova’s select groups is required to be eligible for the ensemble number. SUPERNOVA JUNIOR AND SENIOR teams will each compete one routine of their own, in addition to the full ensemble routine, for a total of two Supernova routines in the 25-26 season. Supernova Ensemble dancers have the greatest time commitment, with rehearsals meeting once a week for 1 hour each week. Supernova Juniors/Seniors rehearse bi-weekly for one hour, immediately following Ensemble rehearsals, and alternating rehearsal weeks with the opposite group. Supernova dancers will be required to take the most technique classes per week out of all of Starlight’s Dance Team levels. For the 25-26 season, Supernova Ensemble members will now also get the chance to compete on any Intermediate team they are cast on, in addition to their Supernova teams. As a Supernova Ensemble member, dancers will compete in multiple routines of various styles and receive our highest level of personalized training.

IS THIS A BIG COMMITMENT?

Yes, Starlight Dance Team requires a significant time and financial investment. We love all dancers and want this art to be accessible for all! At the same time, Starlight Dance Team is a competitive team sport. Arguments about dance as a sport aside, the world of competitive dance is essentially a big club sport and should be treated as such. While Starlight Dance Team staff works extremely hard to accommodate dancers who participate in various activities, it is difficult on our teams, choreographers, and our community to have dancers with us who are inconsistent, or that cannot definitively commit to participating for the whole season. If having weekly evening and monthly weekend time commitments (for rehearsals and competitions) are not feasible for your dancer, we understand. In that case, we recommend joining our recreational dance program! Our recreational dancers get access to all the same highly qualified faculty members our team dancers have, with classes that are catered to the fun, enjoyment, and art of dance. Plus, recreational dancers have the chance to train in styles of dance that our teams currently do not offer! For our 25-26 season, Starlight will offer classes based on level, not on age. We plan to add numerous classes to our schedule that will be offered exclusively to our recreational dancers! If our teams don’t seem like a good fit for your dancer, their love of dance and quality of training do not have to be sacrificed.

For dancers that are ready to take the leap into this wild world, who love their weekly team commitments, and can’t wait to cheer for their friends at every competition, we are thrilled to have you! Each of our teams will hold rehearsal once per week, with slight variation in rehearsal duration based on team level. Starlight holds team rehearsals throughout the school week on different days. With our classes and rehearsals spread out, we are bound to have a team that can work for any dancer’s schedule. All team members are required to take weekly technique classes, and perform at an average of one event per month. Regardless of team level, we expect our team members to consistently show up for classes and rehearsals, and give their full dedication to this craft. We understand that we are asking our team members to work extremely hard and dedicate a significant amount of time to us. That level of hard work and dedication is what’s needed to be apart of this program, and ultimately teaches our dancers skills which they’ll carry with them into the rest of their lives.

As a Starlight Dance Team member, your presence will be known throughout our community as our ambassadors. Team members should be prepared to always behave in ways that model love, kindness, and respect for all-inside and outside the studio, online, and in their daily lives. We cast dancers who are willing to show up to every class, rehearsal, competition and performance presenting the best of themselves that they can be. Our dancers need to be punctual, attentive, and passionate individuals who are working diligently on their artistry, so all members can trust and depend on one another.   

So, is this a big commitment? Yes! Being on Starlight Dance Team is a major responsibility for a developing artist. But for those eager to create lifetime bonds, hone and refine their skills, and express their artistry through movement with like-minded peers, we are confident Starlight Dance Team will become your home.    

WHY JOIN?

Becoming a better dancer is only a fraction of what our team members gain from being a part of Dance Team.  This is a safe, welcoming environment, where our dancers will build a community with one another and develop lifelong friendships.  Dancers learn discipline and focus, build strong bodies, self confidence, positive body images and a healthy relationship with themselves. 

NOTE FROM OUR OWNER, MISS CHELSEA: “Imagine mixing the teamwork and commitment of a sport, with the vulnerability of a physical art, and you’ll get a good idea of the sense of community these kids build together.”

SOLOS/DUETS/TRIOS

REHEARSALS for 2025-2026 Season

CALENDAR AND SCHEDULE

Saturday, June 7th: Orientation/Welcome Mixer & SOLO/DUO/TRIO AUDITIONS

Everyone cast on Dance Team must attend this mandatory orientation / welcome mixer Saturday June 7th. Time and details will be posted ASAP! All dancers must attend with at least one parent. Additional parents and siblings are welcome. Orientation will be followed directly by solo/duo/trio auditions for interested veteran dance team members who are returning to team from the 24-25 season!

Dance Team Intensives: Running June 9th-August 8th!

Students are REQUIRED to attend. Dancers will learn their team routines for the season in these intensives, with the exceptions of Nebula and Supernova Select Teams. Specific week assignments per team will be posted here ASAP!

GALAXY

LUNA

POLARIS

ZENITH

EQUINOX

COMET

SOLSTICE    

SUPERNOVA ENSEMBLE

REGULAR REHEARSALS & REQUIRED CLASSES DAYS AND TIMES

Our regular season always begins the Tuesday after Labor Day. This season, dancers will be assigned by level into their required classes. Dancers will not be able to choose different classes to fulfill requirements. However, dancers are encouraged to take as many classes as they’d like to on top of their required classes!

SOLSTICE: MONDAYS 4:00pm-4:30pm

REQUIRED CLASSES:

• LVL 1/2 OR 2/3 Ballet Fridays (instructor assigned)

• LVL 1/2 OR 3/4 Kicks, Leaps and Turns Mondays (instructor assigned)

• LVL 2/3 Lyrical Mondays OR LVL 3/4 Lyrical Tuesdays (instructor assigned)

POLARIS: MONDAYS 5:15pm-5:45pm

REQUIRED CLASSES:

• LVL 1/2 OR 2/3 Ballet Fridays (instructor assigned)

• LVL 1/2 OR 3/4 Kicks, Leaps and Turns Mondays (instructor assigned)

• LVL 2/3 Jazz Funk Mondays (instructor assigned)

COMET: MONDAYS 6:30pm-7:00pm

REQUIRED CLASSES:

• LVL 1/2 OR 2/3 Ballet Fridays (instructor assigned)

• LVL 1/2 OR 3/4 Kicks, Leaps and Turns Mondays (instructor assigned)

• LVL 2/3 Jazz Funk Mondays (instructor assigned)

• LVL 2/3 Hip Hop Tuesdays OR 3/4 Hip Hop Wednesdays

EQUINOX: MONDAYS 7:45pm-8:15pm

REQUIRED CLASSES:

• LVL 1/2 OR 2/3 Ballet Fridays (instructor assigned)

• LVL 1/2 OR 3/4 Kicks, Leaps and Turns Mondays (instructor assigned)

• LVL 2/3 Tap Mondays (instructor assigned)

SHOWSTOPPER: WEDNESDAYS 6:00pm-6:30pm

REQUIRED CLASSES:

• LVL 1/2 OR 3/4 Kicks, Leaps and Turns Mondays (instructor assigned)

• 1 weekly vocal lesson, private lesson with Miss Jaimee or group class accepted

SUPERNOVA ENSEMBLE: WEDNESDAYS 6:30pm-7:30pm

REQUIRED CLASSES:

• LVL 1/2 OR 2/3 Ballet Fridays (instructor assigned)

• LVL 1/2 OR 3/4 Kicks, Leaps and Turns Mondays (instructor assigned)

• LVL 3/4 Jazz Tuesdays (instructor assigned)

• LVL 3/4 Lyrical Tuesdays (teens in theatre excused early for rehearsal)

• LVL 3/4 Contemporary Thursdays (instructor assigned)

SUPERNOVA JUNIORS/SENIORS: ALTERNATING WEDNESDAYS 7:30pm-8:30pm

• SUPERNOVA SENIORS ONLY REQUIRED, JUNIORS STRONGLY ENCOURAGED- LVL 3/4 Choreography, Composition, and Filming Wednesdays

LUNA: THURSDAYS 4:45-5:15pm

REQUIRED CLASSES:

• LVL 1/2 Ballet Fridays (instructor assigned)

• LVL 1/2 Acro Thursdays

ZENITH: THURSDAYS 6:00-6:30pm

REQUIRED CLASSES:

• LVL 1/2 OR 2/3 Ballet Fridays (instructor assigned)

• LVL 1/2 OR 3/4 Kicks, Leaps and Turns Mondays (instructor assigned)

• LVL 3/4 Acro Thursdays

• LVL 3/4 Partnering & Tricks Thursdays

NEBULA: FRIDAYS 4:15pm-4:45pm

REQUIRED CLASS:

• LVL 1 Jazz/Tumbling Fridays

• Package includes up to 1 more class of dancer’s choice!

GALAXY: FRIDAYS 5:00pm-6:00pm

REQUIRED CLASSES:

• LVL 2/3 Ballet Fridays (instructor assigned)

• LVL 1/2 OR 3/4 Kicks, Leaps and Turns Mondays (instructor assigned)

• See our Calendar Page for details on studio closures and holidays

CAST LISTS

CONGRATULATIONS to our new 2025-2026 dance teams!

NOVICE TEAMS

NEBULA DANCE TEAM

COMING AFTER SEPTEMBER 2025!

INTERMEDIATE TEAMS

ADVANCED TEAM

PRICES for 2025-2026 Season

New this year and included in tuition: Costume, photo and uniform fees are charged in their own separate bundle! Bundling these together includes your new uniform, all your costumes for dance teams, photo/video packages for recital and three of the competitions and all entrance fees. Click here for a detailed accounting of exactly what is included in your tuition

Not included in tuition: shoes, tights, team jacket (if you need a new one), team backpack (if you need a new one), $75 costume fee per recreational class that performs in the recital and you keep the costume, solo/duo/trio fees.

**If we plan a large optional trip to somewhere exciting it will be an optional separate item. OUR TRIP THIS YEAR WILL BE TITANS OF DANCE CONVENTION IN SANTA CLARA! DATE NOV. 9TH, 2025.

Team Fees

1st payment for both monthly fees and Competition Fees bundle due by August 1st.

Part 2 payment of the Competition Fees bundle is due by September 1st.

ONE TEAM: $149/mo, Competition Fees $664 one time fee, split into two installments.

TWO TEAMS: $289/mo, Competition Fees $1,124 one time fee, split into two installments.

ADDITIONAL TEAMS: $50/mo, Competition Fees $460/per routine one time fee, split into two installments. *Note- each additional routine a dancer competes in would be considered a “team”. Ex., dancers on Supernova would be subject to these additional fees.

ATTENDANCE POLICY

Dance Team is the ultimate team activity. It is so important that everyone is at all their rehearsals. It is impossible to adequately rehearse choreography when a dancer is missing. Please list ALL known absences and conflicts on the conflict sheet. All conflicts must be turned in BY orientation to be considered excused. No new conflicts will be accepted. Please take the time to check all scheduled sports, school conflicts, family activities, etc. when listing your conflicts.

HOW TO REPORT AN ABSENCE

• ALL absences, whether excused or not, must be reported in the conflict sheet through our website EVEN IF you told the teacher in person or through other means. If it is not reported on the sheet BEFORE the class or rehearsal starts, you will be removed from the material addressed in class at that time, even if the absence would have been excused.

EXCUSED ABSENCES

• Anything (up to 3) that is turned in on the conflict sheet by Orientation

• Medical Emergency or severe illness reported at least an hour before class starts. Severe illness is considered to be when a dancer is actively vomiting or has a fever at or above 101.4 degrees. **MUST HAVE DOCTOR’S NOTE. Photos of thermometers with random temperatures will not be accepted as proof of sickness, and will result in the absence being unexcused.**

• Family Emergency reported at least an hour before class starts (Requires a phone call from parent to teacher and detailed information)

• Unavoidable School Conflict that will impact your grade (requires a letter from the teacher on school letterhead that details the time and day of the conflict, the fact that missing it will hurt the student’s grade and the date the student was informed of this conflict. Note that the date must show that student alerted Starlight teacher of the conflict as soon as possible. (We simply do not believe that you found out two days before your Christmas concert that you had a Christmas concert and the teacher won’t let you miss it.)

UNEXCUSED ABSENCES

• Everything in excess of 3 excused absences

• Non-emergency Doctors/Dentists/Orthodontist appointments (please schedule them on a different day)

• Spontaneous family vacations or dinners (please schedule them in advance)

  • Any student with more than 3 Late/Unexcused absences may be benched from performances or competitions and understudies assigned to your role.

• If you were throwing up / had a high fever (above 101.4 degrees) in the last 24 hours, DO NOT COME TO CLASS. If you are able, find a friend to facetime you in. Otherwise, you may still be asked to do an alternative assignment as a makeup for the missed material.

NEVER ACCEPTED

• Any absence in the 7 days before a competition or performance (these are mandatory, no exceptions)

• Any absence during a competition or performance

REPERCUSSIONS

• After 1 unexcused absence, your dancer may be moved to the back of the formation for that section of choreography, or removed entirely from the formation for the section of choreography that was rehearsed on the date they were absent.

• After 2 unexcused absences, your child will be removed from any routines that rehearsed on the day they missed and a parent/student/teacher meeting will be scheduled to discuss the unexcused absences.

• After 3 unexcused absences, your dancer will be removed from Starlight Dance Team.

  WE ARE NO LONGER MAKING EXCEPTIONS IN THIS AREA. PLEASE GIVE OUR TIME AND YOUR TEAMMATE’S TIME THE SAME LEVEL OF RESPECT WE GIVE YOU. FAILURE TO DO SO WILL RESULT IN YOUR REMOVAL FROM TEAM FOR THE 25-26 SEASON, WITH CAREFUL CONSIDERATION OF CASTING IN THE FOLLOWING SEASON, SHOULD YOU CHOOSE TO AUDITION.

OUR MUTUAL RESPECT AND UNDERSTANDING

• We are imperfect, and we understand that you are too. We will work with you and we do not punish or hold to strict rules for fun. Respect our time, communicate early and often and we will do our best to help and understand. We understand that unavoidable things will come up and we will try to make them work when you come to us early. But please, treat us with respect and treat the program like the serious, pre-professional program that it is. Do not wait until the last minute to communicate a conflict you have known about for ages, do not lie about conflicts or schedule other events or trips during our rehearsals. They are precious to us.

MAKING UP FOR MISSED MATERIAL

Regardless of excused or not, if you miss a rehearsal it is your responsibility to reach out to your peers and learn the missed material BEFORE the next rehearsal. A dancer’s eligibility to continue in certain sections of a routine, or even dance with their team at all, is impacted by how they respond to their own absences. Failure to learn missed material could result in a dancer being pulled from the section of choreography that they missed, or being benched entirely from upcoming performances and competitions. If you know in advance that you will be out of town, reach out to a peer and make sure they record the material for you. Please do your best to attend rehearsals when you don’t feel well or when you don’t feel like dancing; if you are not actively vomiting or have a high grade fever, you are needed in rehearsal. Wear a mask or take other measures if you feel uncomfortable or uncertain about your sickness status, but do not make your team suffer because you “didn’t feel like it today”.

MEDICAL AND/OR MENTAL HEALTH POLICY

If a medical, emotional or psychological emergency  of any kind occurs in the 90 minutes before a performance is scheduled to start (meaning if at any point, however briefly, during said 90 minutes, that performer is incapacitated or would have been incapable of executing their role onstage) then the following will occur. 

• Regardless of whether the performer deems themselves ready by the time the show is scheduled to start, the performer WILL NOT be allowed to perform in that performance. 

• The performer may rejoin the cast for (if some remain) any remaining performances in the run of the show if they are in good health. 

• For all performances, there will be one staff member designated to be the “Emergency Lead” during any such an event. That Emergency Lead shall have the ONLY and FINAL say over a performer’s eligibility to perform and cannot be overruled by staff, performers or parents. 

• The Emergency lead may choose to make a reasonable exception to the rule ONLY if the student is absolutely 100% fully recovered and a medical or mental health professional unrelated to the performer has assessed the performer and given approval. 

• If an understudy is available or accommodations can be made to allow the performance to continue without the performer then all best attempts will be made to do so, but in the event that the performer is irreplaceable, it is Starlight’s firm policy that the health and safety of our performers is more important than any performance and we will cancel a performance if necessary. 

• If a student/performer has a known condition that may interfere with their ability to perform, Starlight invites them to develop a plan in collaboration with staff in advance of any performance or event and that any accommodations or plans negotiated in advance and approved by the studio owner will be shared with staff and the emergency lead and may supersede this policy. 

BEHAVIOR/SAFETY/BULLYING POLICY

Starlight is, above all, a SAFE PLACE and we take any violations of that safety very seriously. We do not tolerate bullying, violence, cruelty or slander of our students, staff, community or studio.

UNACCEPTABLE BEHAVIORS

• Physical violence or agression - pushing, poking, kicking, hitting, biting, pinching etc.

• Verbal abuse - name calling, sarcasm, spreading rumors, threats, teasing, belittling.

• Emotional abuse- isolating others, tormenting, threatening gestures, ridicule, humiliation, intimidating, excluding, manipulation and coercion, homophobic comments

• Sexual abuse- unwanted physical contact, inappropriate touching, abusive comments, exposure to inappropriate content

• Online /cyber bullying - posting cruel things on social media, sharing photos, sending nasty text messages

• Vandalism/Theft/Intentionally damaging property

• Slander - sharing information whether online, text, social media or in person that is intentionally cruel or damaging to others or the studio.

REPERCUSSIONS

• First offense:

  • Student is spoken to by teacher and asked to sit out.

  • Parent is informed, a formal note is sent home and must be returned, signed by student and a parent before participating again. Note includes clear explanation of what happened and requires student to write out their version and exactly what they promise to do moving forward 

• Second offense

  • Student is spoken to by teacher and asked to sit out.

  • Parent is informed, a formal note is sent home and must be returned, signed by student and a parent before participating again. Note includes clear explanation of what happened and requires student to write out their version and exactly what they promise to do moving forward 

  • Student must write an essay about what Starlight community means to that student, why their behavior is a violation to everyone in the community and how it impacts the others in their. community. Essay may be required to be read in front of the class

  • Parent is called to come in to speak to the teacher and studio owner to discuss the behavior in person.

• Third offense:

  • Student is benched from performing at next event (but still required to attend, in uniform)

• Fourth offense:

  • Student is dismissed from company and ineligible to return

    
    
    

  ***At Teachers/Dance Director’s/Studio Owner’s discretion depending on the severity of the offense, several of these steps may be skipped. NOTE: ANY behavior involving weapons, serious bodily harm or sexually exploitative behavior/touching will result in immediate expulsion.