Hello Everyone,
My name is Karen Prunzik, I am the owner and director of Karen Prunzik's Broadway Dance Studio and Performing Arts in Robinson Twp and I would like to address an important issue that may cause some young parents to shy away from signing their little one up for their first year of dance. REGISTRATION! And the committment to a contract! Especially for a 3 year old! And especially if the committment is for the entire length of the school year...Sept through May. You may think, "But what if my 3 year old doesn't like it after a month?" Or, "What if she or he decides she wants to do gymnastics or t-ball in the spring?" When I first opened my school 4 years ago, my customers paid in full by the semester from Sept-Dec and then again from Jan-May. This seemed to work fine except for one thing. When December rolled around and people had to Re-Register for January, they either forgot to Re-Register or were already too wrapped up in Holiday shopping and the last thing they wanted to do was plunk down a couple hundred dollars for dance lessons. Come January our Registration was down 50% but when classes started, everyone showed up handing us their credit cards. We realized the December Re-Registration was inconvenient and nothing more than a nuisance as everybody had every intention of returning to classes.Therefore, we changed the Registration to a full school year from Sept-May with the option to pay in full for a 10% discount or what most have opted to do, the monthly tuition fee. No more December Re-Registration headaches or financial concerns. Everyone is very happy with this arrangement. Now, let me address the committment concern. You are obligated to a 9 month contract but there are situations now and then that most studios will work with. For instance, if you have to move in January, your money should be refunded. Or if your child cries everytime she comes to the studio, of course, your money should be refunded as it is obvious she is not ready. But.....as one parent told us she was not coming back in March because her daughter wanted to play outside and wanted a refund, this particular incident does not merit a refund.In my experience, it is rare that any 3 or 4 year old child quits half way through. Most stay throughout the school year. My concern with many young children even 3 and 4 year olds is the amount of activities they are involved in and the fact that at such a young age, they are given the power to make decisions for themselves. If a child is dancing for 5 months and suddenly decides she wants to do gymnastics or t-ball, a parent will pull her out of dance without blinking an eye. Where is the committment? And how does a 3 or 4 year old make such a decision for themself? What are they learning if they quit something half way through that they committed to? And where would businesses like mine be if we allowed this to happen on a regular basis? When you join a fitness club for a year you pay whether you go or not. When you join a yearly membership to Sam's Club you pay the fee whether you shop there or not. All around, a 9 month committment to dance class is not as frightening as it sounds. If you are enrolled in a good school where your child is nurtured and learning the art of dance as he or she should be, every penny is worth it. If on the other hand, you are locked into a 9 month contract in a school where you feel you are not getting the services you paid for, that is a different story. Are the classes starting on time? Is your child learning dance steps she can show you at home? Is the studio environment clean and child friendly? Are adults teaching the classes and not young students? These are all things you should be aware of and certainly have the right to break any committment you signed if you feel your child is not getting the service you are paying for. I hope this eases some of your fears of REGISTRATION committment of which I understand wholeheartedly!
Karen Prunzik Owner,
Broadway Dance Studio & Performing Arts
4460 Steubenville PikePittsburgh Pa. 15205412-920-1841
www.prunziksbroadwaydancestudio.com
"Professional Training for the Sincere Student!"
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