ADULT CLASSES
GENERAL INFORMATION
OBT offers a wide variety of opportunities for adults who would like to begin or continue their study of dance. Classes take place in the professional studios of OBT and are taught by experienced Teaching Artists who are committed to adult education.
Age Requirements
**NEW** All students must be 16 years of age or older. Only students from the School of Oregon Ballet Theatre, Level 4 and higher, may be
offered an exception to the age requirement. Any student under the age of 18 years must have a parent/guardian present to sign the release
before class may be taken.
Drop-in Class
Current class rates are listed on the Adult Class Schedule. Students from the School of Oregon Ballet Theatre, who have permission to attend adult class, will be charged $7.00 per drop-in class. We do not offer professional discounts to visiting dancers. Drop-in class students may pay a single class charge or purchase a discounted multiple-class card. All sessions on class cards must be redeemed within **NEW** 2 months for a 5-class card or **NEW** 4 months for a 10-class card, regardless of injury, illness, change in personal schedule, or any other circumstances. There will be no refunds for used or unused sessions on class cards. Once class begins, all class cards will be marked one session, despite partial class attendance (i.e., barre only). Class cards are nontransferable and cannot be shared. For classes that reach maximum capacity, multiple-class cardholders have priority over single-class drop-in students until 5 minutes prior to class. Students should take a trial class ($16; non-refundable) to discern if a class is of an appropriate level. Adult classes are offered at beginning and intermediate levels and are designed for flat shoes. Please speak with your instructor if you wish to take class en pointe. Students will only be considered for pointe work if they have had at least two years of previous instruction en pointe within the last three years. On the basis of safety, a student must defer to the instructor’s discretion regarding pointe shoe use in class. If a drop-in class does not meet an average minimum capacity of 10 students, we reserve the right to cancel. Please check the website weekly for any class cancellations. Maximum capacity of a drop-in class is 35 students.
Workshop
Current workshop rates are listed on the Adult Class Schedule. All workshops require pre-registration by email (leave name, phone number, workshop choice) on a first-come, first-serve basis. If full, a waiting list will be maintained. **NEW** A deposit is not required. Workshop payment is due, in full, on the evening of the first class. No payment plans are accepted. **NEW** As an exception to our thirty-minute arrival rule, please arrive thirty to sixty minutes before the first workshop class to register and pay. After 3 consecutive workshop classes, no new students will be allowed to join a workshop in session unless approved by the instructor after a trial class ($16.00; non-refundable). Workshops will not be pro-rated if a student joins within the three-week window. No refunds or credits will be given for missed workshop classes. **NEW** Beginning Ballet Workshop participants will be allowed to make-up one absence in the evening Ballet 1 drop-in class; we must be notified of the absence and the make-up class date prior to make-up class attendance. Absolute Beginning Ballet Workshop participants do not have a make-up option available. The School of Oregon Ballet Theatre reserves the right to move or remove students to and from workshop levels at the discretion of the instructor. If, after 3 weeks, a workshop does not meet a minimum capacity of 15 students, we reserve the right to cancel. A cancellation by the School of Oregon Ballet Theatre will result in a prorated refund to those affected. Maximum capacity of a workshop is 30 students.
Student Information
It will remain each student’s responsibility to keep the School of Oregon Ballet Theatre updated with current contact information
(email address and/or home or mobile phone numbers). Updated information should be given to the receptionist upon check-in or
sent by email to schoolofobt@obt.org. All students are required to complete a new Adult Class Registration and Release form at the beginning of each Fall term.
Parking
- Parking in our lot is by permit only and is reserved for Oregon Ballet Theatre employee use during business hours. Adult students may not park in the three-sided parking lot, Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM. Please find nearby street parking.
- On Saturday, the lot has no time restrictions and is available to all adult students, School of Oregon Ballet Theatre students, and School of Oregon Ballet Theatre parents with the following restrictions:
- No parking in spaces #17, #18, and #19 (reserved for School of Oregon Ballet Theatre staff).
- No parking in the four Visitor Parking spaces in the front lot.
- No parking in the two Handicapped Parking spaces in the back lot (unless you have a permit to do so).
- In the interest of safety, there will only be one lane of drop-off/pick-up/drive-by traffic. If you need to leave during the School of Oregon Ballet Theatre’s student drop-off or pick-up times (heavy-use times), you may not bypass the traffic lane. You must wait in line until you reach a parking lot exit.
- The School of Oregon Ballet Theatre/Oregon Ballet Theatre staff has authority over all traffic flow and parking lot issues. Please respect any directives given.
Building/Studio Conduct
- Adult students are not to arrive earlier than 30 minutes prior to class and are to depart no later than 15 minutes after class.
- Adult students must sign-in with the School of Oregon Ballet Theatre receptionist. The first and last name must be legibly written on the check-in sheet.
- Only water is allowed in the studio. Absolutely no other drinks or food. Gum is prohibited.
- Please turn off/set to silence or vibrate all cell phones and pagers upon entering the building.
- Our pianos are professionally tuned each month. Unless permission is given, only accompanists may touch, move, or play the pianos.
- Classes are not available for observation by friends or family.
Late Policy
Proper warm-up is necessary for injury prevention. These exercises commence at the beginning of class. Any student arriving 10 or more
minutes late for class will not be admitted. **NEW** Per teacher request, this policy will be strictly enforced.
Dress Code/Personal Hygiene
- Adults may use the downstairs student dressing rooms. Changing is prohibited in the two main floor bathrooms.
- Adults are free to wear comfortable dance attire of their choice. Keep in mind, though, that the instructor needs to see the student’s body’s lines in order to make corrections. Leotards, tights, and skirts are suggested, but are not mandatory. Tighter-fitting yoga clothes are popular choices. Gentlemen, dance belts must be worn with tights, leggings, jazz pants, or sweat pants. Jeans are not acceptable. Instructors reserve the right to require specific attire for their classes. Any such requirement will be noted under the class description. Students not following any instructor-required dress code will be asked to change or leave class.
- Proper dance shoes must be worn at all time. Appropriate dance shoes include ballet slippers, pointe shoes, jazz shoes, or flamenco shoes. Street shoes, lyrical sandals, “cat paws” or other modern dance sole protectors, socks, and bare feet are prohibited in the studios. This footwear policy applies to all adult classes in any discipline, including jazz and modern where bare feet are usually acceptable. Enforcement of this rule is for the safety of all School of Oregon Ballet Theatre students and Oregon Ballet Theatre Company dancers. Any student disobeying this rule will be asked to leave.
- As a courtesy to fellow students, please use deodorant. Offensive personal hygiene will be confidentially addressed and may be grounds for dismissal from class.
- No body lotion or oils are to be worn as they can create slick spots on the floor (via sweat and/or direct body contact).
Injuries
Any injuries occurring on Oregon Ballet Theatre property must be reported to the instructor and/or the receptionist immediately.
Inclement Weather Policy
During weekdays, the School of Oregon Ballet Theatre follows the inclement weather protocol dictated by Portland Public Schools. If the
district cancels academic classes for a particular day, morning and evening classes at the School of Oregon Ballet Theatre will also be
canceled. If the district announces a late start, morning classes will be canceled and evening class status will need to be checked by the
student. All class weather-related cancellations will be noted on the school blog (blog address is below). Saturday information will be posted
on the school blog as well. The small, rectangular blog box is located on the left side of the school’s website, at the top of the page. Click on
the very small orange box to maximize the posting. Depending on the situation, we may try to notify students of cancellations by email or
phone. Our answering phone message may not reflect current information, especially if staff cannot make it in to update the message. The
blog should always remain your first method of notification.
We welcome your comments as we strive to better our Adult Program! Any input will be addressed and/or considered if feasibly possible. Please remember, though, we are constrained by studio space, teacher availability, and the simple economics of low-attendance classes.
