General Information
OBT offers a wide variety of opportunities for adults who would like to begin or continue their study of dance and physical fitness. Classes take place in the professional studios of OBT and are taught by experienced faculty members who are committed to adult education. We welcome your comments as we strive to better our Adult Program! Any input will be addressed and/or considered if feasibly possible.
Adult Class Registration and Release Form
All new students are required to complete an Adult Class Registration and Release form. All continuing students are required to complete a new Adult Class Registration and Release form at the beginning of each Fall term.
Age Requirements
All students must be 15 years of age or older. Only students from OBT School, Level 4 and higher, may be offered an exception to the age requirement. All students under the age of 18 years must have the Adult Class Registration and Release signed by a parent/guardian before any class is taken.
Drop-in Classes
Current class rates are listed on the Adult Class Schedule. OBT School students, who have permission to attend adult class, will be charged $10.00 per drop-in class. For professional and former professional dancers we offer a rate of $13 per class. Drop-in class students may pay a single class charge or purchase a discounted, multiple-class card. Class cards have no expiration. 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. Students should take a trial class ($20; non-refundable) to discern if a class is of an appropriate level. Adult classes are offered at an intermediate level only and are designed for flat ballet shoes. Please speak with the instructor if pointe shoe use is desired. Students will be considered for pointe work only if they have had at least two years of previous instruction en pointe within the last three years. Students 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 5 students, we reserve the right to cancel. Maximum capacity of a drop-in class is 20 students.
Workshops
Current workshop rates are listed on the Adult Class Schedule. All workshops are on a first-come, first-serve basis. If full, a waiting list will be maintained. A deposit is not required. Workshop payment is due in full prior to the beginning of the first class of each workshop term. Payment plans are not accepted. Please arrive thirty minutes before the first workshop class to complete registration paperwork and, if necessary, to make payment. Workshops will not be prorated if a student joins within the first three class sessions. New students will not be allowed to join a workshop in session after its third class unless approved by the instructor after a trial class ($20.00; non-refundable). If a student is given permission to join after the initial three weeks, all remaining classes will be prorated. If a student drops out of a workshop due to an injury or illness of more than three weeks, tuition may be prorated to the next workshop of the same level. A doctor’s note will be required. The decision to prorate tuition is at the discretion of the OBT School staff. If a student drops out of a workshop due to personal or work-related conflicts, tuition will not be refunded or prorated to another workshop. There are no exceptions to this policy. Beginning Ballet Workshop students may be allowed to make-up one absence in the Absolute Beginning Ballet Workshop, and Advanced Beginning Ballet Workshop students may be allowed to make-up one absence in the Beginning Ballet Workshop; OBT School staff 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 the option to make-up class available. OBT School 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 5 students, we reserve the right to cancel. A cancellation by OBT School will result in a prorated refund. Maximum capacity of a workshop is 30 students.
Parking
Parking in OBT’s lot is reserved for Oregon Ballet Theatre (OBT) employee use during business hours. Adult students may not park in the lot, Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM – 5:30 PM. Please find nearby street parking.
On Saturday the lot is for pick-up and drop-off use only.
Unless you have a permit to do so, please do not park in the two Handicapped Parking spaces.
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 at the OBT School desk.
Only water is allowed in the studio. Absolutely no other drinks (sports drinks, coffee, etc.) or food are allowed. Gum is prohibited.
Please turn off or silence all electronic devices upon entering the building.
All personal items should be taken into the studio and neatly stored along the front and side walls. Do not store belongings under the center barres. Use of the cubbies across from the restrooms is at each student’s risk. OBT School is not responsible for lost or stolen items.
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.
Class Tardiness
Proper warm-up is necessary for injury prevention. These exercises commence at the beginning of class. Any student arriving 10 or more minutes after the class start time will not be admitted. Per teacher request, this policy will be strictly enforced.
Dress Code/Personal Hygiene
Changing is prohibited in student dressing rooms. Adult students are encouraged to wear class attire under street clothes.
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 and for the safety of the student. 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 times. Appropriate dance shoes include flat ballet slippers, pointe shoes or jazz shoes. Street shoes, lyrical sandals, modern dance sole protectors, socks, and bare feet are prohibited in the studios. This footwear policy applies to all adult classes in all disciplines, including jazz and modern where bare feet are usually acceptable. Enforcement of this rule is for the safety of all OBT School students and OBT Company dancers. Any student not observing this rule will be allowed to return to class once they have acquired proper footwear.
As a courtesy to fellow students, please use deodorant, and avoid use of heavy perfumes and scents. Offensive personal hygiene will be confidentially addressed and may be grounds for dismissal from class.
Laundering of dance attire is expected after every class. We reserve the right to ask students to leave class if odor is a continual issue.
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).
OBT School equally supports the following dance apparel/footwear stores:
The Leotard
2432 NE Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard
Portland, OR 97212
(503) 284-9244
Portland Dancewear
9225 SW Hall Blvd.
Portland, OR 97223
(503) 746-4552
Dance Togs
3835 SW Hall Blvd.
Beaverton, OR 97005
(503) 644-7545
Student Contact Information
It will remain each student’s responsibility to keep OBT School updated with current contact information (email address and home/mobile phone numbers). Updated information should be given to OBT School staff upon check-in or sent by email.
Inclement Weather
During weekdays, OBT School follows the inclement weather protocol dictated by Portland Public Schools (PPS). If the PPS district cancels academic classes for a particular day, morning and evening classes at OBT School will also be canceled. If the PPS district announces a late start, morning classes will be canceled; evening class status will need to be checked by the student. All class weather-related cancellations will be noted on the OBT School Blog. Click directly on “OBT School BLOG” to open and 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 OBT School Blog should always remain your first method of notification.
Tickets to OBT School/OBT Productions
All 10-class card holders and workshop participants are invited to purchase up to 4 tickets at a 25% discount to OBT repertory productions (any area) and a 50% discount to The Nutcracker (areas 1-4 only). Tickets may be limited to specific days and times. Please inquire at the OBT Box Office for details or by calling (503) 222-5538. Ticket purchase must be made by the tuition paying adult student with the OBT box office; offer not available online.
Injuries
Any injuries occurring on OBT property must be reported to the instructor and/or OBT School staff immediately.
Refund Policy
The School of OBT grants tuition refunds only in the event of prolonged illness or injury which prevents the student from fully participating in classes. The official date used to determine the refund amount is the onset of illness or injury and will be calculated based on the number of weeks the student cannot participate. All tuition refunds require proper medical documentation.
All refunds are issued by check within 30 days, and may be subject to a $45 administrative fee and processing fees incurred if the tuition payment was made by credit card. Registration fees and tuition deposits are non-refundable.
Refunds for Courses Canceled by OBT School
OBT School refunds 100 percent of tuition fees for classes canceled by OBT School.
Non-Discrimination
OBT School does not discriminate on the basis of gender, sexual orientation, religion, race, color, or national/ethnic origin in administration of its admission criteria, education policies, scholarship programs, or any other school-administered programs or activities.
Right to Refuse Service
OBT School reserves the right to deny service, enrollment, and/or revoke previously awarded privileges at the discretion of the School Director or School Administrator.
