Anonymous wrote:Yes, it is a normal policy. Unclear why you feel they should have bent the rule for your child. Dance teachers/studios attempt to encourage discipline in both child and parent early on. What if they were lax on this policy and several children arrived late to class interrupting it for everyone else every week. By not going back, you're not setting a very good example for your dd. I hope you explained to her that she couldn't take the class because they have a rule about being late and not because they are mean and nasty people.

As a previous pp has said perhaps a gymboree class or something else similar would be a better option.

This! Also, my DD is the slowest creature on earth and something like this happening would motivate her to move faster in order to get to her class on time

Anonymous wrote:Something like Ballet Petite is more appropriate for preschool-aged kids. Joy of Motion is a great studio, but it is really best for older kids who get serious about dance.

Joy of Motion is appropriate for preschool aged kids. My daughter loves it there. Just because they have a tardiness policy doesn't make it inappropriate.

Oh please! The policy and the studio are both being idiotic. Its a class for freakin 3 yr olds - the class is going to be full of disruptions! As if these 3 year olds are going to be perfectly still with rapt attention.

OP - this is a shameful post. You have knowingly trashed a dance studio unnecessarily. Coming 10 minutes late is disruptive to ANY class. It probably took the teacher another 10 minutes to get the kids focused back on her and 10 minutes after that the class was probably over.

Something like Ballet Petite is more appropriate for preschool-aged kids. Joy of Motion is a great studio, but it is really best for older kids who get serious about dance.

I thought this post was going to be about a nasty person at the studio. OP, why would you think you and DD are exempt from the rules? What a waste of a teachable moment...

I think people are being a tad harsh. OP said she had not been notified prior to arriving that this was their policy, and if this is her first kid going to dance, I can see why it would upset and surprise her (and I'm sure her kid was upset too). That being said, OP, realize that 10 minutes late to a class of any kind is going to be disruptive, and they are simply upholding their policy. If anything you want them to be even stricter with the younger kids, since they are so easily distractible at that age. I do agree with pp who said that if they made an exception for you, then they would have to continue that exception for all others, and that gets ridiculous. Bottom line: you didn't follow their rules, and your actions do have consequences. In that dance studio, the consequence is no admittance. Realize that, be on time next time, and things will be fine

Anonymous wrote:Yes, it is a normal policy. Unclear why you feel they should have bent the rule for your child. Dance teachers/studios attempt to encourage discipline in both child and parent early on. What if they were lax on this policy and several children arrived late to class interrupting it for everyone else every week. By not going back, you're not setting a very good example for your dd. I hope you explained to her that she couldn't take the class because they have a rule about being late and not because they are mean and nasty people.

As a previous pp has said perhaps a gymboree class or something else similar would be a better option.

This. OP is the one being nasty, trashing a reputable dance studio because she can't get there on time.

Yes, it is a normal policy. Unclear why you feel they should have bent the rule for your child. Dance teachers/studios attempt to encourage discipline in both child and parent early on. What if they were lax on this policy and several children arrived late to class interrupting it for everyone else every week. By not going back, you're not setting a very good example for your dd. I hope you explained to her that she couldn't take the class because they have a rule about being late and not because they are mean and nasty people.

As a previous pp has said perhaps a gymboree class or something else similar would be a better option.

Sounds like a normal policy for many dance studios.

Oh come on, this is a class for 3 year olds. Sure, I understand having a policy for late arrivals, but it's not like it's a disruption to the rehearsal for a major production.

OP, you should give Little Gym a try for dance classes. DD loved her class there, and it's much more relaxed in terms of absolutely everything than "real" dance studios.

Why would you think it's okay to arrive to a dance class 10 minutes late? She probably missed most if not all of the warmup.

While I agree that it's a bit harsh to turn away a 3 year old, why not just show up on time from here on out? Their website states they have a no cancellation/refund policy. A lot of exercise classes have this policy of not allowing late arrivals - it disrupts the class.

Joy of Motion dance studio in Bethesda would not allow my 3 year old daughter to attend her dance class because she was 10 minutes late. It was her first time at the studio and we had not been notified of such a policy. They actually sent us home, refusing to allow her into the class. When I raised the issue with the studio manager afterwards, she refused to consider that this policy was mean-spirited for such a small child who came all dressed up and ready to dance. Needless to say we won't be going back there ... EVER.