Student Fees (All classes are 1.5 hours duration unless otherwise noted.)

Beginner session flat fee of $96/$112 session - 6 or 7 class weeks respectively. Special Topic Series 8 week class $125.

1 1/2 HR Technique class drop in rate is $21/class. ($7 per 1/2 hr.)

1 1/2 HR Technique Class Dance Card is $64/4 classes/1month prepaid ($5.33 per 1/2 hr.) Card expires 4 weeks from purchase.

Private Lessons are an excellent supportive way to accelerate skill retention and to supplement class work. Current fee is $60/ 55 minute hr. or $30 for 1/2 hr.

Heavy Hips Tribal Belly Dance offers discounts on class costs when you pre-purchase a dance card of four classes. A dance card offers a discount on per class costs because you prepay ahead of time and thus commit to attend class every week. Dance card discounts are offered to support the individuals who pursue serious dance study or consistent exercise disciplines. The prepay expires 4 weeks after purchase whether or not you make all 4 classes. Levels 2, 3,4 offer prepay class cards for $64/monthly rate (4 weeks).

Drop Status & Refunds

Beginner Series and Sessions have a flat fee of $96 or $112. Session is 6 or 7 weeks. There are NO refunds unless you give me notice on or before the first day of session. If the session is full and you drop within the first week, I retain $30 failure fee. If someone from the waiting list takes your spot - I will refund the $30 failure fee. Failure to notify Heavy Hips that you are dropping the session will result in a forfeiture of your total deposit and/or total registration fee and does not presume your participation in an alternate session as a make up. Please let us know if you are dropping so others who want to take the class, can. YOU ARE CONSIDERED DROP STATUS IF YOU DO NOT SHOW UP THE FIRST DAY OF CLASS AND YOU HAVE NOT NOTIFIED ME. YOUR SPACE AND DEPOSIT WILL BE FORFEITED.

Class Cancellations, Illness & Makeups

Cancellations: A scheduled class may be cancelled on site if there is not a quorum of 5 students minimum in attendance at any given class. If this is the case, the students who show up will NOT be penalized on a current prepaid class card. However students who did not show up and are on prepay status will forfeit 1 class fee as ususal for missing class. If class is cancelled due to my illness or emergency, no student will forfeit a class fee for that week on a prepaid class card or session.

Illness: Please DO NOT COME TO CLASS if you are contagious with virus, cold, flu etc., meaning if you have a fever, sneezing or coughing. We don't want to get sick, please stay home until you are not contagious. If you have a pulled muscle or broken bone you may come and watch your class, you can still learn from observation. Please note that I will ask you to leave if I believe your are putting the other students at risk for illness.

Makeups: Heavy Hips can't guarantee make-ups for classes that you miss of your Basics Level 1 Session . However, I do attempt to facillitate a maximum of 2 makeups by allowing you to come to an alternative class of that session. (So for tues nite students, thurs nite is your makeup nite and for thurs nite students, tues nite is your makup nite). You must do the makeup within 1 week of your missed class in the alternate Level 1 Session class provided there is physical room in the class room that particular nite. If that particular nite has no room, you try again the next week, usually one or two people are absent per class, so there is room for a make-up student. Only two makeups are allowed per session as each class is registered to the maximum level of students allowed physically in the room. You cannot roll over classes or money for classes into the next session. And you do not get a discount if you know you can't make one of the classes, you just make it up during the session in the other class or miss it.

Level 2, 3, 4 prepay 4 class card emergency or illness related makups are as follows. Within the same or following week of your missed class you may attend a technique class at a lower level class. Check the class schedule on the website. You are entitled to a makeup only if your absence is due to illness or emergency and limited to the same or following week of your missed class. Your class card will still expire after 4 weeks whether you manage to do your makeup class or not.

Emergencies, such as hospital, death, broken appendage or prolonged illness please see me.

Advancement Protocol

I offer 4 levels of technical dance instruction: Basics Level One, Basics Level Two, Intermediate and Intermediate Advanced. In order to advance to the next level dance community you must be able to properly execute the repertoire of your current level: This means:

1. precision, speed and execution of isolations and dance steps for that level are easily accomplished.

2. knowing the dance steps of that repertoire by name.

3. executing movements in time with the music, can identify the "1" downbeat of the measure, as well as the upbeat, can identify drum rhythms for that level.

4. consistently execute smooth transition between steps, getting in and out of the step transitioning on the 1st downbeat of the next measure.

5. consistently execute all steps from the basic position (pelvic tuck, feet together and flat with toes forward, bent knees, lifted upper torso, shoulders drawn down and back), especially maintaining the abdominal tuck without constant reminder. This is usually the hardest task to do.

6. can separate upper and lower body when executing movement when required.

7. can execute left and right sides equally for your current level's repertoire.

8. have proper arm and hand placement and movements/presentations for level repertory.

9. consistently have proper foot and body position in stand still position or traveling: flat feet together, or ball/flat together.

10. have proper weight distribution traveling and standing.

11. successful finger cymbal skills for your current level.

12. can execute applied rhythm theory for that level.

13. respect classroom and teacher/student etiquette.

I want people to grow in the dance form and am very dedicated to giving you accurate and accessible dance technique instruction. I'm not interested in holding anyone back, rather I want to give a strong foundation at each level to build on. If I tell you that you are not ready to advance, its because I've assessed that you haven't completed the above goals for your current level. I'm always available to give you positive, supportive and honest feedback about what you have accomplished and what you need to integrate to advance. Private lessons are a great tool to work specifically on your accomplishment of these goals.

Thank you for you commitment. Please feel free to call me to talk about your dance experience, 464-9664.

Yahoo Email Group

All Students required to join the Heavy Hips Tribal Belly Dance Yahoo E- Mail List!

Recieve all the Local News, Director Updates, Workshop & Class Schedules.

Subscribe to heavyhipstribalbellydance Powered by groups.yahoo.com

Mailing List and Privacy Policy

Heavy Hips Tribal Belly Dance does not sell its mailing list. We respect your privacy. Please contact us if you no longer wish to be on our mailing list.

Photo Release Statement

By participating in the Heavy Hips Tribal Belly Dance Troupe or classes, students and performers grant Palika Benton and/or Heavy Hips Tribal Belly Dance, its employees or agents the perpetual use of student's and performers' likeness, voice, sound effects, and/or musical and/or dance performance in photographs, motion pictures, videotapes and recording media. Each student or performer also grants in perpetuity Palika Benton or Heavy Hips the right to reproduce, and redistribute, students' and performers' likeness, voice, sound effects, and/or musical and/or dance performance.