Spartan Dance Center

Code of Conduct
 

The purpose of Spartan Dance Center’s competitive program is to provide dancers with an opportunity to engage in performances, develop sportsmanship and character, receive outside adjudication, and participate in community outreach. Creating a climate of respect and positivity is imperative to building strong dancers and a strong company, and therefore, we expect all instructors, students, and parents/spectators to abide by our Code of Conducts at all times. Our Code of Conduct was crafted with three main principles in mind:

 

1 - Demonstrating a positive attitude (Players, parents, and staff are expected to show a positive, respectful attitude for everyone involved in the dance community. Everyone is here because of their shared love of dance and should be celebrated, regardless of their studio affiliation.)

 

2 - Setting a good example (Each person associated with SDC is accountable for their own behavior. We believe that children learn by example, and that it is up to us as instructors, parents, and older students to set good examples and model appropriate choices and behavior.)

 

3 - Maintaining good relationships (Dancers, instructors, and parents are required to be respectful of competing teams at all times. Sportsmanship begins with respect, and without it, the positive competitive environment, which should be a perfect classroom for learning the values of dance, is undermined. Occasionally we will encounter others who do not share our values and high standards, but we should not allow ourselves to be drawn down to their level. Additionally, in an environment where our children are competing not only against other teams, but also frequently against each other, it can be difficult to control jealousies and rivalries. A successful team resembles a family in that members put their own needs second, behind the greater good of the team. Care must be taken to support all teammates) 

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Dancer Code of Conduct: While Taking Class

There is a level of commitment required to be a part of a competitive team. Dancers must have the desired level of commitment - not just for themselves, but for the ENTIRE company. Being on this team, you depend on all of your fellow teammates to all be working hard to keep the classroom a productive space in order for the team to achieve its goals, and therefore, by joining this team, you pledge to:

• Make classes, rehearsals, events, and performances a priority

• Arrive on time and prepared to dance

• Dress appropriately, following the dress code

• No gum or food in the dance studios

• Enter the dance studio in a manner that is respectful to the studio, the teacher, and the other dancers

• Participate in every class to the best of my ability, and put forth 100% effort, energy, and enthusiasm

• Have an amazing work ethic! This could mean: working on my own, practicing at home, doing a step until I get it, keeping a notebook with corrections, doing a combination full out while learning it, finishing each combination well, either by dancing all the way off the floor or finishing in a nice fifth with both hands off the barre.

• Be respectful to your instructors, fellow dancers, and all studio staff members and volunteers

• Respect other dancers. Be aware of your personal space. Refrain from correcting others. (Giving corrections is the teacher’s job.) Keep your thoughts and words positive and uplifting towards others. Unkind behavior towards another dancer will not be tolerated. 

• Be aware of negative body language (like folded arms, uncovered yawns) and never sit down unless you are asked to sit. If you are sitting, sit tall.

• Be alert to all corrections given to you or other students in class

• Maintain a positive attitude. When students criticize or complain during class, it not only disrupts the teacher’s instruction, it creates an air of negativity which is difficult for the instructor and other students to recover from

• Thank your teacher after class. It is a tradition in dance classes to thank your teacher after class for sharing their knowledge and energy.

• Review the social media policies and use social media only in a manner that is uplifting, positive, and encouraging to both SDC and your fellow dancers.

• Hold my head high! I am an elite dancer. I am a friend to everyone. I am polite. I am respected because of my dedication, discipline, self-control, and grace. I am a serious artist and should be proud.

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Dancer Code of Conduct: At Competition

It is a privilege to represent SDC at competitions and other events, and as a representative of my entire team, when at public appearances, I pledge to: 

• Represent myself, my team, and SDC in a professional, positive manner at all times

• Respect any convention/competition staff, convention/competition property, public venue, other teams props, etc.

• Demonstrate exceptional sportsmanship at all times. This means keeping comments about other competitors and studios positive, clapping after any studio performs, and applauding for every award that myself, my teammates, or another studio receives. 

• Arrive at all events at the prearranged call time

• Arrive at all events in my warm-ups, and keep them on unless directed otherwise

• When watching competitions, I will stay seated and attentive during other studio’s performances, and only enter or exit my seat/the theater between numbers

•  Remember that while winning can feel great, the goal of competitive dance is to have fun and improve, and I should be dancing to enjoy the process and the performances, not to just to “win”

• When I do win, I will be modest and generous, and when I lose, I will be gracious

• I will cheer on other teams sincerely, always wish my competitors good luck, and congratulate my competitors on a job well done

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Parent Code of Conduct:

I understand that as a parent, I set the tone for my child’s dance experience. In order to keep the experience positive and fun for everyone, I pledge to:

• Support my child by giving them encouragement, helping them work towards skill improvement and good sportsmanship, and teaching them that hard work and an honest effort are more important than victory

• Help my child to be successful by ensuring that they are prepared for performances and timely in their arrival.

• Demonstrate a positive attitude towards all teams by applauding good performances and placements by all dancers, regardless of studio affiliation, and refrain from speaking negatively of ANY dancer, coach, judge, parent, or competition/venue staff member.

• Model good sportsmanship. Teach my child to be gracious in victory and to turn defeat into victory by learning and working toward improvement.

• Model good theater etiquette. Watch all performances quietly and attentively, and only enter or exit the seats/theater quickly in between dances, and remind children to do the same.

• Focus on the process, not the outcome, and praise my child’s efforts more than their performance.

• Foster a team atmosphere. In an environment where a child is competing not only against other teams but also frequently against their teammates, it can be difficult to control jealousy and rivalries. Be sure to avoid comparison, discussing other children in front of or with your child, and remember that all children progress at different rates. 

• Directly after all competitions, parents should NEVER approach the teacher with questions of scores. This is a time to be supportive of the entire team, no matter what the outcome. The teacher will discuss scores with the dancers at a later date.

• It is the Teacher/Directors decision to share video/audio critiques with the parents. They will usually be shared with the students/ not the parents. Please DO NOT ask the teacher/director when the critiques will be reviewed. They will let you know & invite you in if parents are able to see them.

• Not all situations that a dancer will encounter will be ideal, not just at competition, but sometimes at conventions, events, performances, and in the classroom. Remember that children feed off of the energy around them, and endeavor to maintain a constructive, positive attitude regarding the circumstances in the face of adversity. 

• Leave the coaching to the instructors during competitions. Give only positive feedback to dancers.

• Communicate at appropriate times, about appropriate topics, and through appropriate channels with my child’s instructors.

• Remember that dance should be fun. Agree to do my best to have as much fun watching performances as my child should have dancing in them.

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