Dear Dance Parent, July 2009
The Mt. Prospect Park District will conduct a special Dance Priority Registration period starting Thursday, August 6
through the close of business Monday, August 17 at RecPlex and Lions Recreation Center. Registration details and your
dancer’s class and level recommendations can be found on the back of this letter.
We strongly recommend our returning families take advantage of the Dance Priority Registration period, particularly if
selection of a class day/time or instructor is an important consideration, as some classes may reach their maximum during
the DPR time frame.
NOTES ON PLACEMENT AND RECOMMENDATIONS - Students at our Intermediate and Advanced levels should
remember that our classes are divided into levels based on a student’s ability and progress. Each dancer progresses at
his/her own pace. Unlike grade levels in school, students do not always move into the next level each year. Some students
may remain in the same level for more than one year. Level recommendations are based on instructor feedback and recital
performance. If you have a schedule conflict with your recommended class(es), please call 847.640.1000 ext. 287 to
discuss alternatives.
TRAINING SCHEDULE / MULTIPLE CLASS ELIGIBILITY - Students looking to accelerate their progress and/or work
toward specific goals (dancing en pointe, auditioning for The Nutcracker, Orchesis, pom teams, musical theater productions,
or our own Ballet Expressions or Impulse Dance Ensemble etc.) are encouraged to enroll in multiple classes, especially
upon reaching the Intermediate levels. Your level recommendation is your primary recommendation. If your level has more
than one section offered, consider taking BOTH sections. Remember – Dance is an art and a discipline! The more you
dance, the better you dance!
5th CLASS FREE! DANCER LOYALTY PROGRAM - The Mt. Prospect Park District offers returning families the
opportunity for a tuition savings on every fifth class (for either an individual student or multiple students within a family).
Please remember that this program covers tuition only and students will still need to pay a costume fee where applicable.
PAYMENT INFORMATION - For your convenience, we offer two options for tuition payment. You may opt to pay for your
classes in full, or you may participate in a payment plan. Payment plans will be accepted during the Dance Priority
Registration period ONLY and must be received no later than Thursday, August 17. Please see the back of this letter for
more details.
COSTUME FEES - Costume fees are due at the time of registration for all students who wish to perform in the recitals.
Participation in the recitals is encouraged for all students, but not required. You will notice a box in the lower left hand
portion of the registration form that lists the 2009-2010 costume fees by class level. Please be sure to include one costume
fee for each class your child wishes to perform with. Due to the timing of costume orders, costume fees are non-refundable
after November 2, 2009. Students in Advanced level ballet classes will have a second costume fee (pointe costume) that
will be due upon registration in the Winter Spring session. In addition, Ballet Expressions and Impulse Dance Ensemble
members will also have a recital costume fee due in the Winter Spring session.
On behalf of all of our instructors, we welcome you back to dance and hope all students enjoy the 2009-2010 school year.
We are dedicated to providing our students with a fun and safe environment and the best dance experience possible. As
always, please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns you may have.
Sincerely,
Teri Wirkus
Cultural Arts Manager
847.640.1000
PRIORITY REGISTRATION: AUGUST 6-17, 2009
HOW TO ENROLL YOUR DANCERS
Due to the progressive nature of our curriculum, all students entering FIRST GRADE AND ABOVE who wish to dance in the
ballet or tap & jazz spring recitals should enroll in the classes of their choice during the Fall session. Only returning
students from the fall session will be eligible to enroll in dance classes for the Winter Spring session (except for some
specialty classes which may accept new students as space permits provided they have met pre-requisites and have
instructor permission).
HOW TO REGISTER: As part of the park district’s green initiative, we are striving to cut down on the amount of paper
distributed to students. Here is a quick guide to the Dance Priority Registration process:
• Review your dancer’s enrollment recommendations on the label below.
• Consult the class schedule in the Mt. Prospect Park District Fall Program Guide to locate your recommended class
level(s) and choose your preferred class day/time. The Program Guide will be delivered to Mt. Prospect residents
the week of August 3. You may also access the fall schedule online at www.mppd.org after August 6.
• Choose your preferred method of payment:
o PAY IN FULL
o PAY IN FOUR INSTALLMENTS: This option requires the use of a credit or debit card and allows you to
divide the total amount due into four equal installments to be billed in August, September, October and
November. THE PAYMENT PLAN OPTION WILL ONLY BE AVAILABLE DURING PRIORITY
REGISTRATION. PAYMENT PLANS WILL NOT BE AVAILABLE AFTER MONDAY, AUGUST 17.
Download the corresponding Dance Priority Registration form by logging on to www.mppd.org (you can use one
form for all family members). Click on the “Performing Arts” link on the left-hand side. The Dance Priority
Registration information is listed after the introductory paragraph. For your convenience, hard copies of both forms
also are available at RecPlex and Lions Recreation Center.
• Calculate your costume fee total. If you are enrolling in multiple classes, make sure to include the costume fee for
each class into your costume fee total.
• Enclose your completed registration form with your payment in an envelope labeled “Dance Priority Registration.”
Drop-off your envelope at either RecPlex or Lions Recreation Center before the close of business, Monday, August
17.
• If you are paying for your classes and costumes in full, you can also utilize phone registration at 847.956.5353.
Phone registration requires the use of a credit card and is available Mon-Fri from 9 am to 5 pm and on Saturday
from 10 am to 3 pm.
After Monday, August 17 you may still register your child starting with walk-in registration on Thursday,
August 20. Walk-in registration is open to both new and returning students and is accepted as space
permits on a first-come/first served basis and in accordance with standard MPPD procedures.