QUESTIONS ABOUT AFAA?
For more information about Alamance Fine Arts Academy, please visit our About Us page. For performance related questions, see the Performance Etiquette & FAQ page.
We realize families have a plethora of options for fine arts studios in Alamance County, so why choose AFAA? We offer a Christ-centered and wholesome environment while having high standards of technical instruction in our classes. While maintaining a Christ-centered atmosphere, we are dedicated to the level of excellence we expect from our students. Several of our students have gone on to pursue professional careers in dance and theatre, and have been accepted at high-level dance schools like Ballet Magnificat, and performed on stages like Sight and Sound. Another aspect of AFAA that sets us apart is that our focus in all departments (dance, theatre, voice, and visual art) is on training in technique. Our focus is not on competition (dance & voice), cranking out shows (theatre), or winning awards (art). Rather we utilize classroom time to train the students in all aspects of their art form so that they are prepared should they choose to pursue a fine arts field of study as a career in the future. We feel confident you will see what sets AFAA apart as soon as you visit our studio!
AFAA’s tuition is extremely competitive, and because we are parents ourselves, we know the importance of paying one flat fee for classes with no hidden or “surprise” additional costs mid-year. For more information about tuition, see our detailed Tuition & Payments page. Tuition is due by the 10th of each month.
Performance Dance Classes (dance classes which perform in Recital): Deadline to register is December 1st. Non-performance classes (dance or exercise classes that do NOT perform in recital) No deadline. Theatre: Students may join theatre at the beginning of each semester. Students may not join mid-production of a show. Visual Art & Voice: March 1st.
You can register by attending one of the Open House dates the first two weeks of August (see our Calendar for dates and times.) If you have a schedule conflict and are unable to attend our Open House, you can also register by filling out our online Registration Form. Dance students will be placed in a class by our Dance Director based on age, previous experience, and skill level.
We encourage commitment and perseverance, and we believe it is of high importance that students finish out the studio year. It is in this attitude of respect for our studio, for our instructors, and for their fellow classmates that we ask you not to drop a class. However should withdrawal become necessary, a two-week written notice via email is required from the child’s parent or guardian. If we do not receive notice from you that your child is dropping his or her class, your tuition will continue to accrue. Once you notify us of your withdrawal, payment of any outstanding balances must be made. If your child drops a class after December 1st, you must also pay a $50.00 cancellation fee.
Yes. To encourage modesty and professional attitude for learning, AFAA has class dress codes and student etiquette policies .
Parents may drop off/pick up students who are old enough and responsible enough to get to and from their classes on time and properly behave themselves between classes.
Parents are welcome to wait at the studio. However, we are not staffed to oversee unattended younger siblings. Please keep young children with you and supervised at all times.
Please make every effort to have your student in class each week! Frequent absences and tardy arrivals create difficulties, not only for the student who has fallen behind but also for the teacher and classmates. We understand unavoidable circumstances will occur, and a student may have to miss class. When an absence becomes necessary, please call the office before the student’s class time to let us know. Please DO NOT schedule any family vacations for May, as most of our mandatory rehearsals, tech weeks, and productions are in May.
Some costumes are purchased for spring productions, and some will be available for rent from the studio (costumes that the studio already owns). Costumes that are ordered and purchased for productions will become the property of the student, and rented costumes will be returned to the studio. Both types of costume fees are already built into the monthly tuition cost; therefore, there is no additional costume fee. In the spring, photos of costumes for each class will be displayed on our lobby bulletin board for preview before the recital/ballet. Costumes will be distributed to students in plenty of time for the performances.
We are a performing arts studio. All students, except those privately instructed, will participate in performances. For more information regarding performances, please see the Performance Etiquette & FAQ page.
No photography or video is allowed during performances but is welcomed during rehearsals. A professional video will be offered for sale for every end-of-the-year dance and theatre production.
The studio and office are open Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday evenings from 4:00 to 8:30 p.m., September through May. The office staff is available to help during these hours. Please stop by or call with any questions or concerns. You can always email us with questions after office hours and we will get back to you as soon as we can. Office@alamancefinearts.com
If we have to cancel classes due to inclement weather, we will notify you via email and text. Any time a class must be canceled, a make-up class will be scheduled. We will inform you of the date and time of the make-up class via e-mail and Facebook, as well as in class.
We love to have boys involved in our programs. From ballet to character to clogging to jazz and more, we have had boys and young men participate in all these classes and enjoy them! We are always happy when young men are interested in learning the aspects of ballet partnering as well. Of course, they are also welcome to take any of our conditioning classes.
Upon registration, you will be given a calendar for the year. Please mark these dates on your personal calendar, so that you will be aware of performances, Parent Observation Week, and other important dates. You can also view and subscribe to our Events Calendar.
We send out a weekly email called, “The Week Ahead at AFAA”. In addition, our website, Facebook page, and Instagram Page (@alamancefinearts) will be updated regularly with the latest news and events.
Students are welcome to bring snacks from home, but they should be kept in the lobby area and not taken into class. Only water is allowed in the classrooms. Older students may leave campus to buy food from surrounding restaurants only if there is written permission on file in the office. But even so, AFAA is NOT responsible for students who are not within our building. If you give permission for your child to leave the building in between classes, you are agreeing to take responsibility for them during that time.
Our facility has two entrances—one on Main Street (The front entrance, through which you enter our gallery area) and one on Worth Street (the back entrance, in which you come up a flight of stairs into the main level of the studio). You may enter from either entrance; however we ask you to please NOT use Main St. on Thursdays, as our Theatre class meets in the gallery area on Thursday evenings.
Students are encouraged to participate in the annual Burlington Christmas Parade, but it is not required. Younger students will ride on the AFAA float with staff/parent chaperones. We welcome parent volunteers for this event. All AFAA students and staff who participate in the parade must wear their AFAA Class shirt. Parents who join us in the parade may order a shirt to wear as well. Further information about t-shirt orders and parade sign-up will be posted as the holiday season approaches.
Once each year we open our classes for parent observation, as noted on your event calendar. These observation dates are regular classes, not performances. We encourage parents and siblings to come watch your student(s) in class on these days. We ask that you make every effort to observe without distraction to the students, so please help us by keeping younger siblings quiet and attentive.