Beginners Corner Welcome to the Pender-Keady Academy of Irish Dancing! As parents that are new to Irish Dancing, we realize you probably have a lot of questions! Hopefully we can answer some of the basics here in our beginners corner! We do not mail out any confirmation letters upon receipt of registration, so if you haven’t heard from us, you can assume that you are enrolled in the class of your choice. FAQ’s 1. What should my child wear to class? Children should come dressed in proper dance attire. Tank tops and bicycle shorts, leotard and tights, etc. NO long pants or jeans of any kind, nothing too baggy. Please do not bring your child to class in their school clothing. 2. What kind of shoes do they need? There are special shoes for Irish dancing that are preferable for class. They are called “Gillies” or “soft shoes”. They can be purchased at Beam and Barre in Greenwich, the dance store in New Canaan, and the dance store in Norwalk. They can also be ordered online from Fay’s shoes at www.fayshoes.com. If your child has ballet slippers already, these are fine for beginners! 3. What if my child misses a class? We have a total of 6 beginner classes on our schedule during the week in 4 different locations. If your child misses a class then they are more than welcome to do a make-up class in another beginner class. Unfortunately we can not give refunds or credits for missed classes. We ask that if your child has been sick that you wait 24 hours after they are better to send them to class. 4. When do classes start? Classes begin the first week of September. Classes run until mid-June. By mid September we will have a holiday closure schedule posted on the website, so don’t forget to check back! 5. How do I find out about studio closures? If the Academy must close do to inclement weather or any other unforeseen circumstances, this information will be posted on the website and on our answering machine. So if you’re not sure, please check ahead of time. If we close for inclement weather, please feel free to do a make-up class in any of our other classes throughout the week. 6. When is tuition due? Tuition is due 3 times a year. First trimester is due by the end of August. There is a tuition box inside of our Stamford studio where checks can be dropped off. If you are taking class in a location outside of our Stamford studio, please pay tuition by mail and send checks to : Pender-Keady Academy 76 Viaduct Rd. Suite 3 Stamford, CT 06907 ATTN: TUITION There will be a 10% late fee added on to any tuition that is more than 10 days past due. 7. Is there an end-of-year recital? YES! Each year we have an end of year recital. As soon as we have an exact date, time, and location we will let you know. 8. Are there any other events that I should be aware of? YES! The Pender-Keady Academy will be hosting its Annual feis. A feis is an Irish Dancing competition. We encourage all of our new beginners to participate! We are also always looking for volunteers to help work at the feis. We will have more information about this soon! The Pender-Keady Academy also takes part in the Stamford St. Patrick’s Day Parade each year. All students are welcome and encouraged to come and march with PKA. The parade is usually the Saturday before St. Patrick’s Day. We will confirm the date when we find out. It is a lot of fun for all! We also have an annual dinner dance that will take place in the spring (date TBA). This event takes place at the Italian Center in Stamford and is great night for both the parents and the kids. The highlight of the evening is always our “infamous” Dad’s Dance-Off, where some of our bravest fathers get up and show us all their own version of Irish Dancing!