BODY NEUTRALITY
Rio is a body neutral space. For us, this means that the shape of your body is both perfect and, if we are being honest, irrelevant. The masterpiece is complete, now it’s time to marvel, move and enjoy.
Commentary on body shape of any kind is not appropriate (yourself or others, positive or not). Instead, we are retraining to notice movement, style, joy, safety, personhood, spirit - not despite shape, but beyond shape.
Example: “Wow friend, you moved with so much freedom today. What a joy to experience!” or “I love your top! It feels like such a reflection of your sprit.”
GENDER INCLUSION
we are uncompromising in our acceptance of all expressions of gender and sexuality. you are welcome here. any expressions of exclusion will not be tolerated.
RUNNING LATE?
ideally, plan to show up 10-15 minutes prior to the start of your class.
that being said, if you are running late, no worries. please just get here safely and join class as discretely as possible. we recommend taking a few moments to do a warm-up of your body prior to joining in with instruction.
CANCELLATIONS
DROP-IN: if you cancel before the start of class, your pass will remain on your account to be used another time!
if you no-show to class your pass will be forfeited.
SEMESTER: if you miss a class you forfeit that class. if a class is cancelled by Rio, we will schedule a make-up class or offer a pro-rated refund for the missed hour of instruction.
SHOE POLICY
our beautiful maple floor is our pride and joy! this means it is important that we treat it with the upmost care.
any footwear worn during class must be “like new” and never worn outside. tap shoes should be checked for loose screws before every single class.
REFUNDS
DROP-IN: packages do not expire and are nonrefundable.
SEMESTER: tuition is nonrefundable.
if you cannot attend classes for an extenuating circumstance (injury or relocation) please contact madeline@riodancestudio.com to discuss options!
SOCIAL MEDIA
you will not be filmed without your consent - we make sure to check in with students each time there is a request to film.
please tell the teacher if you would not like to be filmed, or if you would like to be filmed but you would not like it to be used on social media. we will honor your request and be so grateful that you shared your boundaries!
F.A.Q.what should I wear?
whatever you feel magical [comfy, safe, fluid] in!
anything that you need to bring or wear in particular is listed in the description of the class, and included on the class listing on our schedule!
for yoga classes, we will have a limited amount of rental yoga mats available if needed.
I am a ‘really bad’ dancer - is there any place for me at Rio?
your heart beat is keeping perfect rhythm inside you right now. you are a dancer. Rio is a space for us to connect with the dancer we already are, even if our style is unique.
what if I am running late?
please come in and join class as respectfully as you can! we do not prohibit people from coming in late, we want you to arrive at the studio without stress - even if you hit every red light on the way in.
do I have to buy fancy outfits and shoes?
only if you want to! dance at Rio is about movement, all you need is your body. as you progress in (read: fall in love with) a discipline, there are different tools available to enhance your experience.
example: starting with clean sneakers and then moving to tap shoes or starting with clean socks and moving to ballet slippers!
that being said, all classes will offer modifications if that further investment is not available to you.
how do i know what “level” i am?
great question! you may not be totally sure right away and that’s okay. we all learn at different phases and switching between levels is normal.
here is a little insight that might be helpful:
never ever - “I am so excited to dance this style for the first time!”
beginner - “I used to love dancing but I don’t remember anything!”
intermediate - “I bet I could bust out a few moves, but it might be a little rusty!”
semester-only: what if I miss a class?
semester classes are short term and offer breaks in between each semester. for that reason, we expect that you will do your best to attend each class during the semester. if you cannot make a class, you will certainly be missed but you will not be able to make it up in a different semester / discipline / level.
