WELCOME!
You have made an awesome choice!
And we are so excited to have you!
Open House for New Students!
Saturdays
August 12th, and 19th
2:00-5:00pm
Add August 12 to your Google Calendar
Add August 19 to your Google Calendar
Welcome to GCAPA! You have completely made our year by becoming a part of our community! We plan to spend the year showing your Star how to shine! And you can be the paparazzi!
We thought it best to answer a few important FAQ’s to get you started so that you can familiarize yourself with the layout and get accustomed to what to expect. If we have forgotten anything, please let us know.
The Band App
A lot of quick comminication is done on Band. If you know how to use facebook, this app will be a breeze! And you’ll never get lost down any rabbit holes because it’s JUST for dance! Click the icon to download the app or go to band.us on your desktop.
CALL OR TEXT GCAPA
704.896.3033
Your Account
Also known as the Parent Portal. The link is often found in emails but also in the navigation bar under “GCAPA Parents”
PARKING
There is plenty of safe parking in front of and behind the building! The side parking is for the Crew ONLY which is made up of female teachers who have to leave alone late at night.
SAFE EXITING
When possible, we hope that you will avoid left turns from the parking lot. It is much safer to turn right from our lot and flip around at the stop sign. We hope that you will consider this safety precaution when hurrying to get your dumplings from place to place.
DROP OFF & PICK-UP
Students 10 and under should be walked in and out of the studio. Once your teacher is present in the lobby to collect your Sparkles, you are free to leave or stay. Children in diapers should have a parent in the lobby during their entire class in case of an accident. Any Star being picked up by a person unknown to the Crew will be ID’d. Please provide a name before class of the person picking up. If you’re a first time parent and we don’t recognize you, please don’t take offense. We care for the safety of your Star!
PARENT OBSERVATION
Our curtains open for the first week of every month! For the younger Sparkles Classes, this may be reduced to every other month, simply for the distraction that it creates. You are also invited to Parent Observation Week 2 times throughout the Dance Season which is held inside the classroom so that you can get a bird’s eye view of how classes run on a normal day.
BOUTIQUE
The Big Apple Boutique will be open each day of classes when there is a Stage Manager present. The Boutique hours are typically 4-8pm weekdays and Saturdays 9am-12pm. Tights can be purchased at any time throughout the week. The more hours the Boutique is open, the higher the cost of the products. We like the ability to save you money on as many products as possible with the convenience of in-house ordering. Turn-around on orders is typically 1 week from Monday. If you need to schedule an appointment for the Boutique because you are unavailable at the boutique times, please select Big Apple Boutique from the “About Us” menu. All orders are made on Saturdays and take approximately 1-week to arrive.
SHOES
If you do not have shoes just yet, don’t sweat it! You’re not the only one. Many students wait until the start of the school year to order shoes and forget that we don’t keep an inventory. Most products have a 1-week turn-around time. Please check your child’s class dress code to be sure that you have the brand required per class. We fit your children for shoes but ask that you approve all shoes size BEFORE your child wears them as they cannot be returned once they have been worn.
BATHROOM
Our facility has 2 bathrooms; 1 is in the lobby!!! Please be mindful of dancers missing class to use the facilities.
EPI-PENS
EpiPens should handed to your Star’s teacher before class. EpiPens may not be stored at the studio. Explicit verbal instructions along with written instructions should be explained to the instructors responsible for your Star’s care by you.
FOOD
GCAPA is a No Food studio. Food, drinks and snacks should not be brought into the studio by kids OR adults unless announced by the studio or the teacher in public forum via email or in Band with at least 24 hours notice. There are occasions when food is brought into the studio and allergies should be noted at drop-off, directly to your Star’s teacher. Food and drinks are never permitted in the lobby. This includes snacks carried by toddlers and that coffee cup we all like to nurse. When our busy Crew is taken away from their post to clean up inevitable messes, it causes havoc that we prefer to avoid.
LOBBY
The GCAPA CREW is ready to help you with any questions or concerns. Stage Managers at the Front Desk have daily tasks that require their full attention but they are happy to help you with any knowledge they can provide. Cell phone conversations in the lobby make it difficult for Stage Managers to help our Patrons or complete their tasks so we do ask that your phone calls be taken outside in the beautiful North Carolina weather. Teachers travelling from class to class are available to call inquiring parents after class or the following day, depending on scheduling, but they must be able to attend to the immediate needs of their class. Teachers may not always be able to stay after class as they have morning jobs and long commutes home, but they can always schedule a conversation.
Our first goal is to help your Star Shine. Immediately following, we want you to have an easy and enjoyable experience at GCAPA. If we have forgotten something or overlooked something, we hope that you will let us know so that we can provide the best service and experience for you and your Star! Hats off to an amazing year of learning and community!!
Sincerely,
Miss Wendi and the GCAPA CREW
This is an exceptionally well-run dance studio. The staff and teachers are all friendly and accommodating. Wendi is very knowledgeable on dance techniques and is detail-focused. At the same time, she understands how to engage well with young children and get them excited about the routines and why it’s important to master the dance techniques. I also appreciate how Wendi has created an atmosphere where the girls build each other up. I highly recommend this dance school!
This is my 11th year at GCAPA, and I was quite literally raised in this studio. All of the teachers are patient and understanding. I am so proud to be a part of the team. Even if I am not looking from the perspective of a parent, I highly appreciate the age-appropriate costumes and choreography because I personally am not comfortable with wearing anything too revealing. I have made many life-lasting friendships and my experience here has been amazing! Awesome studio; 100% recommended!
We took our daughter for her first dance lesson to try out the dance studio. It was such a great experience for my daughter that we immediately enrolled!
Grand Central Academy of Performing Arts truly is our home away from home. My girls have been dancing there since 2017 and they absolutely love it! They not only learn amazingly choreographed routines to perform, but they also learn the art of dance, and are making lifelong friends along the way!
My 6 year old daughter started at Grand Central Academy a few months ago [2022] and i couldn’t be more impressed! Miss Wendi and Miss Abby have gone above and beyond in terms of helping me figure out what class has been right for her, answering various questions about classes, costumes, camps, etc. They are engaged and accessible to myself and all parents. My daughter’s instructor, Miss Melissa is so positive, warm, and encouraging and my daughter absolutely loves her. The environment is great and I couldn’t be happier about bringing my daughter to Grand Central.
My daughter is in her 6th year of dancing at GCAPA. Her technique, skills, and confidence has grown and developed quickly in this time. She absolutely loves it and always enjoys going to class. My husband and I appreciate the modest and age appropriate costumes and choreography. My daughter and I have both made friendships that will last forever and are truly grateful.