Afterschool
Whether your kid has an interest in dance & theater, or just lots of energy to burn, our afterschool program will keep their creative juices flowing long after the bell rings.
Along with dance & drama training, students develop confidence, social skills and musicality in this structured, fun-filled program. We offer a wide selection of classes and each day brings something new to experience. Check out the schedule posted below to see what’s on tap for fall 2023.
At the end of the semester, the students show off what they’ve been learning at an informal showcase (if they want to, no pressure!) Absolutely no prior experience required.
NEW in fall 2023: Dance & Drama “All Stars” series for older, more focused students (4th grade and up). Perfect for motivated kids who want to put together an entire play or choreograph their own performance routines. See our Tweens & Teens page for more details.
Registration open for the 2023-24 School Year – Sign up now to guarantee your spot!
After school programming is held from 3 pm – 6 pm at our Center City studio (1923 Chestnut St, above the Trek bike store). To get the most out of our diverse offerings, we recommend signing up for 3-5 days per week, but you can choose whatever combination of days work best for you!
Our staff picks up from the following schools:
- Albert Greenfield School
- Independence Charter School
- Marian Anderson (formerly Chester Arthur) *(Mondays & Wednesdays)
Walking groups from other nearby schools can be arranged with a minimum of four participants.
We’ve had interest from parents at Bache-Martin (public bus ride back to the studio), Stanton, Friends Select, Russell Byers Charter and The Philadelphia School. If you’re looking for pick up from one of those schools for the 23-24 school year, please let us know as soon as possible so we can determine if there’s enough demand to add a pick up group!
Our studio follows the same health and safety protocols as the school district of Philadelphia. We strongly recommend that all students be vaccinated against COVID-19 due to everyone dancing and sweating indoors together.
Schedule & Class Descriptions
3 – 3:30 p.m. — Arrival & snack time
3:30 – 4:15 p.m. — Class I (Dance, Drama or free time)
4:15 – 5 p.m. — Class II (Dance, Drama or free time)
5 – 5:30 p.m. — Fitness Games, Cardio Dance, Improv Games or free time
5:30 – 6 p.m. – Homework time and pick up
Read on for the detailed schedule (subject to change depending on the ages/interests of the kids who sign up).
Dance offerings include:
- Ballet
- Jazz
- Lyrical
- Tap
- International styles (African, Latin Fusion)
- Cardio Dance (Hip Hop Cardio, Dance Party Mix, etc.)
Drama classes include:
- Act Out — Learn what it takes to be an actor: Work on stage presence, character development and more while rehearsing short scenes and plays.
- Improv — No worries if you’re not into performing, this class is for anyone who likes to be spontaneous and a little silly! Let the imagination flow through dramatic exercises, improvised skits and all sorts of games.
- Musical Theater — It’s our own off-Broadway stage! Sing AND dance while rehearsing a variety of showtunes.
- Playwriting — Bring stories to life on stage! Kids will get the chance to write and act in their own original creations.
- Show Choir — If you love singing, don’t miss out on this opportunity to add harmonies and basic movements to lots of different songs.
- *Voice Lessons — For serious students looking to stretch and polish their vocal technique, private sessions are available for an additional cost. Contact us to schedule.
*Fall 2023-2024 Schedule
Enroll Here
Ready to join the fun? Even if you’re not sure yet how many or which days of the week you’d like to do, please fill out this intake form to tell us more about your children and their interests. We’ll follow up to walk you through creating a profile in our system. Any questions, shoot us an email or call 215-645-2717.
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Rates
Afterschool program billing is divided into 10 even installments, along with a one-time $100 registration fee. To help us set class schedules, prep for end-of-season shows and build consistency, we require afterschool participants to commit to the entire academic year.
Secure your spot today with just a $100 registration fee, then complete your registration by filling out this form.
We believe that everyone should have access to the arts, so if cost is of concern, please contact us. We can create alternative payment plans or discuss need-based tuition assistance.
Enrolling multiple kids? Siblings get 10% off! Register one student, then email us to set up the discount for the next.
1-2 Days/Week — $3,650/year
3 Days/Week — $4,150/year
4 Days/Week — $4,650/year
5 Days/Week — $5,100/year
**BEST Value**
*Early dismissal pickup from ICS on Wednesdays is available for an additional $1,140/year, billed in 10 even installments alongside the regular program payment. Contact us to add this service.
Bonus Day Camps
When schools close for professional development, we’ve got you covered! We offer half and full day camps packed with fun movement and drama activities.
Full-day camps — $70 | Half-day camps — $40
Full day camps run from 9 a.m. – 3:30 p.m., followed by our ongoing afternoon classes from 3:30 pm.- 6 p.m. Students who are not already enrolled in after school programs are welcome to stay for those sessions for an additional $25 “extended day” option – contact us to add this. After school students do not pay extra for this part.
- Sept. 25 – Full Day, Yom Kippur
- Sept. 29 – Half Day, Professional Development
- Oct. 6 – Full Day (ICS), Professional Development
- Oct. 9 – Full Day (ICS), Indigenous Peoples’ Day
- Oct. 27 – Full Day, Professional Development
All 2023-24 camps listed on MindBody. Register in advance to secure your spot! Half day pickup provided to Greenfield, ICS, and Marian Anderson; we can accommodate pickup from additional schools with a minimum of 4 kids registered for camp.
Enrollment closes 2 days before camp so we can coordinate our staffing. After that, you can request late registration by emailing us; if space is still available there will be an additional $10 late fee applied to the cost.
The fun continues even over the summer! Check out our day camp, space still available in certain weeks:
After School FAQ
If your question isn’t here, find even more studio info on our Policies page or drop us a line and we’ll be happy to help!
Click on a question below to show the answer.
What should the students wear?
School attire is fine for most classes.
For dance fitness classes, the goal is to get sweaty, so you may want to send an extra t-shirt and shorts.
For students taking ballet, we recommend bringing leggings and a tank top or leotard. There are plenty of changing rooms at the studio.
Footwear: For younger or newer dancers, socks will work just fine for ballet or jazz classes. If all goes well after a few months, we’ll reach out to recommend upgrading to dance shoes.
For tap, it really is dramatically more fun with actual tap shoes. That said, you can still hear some sounds wearing sneakers. If you’re not sure if your child will be into tapping, you could start them out in sneakers and then upgrade to taps once they get a feel for the genre.
Can my child register for specific classes instead of the full afterschool program?
Absolutely. You would be responsible for bringing your child to the studio, but otherwise s/he can join in any of our kids programs.
Billing is auto-renewed monthly until you opt to cancel: 1 class/week for $120/month; 3 classes/week for $175/month or unlimited classes for $225/month (the best deal by far!). These rates include additional supervised play/homework time before and/or after class, so you can drop off your child and then pick them up anytime before 6 pm.
Alternatively, you can pay in full for one specific class for the entire semester. This option does not include additional supervised time before or after the class. If you have a specific class in mind, simply contact us for the semester rate.
More details and registration links here. Once you sign up online, just be sure to drop us a note so we know what classes your child plans to take.
Are there make-up classes if my child has to miss a day?
Yes! If you need to miss a day due to an illness, appointment or other special circumstance, you can come in on another day that week. Just be sure to notify us in advance so we’re clear on exactly which kids are getting picked up from school each day. Make-up days cannot be accumulated from week to week.
When schools close for professional development you can sign up for “School’s Out” camps or drop your child off for their normally scheduled program in the afternoon. If you choose to keep them home, you cannot make up this day. Holidays where we are closed are not eligible for make-ups, either.
What’s the policy if a kid is sick or gets COVID?
In an effort to help keep everyone healthy, we follow the same protocols as the school district. If a child is sick with a fever or stomach bug, we follow the district’s “24-hour policy” and ask that you “keep them home at least for the whole next day, even if you think they are fine.”
For COVID, we follow CDC guidelines. So if a student tests positive for COVID-19, they would not be able to come to the studio for the required CDC quarantine period or until a negative test.
Other safety measures we have implemented:
- All of our instructors/staff are vaccinated against COVID. We strongly recommend that all kids be vaccinated as well and keep note of vaccine records during registration.
- Kids are regularly asked to wash hands thoroughly, and are not allowed to share food.
- Our staff disinfects all tables and high-touch surfaces on a daily basis.
- If we learn that a student tested positive for COVID after coming to the studio, we notify any families whose children may have been exposed so that everyone can be on the lookout for break-through cases. Any communication about cases is always kept anonymous.
- We ask everyone – parents, students and teachers – to help us reduce the spread of illness by staying home if you’re not feeling well, especially if you have symptoms that could be indicative of COVID-19.
How does billing work?
- A non-refundable $100 registration fee is paid at the time of enrollment to guarantee your spot in our program.
- Payments are divided into 10 even installments, charged on the 23rd of each month beginning in August (8/23, 9/23, 10/23, 11/23, 12/23, 1/23, 2/23, 3/23, 4/23, 5/23). These charges do not correlate to the specific months, they are just installments spread out over the course of the academic year. If you prefer to pay in full upfront, just let us know.
- Early dismissal pickups from ICS on Wednesdays available for an additional $1,140, also divided into 10 payments.
- If joining midway through the year, the first payment will be prorated, and subsequent payments will be processed on the 23rd of each month.
- No refunds or returns. If applicable, students who miss a regularly scheduled day may come another day that week as a make-up.
- To help us set schedules, prep for end-of-season shows and build consistency, after school participants must commit to the full academic year. However, if a family is moving or some other extenuating circumstance arises, early cancellations may be requested in writing to info@phillydancefitness.com. If approved, the cancelation will be made effective 30 days from the date of the request and your child will be entitled to attend the program through the end of the last payment period.