Before this goes live

This is a working template, not legal advice. Because Melissa is based in Germany, the GDPR applies, and because the program accepts dancers from age 15, rules on children’s data apply too. Both points are flagged in context below. Please have this reviewed by someone qualified before launch.

Last updated: [date to be set at launch]

Who is responsible for your data

This website and the Your Next Stage mentorship program are operated by Melissa Panetta.

[If Melissa is legally resident in Germany, German law may also require a separate Impressum page. Worth confirming.]

What information is collected

Information is only collected when you choose to give it.

When you submit an application or enquiry

The form on the contact page asks for:

  • Your name and email address
  • Your age
  • Your city and country
  • Your current training or school
  • Your Instagram handle, if you choose to provide it
  • What you are hoping to get from the program
  • How you heard about Your Next Stage

This information is used to assess your application, to reply to you, and to administer the program if you take part. It is not sold, rented, or used for advertising.

When you email directly

Anything you send by email is kept in that email account so the conversation can be continued.

Automatically collected information

The web host records standard server logs, which may include your IP address, browser type, and the pages you visited. These are used to keep the site running and secure.

[To be confirmed once hosting is chosen: whether analytics are used at all. If any analytics or tracking is added later, this section and the cookie section below must be updated, and a consent banner will most likely be required.]

Applicants under 18

Your Next Stage accepts dancers from age 15. If you are under 18, please review this policy with a parent or guardian before applying.

[Important: under the GDPR, Germany sets the age of digital consent at 16. For applicants under 16, a parent or guardian generally needs to consent to their data being processed. In practice this usually means adding a parent/guardian name and email to the application form for under-16s. This needs a decision before launch.]

Legal basis for processing

Where the GDPR applies, personal data is processed on these grounds:

  • Steps prior to entering a contract — reviewing your application and replying to you.
  • Contract — running the program for participants who enrol.
  • Consent — anything you volunteer beyond what is needed, which you can withdraw at any time.
  • Legitimate interests — keeping the website secure and functioning.

Who your information is shared with

Your information is never sold. It is handled by a small number of service providers strictly so the site and program can operate:

  • The web host — stores the website and its server logs. [Provider to be confirmed.]
  • The form provider — receives and forwards application form submissions. [Provider to be confirmed.]
  • The email provider — carries and stores correspondence. [Provider to be confirmed.]
  • Guest speakers and photographers — only where relevant to running a session, and only with your knowledge.

[Some of these providers may store data outside the EU/EEA. Once they are chosen, this section should name them and state what safeguards apply to any international transfer.]

Photography and video

The program includes an individualized headshot and dance-shot photo shoot, and sessions may involve video for feedback purposes.

[To be decided: whether Melissa wants permission to use participant photos or video for promotion. If so, that needs its own clear, separate, opt-in consent — and for participants under 18, parental consent. It should never be bundled into general program terms.]

Cookies

This website sets no tracking or advertising cookies. The fonts used on this site are served from this website’s own server, so no visitor information is sent to third-party font services.

[If a plugin is added later that sets cookies — many form, analytics, and chat plugins do — this section must be updated and a consent banner may be required.]

How long information is kept

  • Unsuccessful or withdrawn applications — [retention period to be set, e.g. 12 months, then deleted].
  • Participant records — kept for the duration of the program and for [period to be set] afterwards.
  • Email correspondence — kept while there is a reason to, then deleted.

Your rights

You can ask, at any time, to:

  • See what information is held about you
  • Have anything inaccurate corrected
  • Have your information deleted
  • Receive a copy of your information in a portable format
  • Restrict or object to how your information is used
  • Withdraw consent you previously gave

To make any of these requests, email melissa.marie.panetta@gmail.com. There is no charge, and you will get a reply within one month.

If you are in the EU or EEA and believe your data has been mishandled, you have the right to complain to your national data protection authority.

Security

Reasonable measures are taken to protect your information, including serving the site over an encrypted connection and limiting who can access application data. No method of transmission over the internet is completely secure, so absolute security cannot be guaranteed.

Changes to this policy

If this policy changes, the updated version will be posted here with a new date at the top. Significant changes affecting current participants will be communicated directly.

Contact

Questions about this policy or about your information can go to melissa.marie.panetta@gmail.com.