Last updated 26 October 2026.
These terms cover this website, your account, and every class, course, workshop, photoshoot and performance run by The Dancing Mermaid (“we”, “us”). By using the website, or by taking part in any of them, you agree to these terms and to our Privacy Policy.
Everyday language summaries (“Which means”) are provided for your benefit and are not legally binding.
1. Who We Are and What These Terms Cover
- 1.1The Dancing Mermaid is a mermaid and underwater dance school in Singapore, business registration 53476625X.
- 1.2These terms apply to anybody who uses this website, holds an account, or takes part in a class, course, workshop, photoshoot or event with us (an “Activity”). A parent or guardian who signs a child up accepts these terms for the child.
- 1.3Some Activities come with their own written terms, waiver or safety briefing. Where they differ from these terms, the Activity's own terms apply to that Activity.
- 1.4We may update these terms by posting a new version here with a new date at the top. A change does not affect an Activity you have already booked.
Which means
These terms apply to the website and to everything we teach and perform. If you sign up a child, you agree for them. If we change the terms, the new date is at the top, and a class you have already booked stays on the terms you booked it under.
2. Accounts
- 2.1We may create an account for you when you join a class or course. You can sign in to it once we give you sign-in details, or when we open sign-in to students, and the first time you do, you are asked to accept these terms and our Privacy Policy. You may also create one yourself whenever sign-up is open.
- 2.2You must give accurate details and keep them up to date. You are responsible for keeping your password secure and for anything done through your account.
- 2.3An account for anybody under 18 is set up with their parent or guardian's details, and the parent or guardian is responsible for it.
- 2.4We may suspend or close an account that breaks these terms.
Which means
Keep your details right and your password to yourself. A child's account belongs with their parent or guardian.
3. Health, Fitness and Disclosure
- 3.1Mermaiding and underwater dance are physical activities in water. They involve swimming with the legs held together in a tail or monofin, holding your breath, and moving underwater.
- 3.2You must be able to swim to the standard each course asks for. Course requirements are on the course pages, and MFI and PADI set their own.
- 3.3Before every Activity you must tell us, truthfully and completely, about any medical condition, injury, medication, pregnancy or recent illness that could affect your safety in water. This includes heart and lung conditions, asthma, epilepsy or seizures, ear and sinus problems, and recent surgery. Tell us as soon as anything changes.
- 3.4We may ask for a doctor's clearance before you take part, and we may decline or stop your participation if we believe it is unsafe.
- 3.5You must not take part while unwell, or after drinking alcohol or taking anything that affects your judgement or breathing.
Which means
Tell us about your health, honestly, every time. It is how we keep you safe in the water. If something makes it unsafe for you to take part, we will stop you, and we may ask for a note from your doctor first.
4. Safety in the Water
- 4.1You must follow your instructor's instructions and safety briefing at all times.
- 4.2Never practise breath-holding, or swim in a tail or monofin, alone or without a trained person watching. This applies outside our classes too. Shallow water blackout can happen without warning, to strong swimmers, in shallow water.
- 4.3Your instructor may pause or end an Activity, or remove anybody from the water, at any time for safety. That includes lightning and other bad weather, and pool or water conditions.
- 4.4Pools and venues are run by other people, and their own rules apply as well as ours.
Which means
Listen to your instructor. Never train alone, not even in a shallow pool. If the instructor says everybody out, everybody gets out.
5. Children
- 5.1Minimum ages are set for each course, and by MFI and PADI. They are shown on the course pages.
- 5.2A parent or guardian must sign a child up, give the child's health information and an emergency contact, and be reachable throughout the Activity. For a child under 16, an adult must stay at the pool throughout, and also wherever a course or venue requires it.
- 5.3Nobody under 18 is listed publicly as a performer, in an event's lineup, or on our About page.
- 5.4We photograph or film a child only with their parent or guardian's consent.
Which means
A parent or guardian signs children up and stays reachable, and an adult stays at the pool for a child under 16. Children are never shown on the site as performers, and they are not photographed without permission.
6. Courses and Certification
- 6.1MFI and PADI certifications are issued under MFI and PADI standards. Certification depends on meeting those standards, not on attendance or payment.
- 6.2Your instructor decides whether you have met the standards. If you have not, you may need further sessions. Any cost for them is agreed with you first.
- 6.3To certify you, we pass your details to MFI or PADI, and their own terms apply to the certification itself. See our Privacy Policy.
- 6.4The course material, routines and choreography we teach are ours or our instructors'. They are for your own learning. You may not teach them, sell them, or publish recordings of them without our written permission.
Which means
You are certified when you meet the standard, not just for turning up. MFI and PADI issue the certification, so they need your details. What we teach you is for you, not for reposting.
7. Equipment
- 7.1Tails, monofins and other equipment we lend you stay ours. Use them as instructed and tell us about any damage straight away. We may ask you to pay for repair or replacement of damage caused by misuse or carelessness, but not for normal wear.
- 7.2If you bring your own equipment, we may check it and refuse it if we believe it is unsafe.
Which means
Look after what we lend you. Normal wear is on us. If your own tail is not safe, it stays out of the water.
8. Bookings, Fees and Cancellations
- 8.1Where this website offers online booking, you can register and pay for a course here. You can always arrange a course with us directly instead. Either way, the booking is confirmed when we receive payment in full.
- 8.2Prices are in Singapore dollars. Prices on this website may change; the price you pay when you book is the price of that booking. The Dancing Mermaid is not registered for GST, so no GST is charged.
- 8.3Card payments online are processed by Stripe, on Stripe's own page. We never see or store your card number. You can also pay us directly by PayNow, bank transfer or cash; we issue a receipt either way.
- 8.4After you book, we contact you within 2 business days (Monday to Friday, Singapore time) to agree the date and time of your sessions. Your sessions must be scheduled and completed within 6 months of booking.
- 8.5Because classes are small, mostly one-to-one and never more than four, and the instructor's time is reserved for you, fees are non-refundable, and confirmed sessions cannot be cancelled or moved, except in serious circumstances such as illness or an emergency. In those cases, with supporting documents such as a doctor's note, we offer another date, a credit, or a refund for the sessions not taken, at our discretion.
- 8.6If we cancel or postpone a session, for example because of instructor illness, a venue closure, weather or safety, we offer you another date or refund what you paid for that session.
- 8.7Refunds go back the way you paid: to the same card for online payments, which banks usually take 5 to 10 business days to show, and by PayNow, bank transfer, cash or cheque otherwise. We send a credit note for every refund.
Which means
You pay in full when you book, by card online where that is offered, or directly. We call you within two business days to fix your dates, and your sessions are done within six months. Because your instructor's time is held for you, fees are not refunded if you change your mind, but we look after you if you are ill or something serious comes up, and if we cancel, you get another date or your money back.
9. Events and Performances
- 9.1A performance at your event is booked by a written quotation or agreement, which sets the fee, schedule and cancellation terms.
- 9.2The organiser is responsible for a safe performing environment. That means suitable water depth and quality, a lifeguard where the venue requires one, changing space and shade, and supervision of guests at the water's edge, especially children.
- 9.3Our performers work with their own trained watcher, who is not the venue's lifeguard. They may shorten, pause or stop a performance for safety, and limit how long they stay in the water.
- 9.4We may photograph and film our own performances for our portfolio, as set out in section 10.
Which means
Bookings for events are in writing. You provide a safe pool and keep an eye on your guests. Our performers decide what is safe for them in the water.
10. Photos and Video
- 10.1We may photograph and film classes, courses and events, and use the results on this website, on our social media and in our promotion.
- 10.2If you do not want to appear, tell us before or during the Activity and we will respect that. If you change your mind later, ask us and we will remove you from this website and from our own social media accounts. We cannot recall copies already shared or printed by others.
- 10.3Do not photograph or film other participants without their consent.
- 10.4We publish a testimonial only with your permission, under the name you choose, and take it down if you ask.
- 10.5Lesson files (videos and photos) we send you are for your own use. We delete them 7 days after we upload them, and the link stops working, so download them as soon as you receive it.
Which means
We take photos and videos and share them. Tell us if you would rather not be in them, now or later. Ask before you film anybody else. Download your lesson files as soon as they arrive.
11. Conduct
- 11.1Treat instructors, performers, other students and venue staff with respect.
- 11.2We may remove anybody from an Activity whose behaviour is abusive, unsafe or disruptive.
Which means
Be kind, and be safe. If you are not, you will be asked to leave.
12. Risk and Liability
- 12.1Activities in water carry risks that care reduces but cannot remove, including drowning, shallow water blackout, ear and sinus injury, and injury from slips, falls and equipment. By taking part, you accept those inherent risks.
- 12.2Nothing in these terms excludes or limits our liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence, or any other liability that cannot be excluded or limited under Singapore law.
- 12.3Subject to 12.2, we are not liable for indirect or consequential loss, for loss of or damage to belongings, or for loss caused by your failure to disclose health information or to follow instructions. Subject to 12.2, our total liability arising from an Activity is limited to the fees you paid for it.
- 12.4You agree to indemnify us against claims by other people that arise from your breach of these terms or your deliberate misconduct.
- 12.5This website is provided “as is”. We do not warrant that it will always be available or free of errors.
Which means
Water sports have real risks, and you take part knowing that. If we are negligent and somebody is hurt, these terms do not let us off. Beyond that, what we owe you is capped at what you paid.
13. This Website
- 13.1The content of this website, including its text, photographs, videos and logos, belongs to us or is used with permission. Do not copy it without our written permission.
- 13.2PADI, PADI Mermaid and related marks are trademarks of PADI and are used with permission as a PADI Pro Member. MFI marks belong to Mermaid Federation International.
- 13.3Links to other websites, such as MFI, PADI and Instagram, are for your convenience. We are not responsible for their content.
- 13.4Do not misuse this website: do not try to reach other people's accounts or data, test or get around its security, copy it in bulk by automated means, or send false or abusive enquiries.
- 13.5This website uses cookies, and Google Analytics unless you refuse it. Our Privacy Policy lists them and lets you change your choice.
Which means
The photos and words here are ours. Other people's websites are theirs. Use the site fairly. You can say no to analytics.
14. Privacy
What we hold about you, who else sees it, and how long we keep it is set out in our Privacy Policy, which forms part of these terms.
15. Governing Law
- 15.1These terms are governed by the laws of Singapore.
- 15.2If something goes wrong, please tell us first so we can try to put it right. Any dispute we cannot settle between us is subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Singapore.
Which means
Singapore law applies. Talk to us first. If we cannot settle it, it is settled in Singapore.
16. Contact
Questions about these terms go to enquiry@mermaid.sg.
The Dancing Mermaid, Singapore. Business registration 53476625X.