Ashland’s Info Regarding Covid-19 for the 2020-2021 Season

The following information may update from time to time, so please continue to check this information as we know we may need to add things and/or delete things as we see what works best for our dancers, staff and families.

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*Although we are reducing our class sizes, we are leaving our tuition rates the same. The only fee change is that we are adding a minimal credit card processing fee. We’ve been needing to do this for quite some time to help offset the processing fees we incur with each transaction. You may avoid this fee by sending a check in with your dancer. You may also pay with cash, but only at times an office staff member is present and classes aren’t in session as this will require you to go into the building to get a cash receipt.

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*Parents/guardians/anyone other than students and staff that have classes on that day will not be allowed into the building during class times and 30 minutes prior to the first class of each day. If a parent or guardian needs to enter the building at any other time, he or she will need to do so alone (without children who aren’t currently enrolled in our program) so as to minimize the amount of people coming into the building for safety reasons. Simply call the office to set up an appointment.

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*If your dancer is not feeling well for any reason, please contact the office to let us know he or she won’t be joining us for class so we can let the instructor know. If your dancer is running fever (100 or higher), he or she should not attend dance class until he or she is fever and symptom free for a minimum of 24 hours without Tylenol or Ibuprofin. Please also let us know if your dancer or anyone in your family has tested positive or has been exposed to someone who tested positive for Covid-19 so we know if we need to make other families aware. We will determine how to handle this based on the possibility of interaction with other dancers and/or staff within 10 days of testing positive.

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*Dancers will not be allowed to wait in the building if breaks are longer than 15 minutes.

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*With so many unknown possibilities, we feel like there will be many times cases will need to be handled as they arise. It’s hard to say exactly how we will handle each situation, but we know with the virus being present, we will have positive cases or families in close contact with positive cases. I think it’s unrealistic to think we won’t. At this time, our plan is to be as transparent as possible so that you have the information you need to make the best decision for your family. We do not plan to cancel classes or move to a virtual format on a regular basis; however, we know there may be times we have to get creative and/or step back briefly to clean and keep everyone as safe as possible. We promise to be as upfront and honest with you guys with information we have and are asking all our families and staff to do the same. TEAMWORK makes the dream work!!! :)

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*At this time, since dancers move throughout the space, masks will be mandatory for all ages 3+ in the building at all times, with the exception of water breaks. Dancers and staff will not be allowed to enter the building without wearing a mask. During water breaks, dancers will be spread out more than 6 feet apart so they can safely catch their breath and drink water without being close to others. We are asking you, as part of dress code this year, to purchase your dancer a gaiter style face covering OR a mask that wraps all the way around your dancer’s head to use for dance. These tend to be easier to breathe in and can also be slipped down and back up by touching the sides and not touching near the mouth or nose. They won’t need to be set down anywhere since they fall around the neck, which will be much more sanitary. We are asking that you purchase this now so that your dancer can practice with it at home to find the best way to wear it so it stays in place in class. For example, when I wear one, it stays in place on my face better when I pull the back up over my low bun. Mr. Jacob has found ways to twist his so that it stays in place when he dances. I’ve seen other dancers flip it up, doubled, so it stays in place better and provides extra protection. If you find other ways that work, please share them with us!

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*While we have purchased extra hand sanitizer, disinfecting sprays, cleaning solutions and disinfecting wipes to help us stay on top of cleanliness, we are still asking each dancer to have a personal hand sanitizer for his or her bag. In addition, we are asking each family to bring one container of disinfecting wipes to leave at the studio. This can be at any time during the year as we know they aren’t easy to find, and we won’t need them all at once. Please write your family name on the container with a sharpie so we know to mark you off when you send it! :) Thank you so much for your help with this!

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*Due to limited space, each dancer should only bring ONE small bag (preferably plastic or something easy to disinfect) with only dance shoes and essentials needed for that day. If cloth, dancers should clean out and wash bags on a regular basis.

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*All dancers should bring a room temperature or insulated water bottle that doesn’t sweat with a screw top and his or her name labeled on it. We also have water bottles for sale for $1. If your dancer forgets and needs water, we will give him or her a bottle and put the charge on your account.

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*Doors will be locked between classes. A staff member will unlock the door to the waiting area approximately 10 minutes before class so dancers can be screened and ready to enter class when the previous class dismisses. If your dancer will be late, please call the office so our staff knows to listen for his or her knock.

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*In the system, class times do not show ending 5 minutes early; however, that is our current plan to give us transition time and time to disinfect any surfaces we feel need it between classes. Please be in line or in the parking lot 5 minutes early to help us with this transition. Please remain in your car in the drive-through line if possible. If you park and approach the building to get your child, please make sure you are wearing a mask for the safety of those entering and exiting the building.

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*We made the decision to pull Acrobats from the schedule until further notice. We are hoping we find it is safer to add back later in the year. If this is a class your dancer wants, please still mark it so we know the interest level. We will also send out an e-mail studio-wide if/when we are able to resume these classes.

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*The local health department has advised us to follow and refer our families to the CDC Youth Sports Guidelines. While dance instruction doesn’t match up exactly with the activities, the basic concepts for keeping our dancers and staff safe are very similar.