Reopening plans & safety measures

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Reopening Plans & Safety Measures

July 18, 2020 

Hey dancers!! 

City health officials have given the go-ahead for indoor exercise – with capacity and other restrictions, of course – so we’re working on a gradual reopening plan! We’re beyond excited to dance with you again, but we also want to be as safe and socially responsible as possible. We will be doing everything we can to provide a healthy, clean space but we’ll need your help. Read on to learn more about our reopening plans and “community code.”

Before diving into the details, we wanted to say how much we’ve appreciated all of your support over these past few months. It has been incredibly difficult to pivot our entire operation to the virtual world. At the same time, it was amazing that we could use technology to continue to sweating “together” online. Even though we can’t see you through the livestream cameras, the positive comments and energy that you’ve sent us through chat, emails and social media have kept us going. Some of you even reached out to let us know that our online classes provided a much-needed sense of normalcy, a lifeline even, during this crazy time, and we feel you! We will do everything we can to continue providing fun, challenging classes for you in whatever formats we can!

The Plan

While there are certainly advantages of being in person for dance classes – especially more technical genres – we also understand that not everyone will be interested or able to return to the studios until the pandemic is well behind us. Because of this, we will continue to offer a full schedule of livestream options even as we begin to reopen. In fact, we’ll continue offering virtual classes for as long as there’s demand for it. That means you can choose what’s best for you – there’s no pressure to be around other people unless you want to. 

We expect our reopening to start with a few evening classes at our Midtown location (1301 Locust St) Thursday, July 30th. See full schedule here.

These classes will also be livestreamed for those who prefer to stay home or are unable to get a spot due to extra restrictions on capacity. (The cameras will be focused on the instructor but if you are concerned about potentially appearing in the livestream, simply let the instructor know and s/he will direct you to a spot outside the camera angle). 

Per city requirements: 

  • Class capacity will be capped at 10 (one instructor and 9 students)
  • Spots will be marked on the floor to help maintain a distance of 6 feet or more from each other 
  • Masks must be worn at all times, by both students and staff

See below for some additional safety measures that we’ll be implementing. 

Since capacity will be so limited, we strongly encourage you to sign up in advance if you plan to attend. If your schedule changes, just remember to cancel at least 4 hours before so that another student can use that spot. In an effort to become more “touchless,” we will not be accepting cash walk-ins, which means you’ll need to register in advance through the Mindbody app or our website. 

If all goes well, we will gradually add back more in-person classes. We are tentatively planning to resume some in-person classes at the Rittenhouse studio (1624 South St) by September. (Ballet will remain livestream only until then, however, we’ll also continue to schedule special Zoom sessions for ballet members.) Of course, all of this can change at any moment. We will update and fine-tune these plans as we get updates from local and state guidelines. Any changes will be posted here or on our social media channels. 

Our Community Code 

To keep our studios safe, we expect all students to follow these guidelines: 

  • Keep tabs on your own health and stay home if you’re not feeling well, have any symptoms of COVID-19 or have been in contact with anyone showing signs of illness. (We’ll be sure to add your class credit back to your account.) 
  • Take your temperature regularly and get tested periodically if you’re at risk
  • If you test positive for COVID-19 or come into contact with someone who has, we ask that you don’t come to the studio for 14 days or until you’ve tested negative. 
  • If you test positive after coming to class, contact us immediately. This way, we can notify anyone else who was potentially exposed to help trace and contain any potential outbreaks. 
  • Try to keep at least 6 feet away from others to the extent possible. On the dance floor, follow the markers on the floor to make sure everyone gets enough space.
  • Wear a face mask at all times
  • Do your best to refrain from touching anything without washing hands before and after
  • Respectfully refrain from hugs and handshakes (so hard!) 
  • Throw away any trash you may have, especially tissues. 
  • Wash hands thoroughly and regularly, and use an alcohol based sanitizer if a sink isn’t available
  • Reserve classes in advance.
  • Check yourself in using the Mindbody app on your phone or tell the instructor when you arrive and we’ll take care of it so you don’t need to touch our check-in screen
  • Limit your time in the studio to no more than 15 min before and after class
  • For stretch and barre classes, bring your own mat if you can (though of course we’ll still have clean ones at the studio if you don’t have one).
  • Purified water refills will still be available in Midtown but bringing your own is best

Studio Safety Procedures

We’ll also be doing a few things differently on our end to ensure that our spaces are as safe as possible. 

Deeper Cleaning 

  • More frequent cleaning, including regularly disinfecting door handles, light switches, chairs and railings, as well as any equipment used. 
  • Thoroughly sanitizing high-touch surfaces with hospital grade disinfectants.
  • Hand sanitizer and extra disposable masks will be available for use

Limiting Contact

  • As hard as it will be, we’ll hold off on high-fives and hugs for now, and only use verbal cues to help you adjust form.
  • Instructors will enforce capacity limits 
  • Requiring advance reservations so there’s no need to handle cash or credit cards. 

Checking in with our Team

  • Instructors will follow the same “self-health check” expectations as students and be asked to remain home if they’re not feeling well or have been in contact with anyone exposed to COVID. 
  • Staff will keep masks on at all times

Thank you again for sticking with us during this incredibly difficult time.

We would not have been able to manage these last few months without your dedication and support.
Keep spreading the word to family and friends so we can continue providing content for you.
We look forward to seeing you again soon!