June 24, 2020
The IPAC will be reopening for summer July 6th. Our first priority with reopening is the safety of our dancers, faculty and staff; therefore we have consulted guidelines from state and local government, local health departments, Royal Academy of Dance, and the healthcare professionals in our own IPAC family. We hope that these policies will help to mitigate the transmission of COVID-19 and provide as safe an environment as possible, but this will require everyone’s active participation. We understand that some may not feel comfortable allowing your student back at the studio therefore we will be offering a virtual program that will continue to stimulate and energize your dance lover. If you have vacationed in a COVID -19 Hot Spot we ask that you quarantine 14 days taking virtual classes before returning to the studio. Please familiarize yourself and your dancer with the following procedures. Procedural changes or going all-virtual are always considerations if there are COVID-19 spikes in our surrounding area.
Student’s preparation at home:
- Please do not come to MYB if you are feeling ill, have a fever, a cold, are sneezing, and/or coughing even if this may be due to allergies. In addition, if you or anyone in your family has been around someone diagnosed with COVID-19, we ask that you do not come to the studio for two weeks after exposure. If possible take your temperature before coming to the studio. Please do not come if you feel sick, have a temperature, cough, diarrhea, or have been exposed to someone with COVID-19 in the past 14 days.
- Provide a plastic tote to place shoes in upon entering the building.
- Provide your own water bottles with your name.
- Bring some personal hand sanitizer that have at least 60% ethyl alcohol or 70% isopropyl alcohol and should be allowed to dry for 30 seconds and disinfectant wipes.
- Bring several masks to change if they get sweaty.
- Bring Lunch or snacks that can be easily consumed, individually packaged and do not have to be prepared in the kitchen. Students will eat outside on the back lawn or in the studio on rainy days.
- Dress for class with a cover up, as dressing rooms will not be accessible.
- Bring a large beach towel for stretching or lie on floor.
Arrival procedures for students, faculty and staff:
- We must all assume that we could be an asymptomatic carrier of the COVID-19 virus and therefore may unintentionally transmit it to someone else. Therefore wearing a mask on arrival is required.
- Arrive no more than 10 minutes before class time. We have scheduled at least 15 minutes between classes in order to reduce waiting in the hallways and person-to-person contact. If you arrive early wait in your car until secretary greets you at the door. During the 15 minutes prior to the start of class, the front door and inside doors will be propped open to minimize contact with the door handles. Doors will be shut after that. Promptness is vital to our arrival procedures.
- Proceed to secretary keeping proper social distancing for a touch less temperature and symptoms check. If your temperature is above 100.4 you will be asked to go home. Secretary will keep a daily log. Questions for Symptom Checks
- Have you had a fever in the last two weeks?
- Do you have a cough or breathing problems?
- Have you been around anyone exhibiting Covid-19 symptoms (including but not limited to fever, chills, muscle pain, cough, loss of smell or taste) in the last 14 days?
- You will then be welcomed in the building and should use the hand sanitize station. Let dry 30 seconds.
- Inside the lobby you will take off your street shoes place them in your plastic tote then proceed into the studio placing your belonging by your spot at the barre. Each dancer will have the same space at the barre and in the center in which to work weekly.
Classroom Procedures
- Students and faculty should remain at minimum six feet apart during class.
- At the end of barre wipe down your space.
- Moving across the floor will be 1 dancer at a time and maintain 13-16 feet between sets.
- No direct floor work unless students bring their own towels or mats.
- No hands on corrections.
- Students will be allowed to go to the restroom 1 at a time. Hand washing 20 seconds before entering the studio again.
- Hand sanitize before exiting the studio.
- When students are finished class for the day they should exit the building immediately where designated taking all belongings with them daily.
- Students will be expected to wear face masking anytime they are inside the building. If students need to take mask off for fresh air they will be allowed to step outside the building at anytime during class.
Facility Changes
- The facility will be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected daily accordance to the CDC’s guidelines.
- All surfaces will be sanitized before and after classes including props if used.
- Regularly disinfecting door handles, light switches and other high touch surfaces.
- Keep a daily record of when cleaning and disinfecting is done.
- Provide hand sanitizer at entrance and exits of building..
- Close Dressing Rooms. Students should arrive fully dressed and ready for class.
- Close Waiting Rooms. A faculty or staff member will escort younger students out of the building to a parent or caretaker waiting outside or in car.
- Items left will be disposed of no “Lost and Found”.
- Drinking fountains will be closed.
- Kitchen will be closed.
- Signage posted throughout to remind of safe distancing protocol.
- Bathroom
- One person at a time using the bathroom.
- Restrooms provide no-touch soap dispensers with antibacterial soap.
- Wash hands for 20 seconds upon leaving the restrooms.
Faculty and Staff
- Teachers should wash hands before and after each class.
- Faculty and Staff sanitize cell phones or sound systems after each class .
- Faculty and staff must wear face-masks or face shields.
- Faculty must be in the studio before your group of students is welcomed into the building.
- A mask will initially make it harder to breathe while teaching and your students may experience symptoms of lightheadedness, dizziness, numbness or tingling, and shortness of breath. Please be conscious of any dancer exhibiting distress and have them leave the studio and move to a safe space in the hallway or outside to recover.
Parent Guidelines
- All parents must sign the following Google document that states they have read these covid guidelines put into place for their safe return to the studio.
- Until further notice parents are not allowed into the building without an appointment. Parents should drop off students at Inwood Dance Company entrance waiting in the parking lot until your child has been temperature checked and welcomed into the building.
- Payment methods
- Send a check in an envelope with your child
- Call for credit card payment
- No cash transactions
- Dancewear Purchases can be made by appointment.
- Registration can be taken by phone or by appointment.
By checking this box you have read and understand the current procedures for returning to class.
Resources
Task Force on Dancer Health: Return to Dancing and Training Considerations Due to Covid-19
The Dance Docs: Considerations for Reintegrating and Returning Into the Dance Studio