Policies & Procedures
Dancer’s Haven is taking every precaution necessary when it comes to the health and safety of our staff, students, and their families. While the policies may seem cumbersome, they are a small price to pay so that we can return to the dance studio. Please help Dancer’s Haven adhere to the CDC and DOH protocols by carefully reading and cooperating with the following procedures.
We understand these protocols sound formidable; however, they really only take a few extra minutes per class. Please be patient as we work through the initial learning curve. Please carefully review these guidelines with your child to ensure things proceed as smoothly as possible.
Dance class will look a little different. Per current guidelines, we can only have a limited number of students on the dance floor at a time. We have installed hand sanitizer stations in the studio. Unfortunately, we cannot allow parents to observe class in person at this time.
Please understand we are implementing these procedures to assure that your child, your family, and our staff stay safe and we can continue to dance.
COVID-19 Protocols:
Current government protocols are extensive and our protocols may be updated as the situation continues to change. Dancer’s Haven is dedicated to the health and safety of our students and will continue to closely monitor the CDC guidelines. Any changes will be emailed to the email address provided when you registered your child for classes.
The following policies are some of the ways Dancer’s Haven is ensuring your students safety while also adhering to the governor-mandated policies.
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Class start times are staggered to keep congestion to a minimum and to allow time for disinfection of high-touch surfaces in the studio and waiting room.
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Students will be kept with their cohorts by separating students into different “blocks.” Dancer’s Haven will try to limit interaction between separate cohorts by staggering start times for each “block” of classes.
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At the end of each “block” of classes, the studio and all high-touch areas (i.e. bathroom, handrails, etc.) will be disinfected before the next “block” enters the building.
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Zoom classes will be provided concurrently for every class. Dancer’s Haven is invested in ensuring students are able to participate in every class – whether in the studio or from home.
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Please note: This also allows parents to observe their child virtually during all studio classes.
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Classes will transition completely to Zoom if we are required to suspend in-person classes temporarily.
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Students and staff returning from traveling out of state or from designated red zone areas should attend virtually via Zoom for 14 days per the current DOH guidelines.
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All staff and students will complete a health screening each day at the studio.
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If anyone at the studio becomes ill with COVID 19, we will shut down in-person classes and transition to virtual classes. The length of the shut down will be determined by the number of positive cases and current DOH and CDC guidelines.
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Upon arriving for class, students (and accompanying parents) will be screened.
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Screening results will be kept on file to facilitate contact tracing should someone develop COVID 19.
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Masks must be worn by students, parents, and staff unless actively dancing.
Guidelines for arriving at the studio for dance class:
Parents of older students (ages 8 and up) are asked to remain outside when dropping their children off and to return promptly at the end of class to collect them.
One parent of a student age 8 or under may bring their child into the waiting area for drop off and pick up. We ask that any other family members remain outside and that the parent exit the building after the health screening is conducted.
Children should be dropped off no more than 5 minutes before the beginning of their class. Please be available to pick your child up right at the end of class. Older students will be allowed to walk to your parked car, but younger students will remain with a staff member until a parent arrives. Please be prompt.
All parents will be able to watch their child’s class on their personal device by following the link to the online Zoom class. At this time, there will be no parent observation from the studio waiting room.
A mask must be worn by everyone at all times when in the studio building until the student is on their socially distanced “dance spot.” (See below).
What to expect when entering the studio:
When you arrive, someone will be at the door to do a health screening. Anyone entering the studio building will be checked in, have their temperature taken and asked about any possible symptoms.
All students should enter through the main door. A staff member will take the student’s temperature.
Please note: Any parents accompanying their young child inside the building will also have to complete the health screen.
Students and/or parents will be asked the following questions:
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Within the last 14 days, have you or a household member exhibited any of the following symptoms:
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Fever/Chills
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Cough
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Sore throat
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Shortness of breath
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Loss of taste/smell
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Vomiting/diarrhea
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Unexplained fatigue
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A temperature greater than 100°
2. Have you traveled outside of the state or to any of the in-state red zones within the last 14 days?
3. Have you been exposed to anyone confirmed with or suspected of having COVID 19 within the last 14 days?
After completing the health screen, students will be permitted to proceed into the waiting room. If a student has a temperature above 100 or answers yes to any of the questions, the student will be asked to return home and participate via Zoom.
All health screenings will be kept on file for contact tracing purposes.
Anyone with any of the above symptoms should not come to class and should instead attend virtually until they are symptom free for 14 days.
Attendance will be taken in every class to facilitate contact tracing.
Anyone who has been in contact with a person who has tested positive for COVID 19 in the past 14 days may not enter the building.
After the health screening is completed, students will sanitize their hands and may then enter the waiting room. Parents of younger children will be allowed to help their child take off their coats and shoes and prepare for class before exiting to watch the class virtually.
What to expect before and during dance class:
Once a student is in the waiting room, students will remove their street shoes and coats. These items should be placed neatly and not on top of anyone else’s belongings. Students should put on the appropriate dance shoes. Students will then go down the steps and onto the dance floor. Students should bring all necessary changes in dance shoes and their water bottle onto the studio floor.
Students will select or be directed to one of the socially distanced bins placed around the studio floor. Other dance shoes, water bottle, and mask should be placed into the bin. Once the student has placed their mask into the bin, they will proceed immediately to a socially distanced “dance spots” closest to their bin. Younger students will be directed to a dance spot.
*At this time, students are not required to wear a mask once on their “dance spot.”
Dancers will stay in the “dance spot” area during class unless directed to another area during class. It is important that everyone maintain distance from one another.
Students using the bathroom should put their mask back on and leave it on until they return to their “dance spot.”
What to expect at the end of class:
At the end of each class, students will put their masks back on and sanitize their hands. Bins will then be disinfected.
Students will be allowed to leave the dance floor one at a time to return to the waiting room after collecting their belongings and their bins have been disinfected.
Parents picking up younger children, should not enter the studio until the class has finished. Everyone must wear a mask to enter the studio.
General notes:
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Students will be expected to wear a leotard, tights, and shoes appropriate for the class he/she is taking at the time.
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Long hair should be securely fastened up and/or back during class time. Short hair should be securely fastened off the face with barrettes or a hair band.
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Do not wear shorts, tee-shirts, or pants for ballet and pointe classes. Warm-up pants are okay for jazz and tap classes only. Please abide by these rules – when you look like a dancer, you will feel like a dancer!
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Please do not bring food, drinks other than water, or chewing gum into the studio.
Thank you for your cooperation in these matters. With your help and understanding, we can ensure a safe return to dance for all.