At Performing Arts Connection and Education (PACE), the health and safety of our members’ staff, students, guests, and communities have always been our highest priority; 

a commitment that has only been heightened at this time in history. That’s why we have used local and national guidelines to inform our best practices for service continuity and safety. 

 

Because dance meets imperative student needs for physical, social, and emotional well-being, we are committed to helping our staff and students navigate healthy movement and continue training. We follow the Safer Studio™ standards put forth by our national association, More Than Just Great Dancing!®, along with the utmost care and consultation of our local health departments and locally available information. 

 

Education 

PACE staff, parents, and dancers are informed about the symptoms of COVID-19, including, fever, cough, shortness of breath, diarrhea (watery), sore throat/congestion, headache, chills, muscle and joint pain (multiple), nausea or vomiting, and, loss of sense of smell. 

 

Dancers and staff should STAY HOME if they have any symptoms of COVID-19. They should also notify the studio owners/administrators and contact healthcare providers if they develop symptoms. If in doubt, sit them out. Makeup private lessons or additional classes are always available.

 

PACE will continue to adjust physical services and follow the Governors protocols.

1. PACE’s covid protocol plan:

   • Reinforce an attendance policy that does not allow employees to work when sick or students to attend classes when sick.

   • Reinforce proper hygiene and health standards with all staff members and students, including frequent hand washing and/or sanitizing, not touching the face, and sneezing and/or coughing into elbows.

   • Increase frequency of sanitation in high traffic areas and high touch surfaces of the studio such as barres, floors, counters, stereos, and bathrooms. Our Marley flooring is antimicrobial. We have regular service performed on our air cleaner/hvac system & run them continuously during class.

   • Adjust studio operations based on public health guidelines and recommendations regarding PPE, assembly/gathering/occupancy size, and offers social distancing dance space for every dancer in every studio and, where possible and practical, in hallways and lobbies.

   • Adjust curriculum and teacher training to reduce or eliminate hand-holding, equipment-sharing, and mingling where possible and practical.

   • Communicates a clear policy for each phase of opening regarding student drop-off and pick-up, lobby availability, and amenity use.

1. PACE has a variety of service options available including private instruction, small group instruction, traditional classes, and online instruction, where possible and practical, to meet the needs of students and staff as well as for the ability to maintain service continuity in any situation.

2. PACE will follow the WVSSAC and a clear system of communicating the status of classes, such as a “green, yellow, orange, red” protocol. Green indicates it is safe to attend with social distancing and no mask when distanced. Yellow, Gold, and Orange indicate a phased and cautionary change with use of masks and possibly service delivery. Red indicates clients have additional online options. https://dhhr.wv.gov/COVID-19/Pages/default.aspx

3. PACE understands that, unlike older children and adults, young children cannot be expected to maintain social distancing at all times. Therefore, we focus on a hierarchy of measures beginning with avoiding contact with anyone with symptoms, frequent hand cleaning and good hygiene practices, amplified cleaning, and minimizing contact and mingling.

4. If PACE receives a report of exposure risk, any affected classes will be notified, and exposure-risk level cleaning will be enacted. There is absolutely no penalty for absence, and classes may be made up in-person (space permitting) or online (anytime).

 

Additional Considerations 

At PACE, our staff is vaccinated and every faculty member with 1 exception.  We are proud of the work our team has done since 2006 to create the highest quality experiences and environments for our staff, students, and guests. Because of this groundwork, and the strength of our network, we believe our studio is in a strong position for a gradual and responsibly phased reopening. We are honored to continue to serve our community in this time. 

 

Sincerely, 

Your PACE Staff & Faculty 

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💞 We will send an update on the guidelines below as they change. 

 

Student guidelines as of 8-31-21 include: updates will be emailed to each class

- Daily mobile check-in with a covid questionnaire for every student who enters the building. 

- Wash or sanitize hands at entry, between classes, and dismissal.

- Classes are small so that Dancers have plenty of room to maintain their own 6-10ft space to dance.

- We will follow the face covering recommendation for all common spaces per Wood County Schools & the Mid Ohio Valley Health Department.        

- While the county is orange or red, we will take temperatures daily, and the lobby will be closed for waiting.  

- Parents are welcome to come in and out anytime.

- Bring a personal water bottle. The water fountain will be used for filling water bottles but not for drinking out of. 

- Dance bags will be kept in each dancer's assigned space. 

- Take street shoes off before entering the studios, including Dance w/ Me parents who participate. 

- If a student is quarantined through their school district, we will need a copy of the note required by schools to come back.  Class can be taken virtually,     and tuition will be refunded for missed classes due to quarantine.

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