ART BALLET ACADEMY MAINTAINING HEALTH & SAFETY PROTOCOLS

 As our community navigates the coronavirus pandemic, we at Art Ballet Academy commit to keeping an open line of communication with our families and always keeping the health and safety of our students and teachers a priority. Our updated protocol will ensure that we will help our community slowing the spread of coronavirus. These steps include: 

1. Temperature check of each dancer and teacher at the front door entrance. Anyone with a temperature of 100 ℉, or above, will be asked to leave the studio.

a. Please come to studio only if no signs or symptoms of coronavirus in the past 14 days and no close or sustained contact with anyone who is sick within 14 days of starting classes. Anyone who has been in contact with a person who has tested positive for coronavirus in the last 14 days should stay home. Inform our office if your child or any family member living in the same household tested positive for coronavirus and has been to the studio within the last 14 days so we can contact her classmates. If a dancer tested positive for a coronavirus, then they will need a clearance note from their doctor to return to studio.

b. Anyone with a cough, difficulty breathing, muscle aches, fatigue, sore throat, chills, headache, runny nose, abdominal pain/discomfort, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or fever greater than 100 should NOT come to class. To participate in virtual classes during your illness and/or quarantine time, please email our office at ballet@ABacademy.com for a Zoom login/password information.

c. If a class is cancelled due to quarantine, instruction for this class will continue virtually until quarantine is lifted.

d. If you have not already gotten one, a flu shot is encouraged. Although it will not protect against coronavirus, it can protect or impact the severity of the flu. 

2. All teachers and students (all ages) must wear a face mask(no face shields are accepted). For children age 3-4, parents can decide whether or not their children should wear face coverings, but please keep in mind that children that age should not wear masks if they are not able to put on and remove the mask without assistance.

3. Parents will drop off and pick up children at the front door and will not have access to the lobby (except parents of Pre-Ballet level students / face mask for parent is required/ one parent per child).

a. Parents of Pre-Ballet, Ballet 1, Ballet 2, Ballet 3/4, Intermediate level students please do not allow your child to walk alone from/ to the car through the parking lot! Each child (Pre-Ballet - Intermediate levels) will be dismissed individually as each parent comes to the front door. 

b. Parents/Guardians of dancers between the ages of 3 and 8 (Pre-Ballet, Ballet 1 & 2) are encouraged to wait in their cars in the parking lot in case their dancer has any issues.

c. Parents can come inside of the studio only for a quick registration paperwork/payment drop off. Face mask is required. Anyone who has been in contact with a person who has tested positive for coronavirus in the last 14 days may not enter the studio lobby. 

4. Students should arrive no more than 10 minutes before class and must be picked up within 5 minutes after class. If you arrive earlier than 10 minutes before class start time, please remain in your car with your dancer. All classes will be dismissed from the dance room approximately 5 minutes early to allow for time to clean and safely line-up for pick-up.

5. Dancers may only be in the studio when they are attending their registered class. All other dancers must leave the studio at the conclusion of their class. Therefore, if your dancer has a break between classes, they must be picked up by a parent/guardian and returned at the time of their next class.

6. Students are asked to come dressed, hair done for class and will not have access to dressing room. 

7. Students are asked to bring their own labeled with name water bottle. Students may not bring any food into or eat in the studio.

8. No yoga mats for flexibility/conditioning classes will be provided. Please bring your own. 

9. 6 feet apart at the barre and center work. 

10. Teachers will work with a “hands off” approach with their students.

11. Sanitation of ballet barres before/after each class. Dancers are welcome to use a hand towel to hold the barre. Hand sanitizer, soap, paper towels and tissues will be widely available throughout the studio. Dancers will apply hand sanitizer before and after each class.

12. Both restrooms will be equipped with HoMedics TotalClean® UV-C technology Personal Air Sanitizer. We will be enhancing cleaning of high touch surfaces in restrooms as well. Only one dancer at a time will be allowed to go to the restroom. 

13. Water bottles and any lost and found personal items that are left behind will be discarded weekly. If your dancer has left an item at the studio, please email us at ballet@ABacademy.com.

14. All safety protocols will be reviewed and revised according to any updated information from the Tarrant County Public Health.

15. All students (and parents/guardians for minors) must have a signed Art Ballet Academy’s Safety Protocol waiver online and Fall 2020-Spring 2021 registration form on file prior to the beginning of classes. 

Things dancers need to bring to dance class:
• Face mask 

• Dance bag tagged with the dancer’s full name and parent’s name and cell phone number
• Personal hand sanitizer (optional)
• Hand towel to hold a barre (optional)
• Water bottle (with full name written on the bottle)
 

When to stay at home: 

• If for any reason you are not comfortable or confident in these safety measures, please keep your child home and continue doing class via Zoom.
• Anyone with a dancer or family member that feels ill or has a fever.
• Anyone living with an immunocompromised family member.
• Anyone living or interacting with elderly people on a regular basis.
• Anyone that has been exposed to someone that has tested positive for Covid-19.
 

Gel hand sanitizers and cleaning supplies are in high demand for us right now, so if you have any that you would like to donate to the studio, we will be incredibly grateful!
 

At this time Art Ballet Academy will open with these policies and restrictions until directed otherwise. Each family is encouraged to make their own decision about attending classes at the studio. Please do what you feel comfortable with and what makes the most sense for you and your family. Your health and safety are extremely important to us! We are so looking forward to healthier times, when we can hug all your little ones again - they are such a bright spot in our day! The well-being of our students and families is a top priority, so please know that we are here to address any concerns or issues and we are happy to hear from you about additional ways we can keep our ABA ballet family healthy.
 

Sincerely,
Mariya Kudyakova
Art Ballet Academy Director