What is Studio 3’s reopening plan?

We will take things slow, starting with parameters in place that we can implement with a small group of kids before a full studio reopening. This will give our staff a chance to practice our new procedures, tweak things as we go, and find the most effective and safest ways to do things.

We’ve put together a short infomercial that details our procedures and policies as we move toward reopening. Things like improved cleaning and sanitization procedures and specific spacing and pathways for kids in the classroom to maintain social distance. I’m actually really excited for you to watch this video. It’s something we have worked so hard on and will give you a visual idea of how we’re keeping our families safe.

What's the timing?

• During the weeks of May 18-30, we invited a couple of private lesson students and 2 small groups of 3 students to the studio to test out our systems and procedures and give us feedback on the experience.
• We were also able to test out the hybrid model with these few students in person and their classmates on Zoom, to make sure we know how to bring an amazing experience to both.
• On June 1, we are opening our doors for the hybrid experience. Students may choose to come in person or remain on Zoom classes. We will follow this model for the last 2 weeks of our season, moving into our recital recording on June 13.

What if I’m not comfortable bringing my child to the studio for classes?

• We will continue to provide off-site options for those not comfortable with in-person classes.
• Zoom may not be ideal, but the platform IS working. We have seen so much growth from our students, and our instructors continue to provide quality training for our kids via Zoom over the course of this transition.

Are you screening staff and students?

• We will screen all staff members for fever and other symptoms at the beginning of their shift.
• Students (and parents of small children) will be given a non-touch temperature check when they enter the building, and will need to answer a series of health screening questions. Those showing signs of fever or who have displayed symptoms in the past 72 hours will not be admitted to class.
• Students who have traveled in the past two weeks are encouraged to continue doing classes online for a two-week period after returning from travel.
• Any student who shows symptoms, has a fever, or does not feel well should stay home and attend class on Zoom.

How will you handle social distancing in commons areas, like the lobby?

• We have reconfigured lobby areas for appropriate physical distancing. We have removed extra furniture and closed the lobby to all unnecessary traffic.
• No hanging out in the hallways between classes. Students who have back-to-back classes will be released one by one to their second class when then time is right.
• We have adjusted the schedule to minimize the number of students who have a break between classes. We have set up 3 "isolation stations" for these students to be between classes and will clean each area after its use.
• We have posted signs throughout the studio advising customers of expectations and guidance.

What do you mean by “improved cleaning procedures?”

• We’re implementing comprehensive sanitization protocols between classes and private lessons. This includes cleaning all surfaces, door knobs, door frames, barres, stereos, pianos, music stands, etc.
• We’ve intensified daily cleaning, disinfection, and ventilation practices, including common areas, bathrooms, and the individual studios.
• We’ve hired a professional cleaning company to come multiple times per week to keep the Studio extra clean.
• We have removed all unnecessary furniture, tumbling mats, props, etc., from every classroom.
• We have a self-serve sanitization station for our holding desks for students to wipe down between uses.
• We have removed extra seating and hard-to-clean chairs from our lobby. We are installing plastic chairs that can be easily disinfected.

How will you implement these procedures?

• Employees will wash their hands regularly and have been assigned specific cleaning procedures between classes.
• We are training all employees on appropriate safety protocols, including what to do when students/families do not comply.
• Our class schedule includes a 10-15-minute buffer period between classes to allow for cleaning and to prevent pick-up/drop-off traffic congestion.

How about masks?

• MASKS ARE REQUIRED FOR EVERYONE ENTERING THE BUILDING, BUT MAY BE REMOVED DURING CLASS.
• Employees will be required to use masks when moving in and out of the studio. They may take them off while teaching as needed, but will maintain six feet of distance from students.
• Employees are required to wear a mask if opening the front door for student entry.
• Students are required to arrive at the studio wearing a mask. They are not required to wear them in class and should bring a ziplock bad to put their mask in when not in use, to keep it clean. (They may choose to wear them for certain activities at their discretion.)

The parking lot and lobby get really busy during drop-off and pick-up. How are you changing that process?

Drop Off

• We are implementing a “one-direction hallway.” The front door is the “in” door. The door outside of Studio C/D is the “out door.”
• One of our staff or volunteers will meet you at your vehicle, where we will ask you a series of questions and take your temperature. No parents or family members may be admitted except with students ages 5 and under.
• Our class schedule includes a 15-minute buffer period between classes to allow for cleaning and to prevent pick-up/drop-off traffic congestion.
• When children enter the studio and classrooms, only an instructor or staff member will be allowed to touch the classroom door.

Pick-up

• To ensure parents don’t have to leave their car to pick up their child, our new process includes holding up a sign with their child’s name in the passenger window when they arrive. Staff will be watching for parents, and will use an intercom system to “call” students from their classrooms. Children will wait in their individual boxes until their parents arrive. This also ensures kids are not waiting in crowds together.

What will classes look like?

• Students will enter the classroom one at a time (the door will remain open so students will not need to touch the door) and will be assigned a specific color for the duration of class. They have a personal social-distancing box to dance in, an assigned space at the barre, an assigned space for their bag, and a specific place to stand to begin across-the-floor activities.
• Personal boxes are spaced so that students are dancing about 8-12 feet apart at times. There is also a large walkway around the perimeter of the room so the instructor and assistant can move easily about the classroom.
• We will not allow using shared props or scripts.
• We are enforcing a strict hair policy: All hair must be tied tightly out of the face with no flyaways to prevent kids from touching their face in class. Hair should be in a bun or tight ponytail and students with shorter hair should do their best to get a headband/pins/clips to keep hair out of their faces.
• Bring only what you need. Bags should be maximum 5 lbs., no bigger than 18”x18,” with shoes and water bottle inside. Each student’s bag will hang on an assigned colored hook.
• Each student’s water bottle must fit and remain in their bag. For some classes, they will be able to keep the water bottle in their box next to them.
• No street shoes inside the studios – students must arrive in flip flops or other slip-on shoes that fit inside their bag. They will take them off as they arrive at the classroom door and put them into their bags.
• When moving to the barre or across the floor, all students will move together at the same time. The way our classrooms are configured, no students will need to cross pathways or walk close together. This also works when students go to the barre or to their bag for drink breaks.
• Barre markings are clear. Students’ hands are to stay inside their color zone to ensure they don’t get too close to another student.
• At the end of class, students collect their personal belongings and go back to their box to take off their dance shoes. They have their street shoes in hand. They are called one at a time to exit the classroom via intercom as their parent arrives. Kids with back-to-back classes will be instructed when to move between classes.

What about voice classes and private lessons?

• For all group vocal classes, students will face the same direction to eliminate anyone singing directly toward another person. Masks or face shields are also an option for students.
• We have set up a piano in each room, so students will not have to move between rooms for classes that include both music and dance.
• We have custom-built a plexiglass screen to place between students and instructors during vocal lessons.

How will you wrangle the young kids?

Students ages 5 and under will be required to have a parent with them as we are teaching our new procedures. This is because we know this age group may have trouble understanding the procedures at first, and we need every family to feel their child is safe when sending them to class. We don’t want to worry about kids running out of their box or getting too close to other students. We hope this will be a great chance to just take some time off and bond with your child.

With everything in flux, will you continue on Zoom?

If there’s something Studio 3 knows how to do, it’s pivot. Remember, we opened our virtual studio with only 48 hours’ notice. And we have some amazing programs in the works that will take performing arts education to a whole new level.

Our virtual experience isn’t just a band-aid for the time being – it’s a brand new learning platform that could potentially become a permanent learning option for future programs. Because of that, we’re investing in the time we need to make sure it’s done right.

We all agree: there are things that work better in person. Instead of trying to fit our classes to Zoom, we will be planning future virtual programs with the platform in mind from the start.

Watch out for Zoomsicals, Zoomprov, and performanZooms coming your way very soon!