The moment we have all been (not so patiently) waiting for has finally arrived! Our studios will be back up and running Monday, May 18^th! We have missed our dancing family every day, and we are looking forward to “waltzing” back into the studio (See “A letter to our Students”)!  With that being said, we want to make sure our studios are still the HAPPIEST place in town while taking every precaution to keep both our students and teachers safe and healthy. Therefore, we will be taking our new safety guidelines very seriously. As per the general recommendations provided by the CDC and Governor McMaster, the following guidelines will be in place to keep our studio safe and clean for everyone to enjoy getting back into the swing of things again!

Making sure everyone is safe is our NUMBER ONE PRIORITY. A mask has been strongly recommended for people to wear when in close proximity, and since we are a close contact service, this is recommended but NOT mandatory.  However, remember the following bullet points for proper safety when wearing a mask while dancing:

• When wearing a mask, do not over do it. Pace yourself and don’t let yourself get out of breath. It will be a lot easier to hyperventilate since you don’t have as much airflow going through the mask.
• Be sure your mask is clean so we can prevent the spread.

• Make sure to talk with your teacher about what would help you to feel most comfortable during your lessons.

We will also be taking hand sanitation VERY seriously! Hand sanitation stations will be in place throughout the studio so you will be able to sanitize throughout your lesson.  When you walk in, the front desk will have you sanitize before you enter the ballroom. Stations will be available at the music stand in order to use hand sanitizer before the start and at the end of each lesson. Your dance instructor will also be making sure to thoroughly wash their hands both before and after each student.  Gloves will be made available at the front desk if you feel you’d like an extra layer of protection.  Again, please discuss with your instructor what would make you feel most comfortable.

Providing a healthy dance space by maintaining strict cleaning and disinfecting schedules in our studios has always been a top priority, but upon reopening, we will be taking it to the next level. Throughout the day and in between lessons we will be disinfecting the commonly used surfaces. We want to make sure as you walk in, you are greeted with a smiling face (even if behind a mask) and a clean table to put your stuff down and get prepared for your lesson!

As a precaution, we have currently suspended all social gatherings. This includes showcases, group classes, social dance parties, trophy balls, etc. Though we would love to be able to see all of our dance family in one place at one time, we want to safeguard the health and well-being of both our staff and students. This doesn’t mean your long-term goals have gone out the window! The instructors will just be talking with everyone about their goals and how though we may be putting some things on hold, the show must go on!

Last but certainly not least…IF YOU ARE FEELING SICK, STAY HOME! If you are feeling any sort of symptom that has you not feeling 100%… be safe and stay home. We would rather reschedule you for when you are at your best! No late cancellation charges will be issued at this time.⏱

We are really looking forward to having everyone back! Though we know it will take some time to get back to our regular dance lives, we are going to waltz through this and come out stronger than ever! Your International Ballroom family will be ready and waiting with smiling faces and dancing feet on May 18th!