Dance First Coronavirus Response
Photo credit: AnnMay Morris - thanks AnnMay!
9 April 2020
Dear Dance First community,
As we head into our Easter break, I wanted to give you an update as to where Dance First is at with respect to our Level 4 lockdown.
The government announced today that we will remain at Alert Level 4 until the planned 23 April date. Next week the government will release information as to what Alert Level 3 will look like. On 20 April, the government will make a decision as to what the next steps are, and if we are ready to move to Alert Level 3.
What does this all mean for Dance First? Dance First is in the process of planning and preparing and looking at what the studio looks like at each Alert Level. We will communicate to you as soon as possible the processes we are putting in place so you are fully aware of the plan going forward.
Please note, we won't be sending out Term 2 invoices until we know what Term 2 looks like.
If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact me. You can email me, or if you want to chat, I would love to talk with you!
From my bubble to your bubble, I wish you all a relaxed and Happy Easter weekend.
Much love
Sara-Jane
6 April 2020
Dear Dance First community,
Thank you for your support of Dance First during this difficult time.
As we head into what would have been our last week of Term 1, I wanted to acknowledge and say thanks to the Dance First teachers for providing online content to ensure we keep our students engaged and active. Moving our classes to an online approach has been a big learning curve for us all, and I am continually looking at ways to further enhance our online experience. Keeping connected through our WhatsApp class groups is so important at this time. I will continue to upload content to your student portal and you can always check us out on our Dance First Facebook and Instagram pages to see what we've been up to!
We are hoping to get back to the studio as soon as possible and we await a government decision as to how long we are to remain in lockdown. As soon as we know I will communicate with you how Term 2 will look.
Finally, whilst this time has brought much uncertainty and difficulty to everyone, it has also given me the chance to reflect on what Dance First means to me. Our Dance First community is strong. Now more than ever I believe the single most important thing we can do as humans is to create community. To have a sense of belonging is what we all want. It is the essence of what it means to be human.
Stay strong, and please reach out if you need us.
Much love
Sara-Jane
22 March 2020
Dear Dance First community,
Our Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, announced yesterday that our nation is at an Alert Level 2 in a new 4 tiered warning system with respect to Covid-19. Schools remain open and will close when we reach Alert Level 4. Public places (such as Dance First) will be closed when we reach a Level 3. As Coronavirus continues to spread and affect many parts of New Zealand, we have decided that it is in the best interest of our teachers, students and families to temporarily suspend all classes at the studio, effective from tomorrow (March 23). I say this with a heavy heart but know this is the right thing to do to kick this virus in its guts and stop it from spreading. Looking after our wider community is vital.
Whilst this will impact our classes inside the studio, we are in the final stages of setting up the student portal and we will get information out to you tomorrow. Online videos and resources will be available to you all and behind the scenes our teachers will be working as hard as ever to bring you the dance and fitness classes you know and love. You may have lots of questions regarding term dates, make up classes, term fees and shows. I will send this out to you tomorrow.
As a small business owner, your continued dedication to Dance First is invaluable and I thank you for your support.
And finally, yesterday I was reminded of how powerful we all are and how we can all be connected through dance. Molly and I were teaching the 4 and 5 year old littlies when a new dad walked in holding his nervous but excited 4 year old. What can be a daunting time for new students (no matter your age) turned into something wonderful. One of our more senior students (all of 5 years old) took the new girl by her hand and told her that she was going to look after her. She spent the whole class making sure her shoes were on okay, her feet were in the right position and she would cheer her on by clapping and saying well done whenever she had her turn. As the music went quiet and the children were curled up in little balls ready to take flight as butterflies, she placed an arm around her waist and said to her "you are my friend". It is moments like these that remind me of what Dance First really means and it is what I witness every day of the week at Dance First. I ca n't tell you enough how grateful I am to you all for your kindness and love for each other. And through the eyes of a 4 year old I know that we are going to be okay.
Much love to you all.
Sara-Jane
20 March 2020
Hello Dance First community
As the Novel Coronavirus situation continues to develop around the world, I want to keep you up to date with Dance First’s response.
Dance First is very focused on doing everything we possibly can to ensure the well-being of all students, staff and our community.
At this stage Dance First remains open.
We are closely following and will keep in accordance with advice from the NZ Government and Ministry of Health Department. The studio cleaning regime will continue with barres and facilities being sanitized and restrictions put on the use of any equipment usually used in class.
Staying connected with each other is my utmost priority and one of the ways we will keep connected will be through our WhatsApp class groups. If you are not on WhatsApp and need to be added to your class group please let me know as soon as possible and I will sort this out for you. In the next few days we will be sending you a STUDENT PORTAL link. This will be our platform to deliver online resources such as videos in the event we are unable to continue with classes at the studio.
I am grateful for such a wonderful community. I am thankful for your support. Let’s look out for each other. And please reach out if you need support.
We can get through this. We will get through this together.
Much love to you all.
Sara-Jane
16 March 2020
Dear Dance First community,
As a valued member of our dance family, we wanted to reach out regarding the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) and its impact on our community and families.
We would like to reassure you that we are adhering to the Ministry of Health Guidelines as the health and well-being of our students, their families, and our staff are our top priority. We will continue to monitor and implement recommendations as they're announced.
We take pride in our facility and how it operates and would like to highlight the policies we have in place at the studio to help our dance families stay healthy and safe.
Prevention Steps in the Studio:
- Sanitizer: We have hand sanitizer at the front door of the studio as well as by the upstairs studio and we encourage you to use it frequently.
- Hand washing: We encourage frequent hand washing (for at least 20 seconds before rinsing).
- Discouraging close contact: We have adjusted certain aspects of our classes to ensure dancers are not in too close proximity. We will not be giving hugs or hi-fives and are asking dancers to skip those as well.
- Surface Cleaning: We are wiping down frequently touched surfaces and equipment (ie ballet barres, weights and mats). For Total Barre and Pilates students, if you have your own mat please bring it in (otherwise bring in a towel)
- Sneezes and Coughs: We are encouraging dancers to cough and sneeze into their arms, not in their hands.
How you can help:
- Please don't come into the studio if you or your child is sick.
- Don't break any formal isolation / quarantine restrictions from the government.
- We encourage you and your child to cough and sneeze into their arm not in their hand.
- Alert us if you or your child does have Corona Virus (COVID-19) and have been to the studio within the last 14 days.
Dance First remains open unless or until directed otherwise. The well-being of our students and families is a top priority! Please know that we are here to address any concerns or issues, and are happy to hear from you.
All the best everyone
Sara-Jane