Returning to the dance studio safely (covid-19)

One of the local studios had their first post-COVID social dance last night. From the pictures on FB, very little mask wearing. In my local area we've had a spike in infections and I'd estimate the number infectious at any one time to be in the 0.1% to 0.5% range. When you have several dozen people sharing the same air chances of one of them being infected and infecting others is above my comfort level. I did not attend.
 
Parties are on the calendar at a couple local studios, and mine has scheduled a couple parties in July. Our state will be in a quasi-fully-re-opened phase by then I assume, unless something goes massively wrong beforehand. I will probably attend, and I will be taking a mask with me.

Also... I had a change of heart/mind about my studio's Showcase, which is tomorrow. In large part because the routine I was working on has had a lot of improvement, and I hate to just abandon it now and (hopefully) pick up in the fall. And who knows what the situation will be in 3-4 months - this could all take a giant step backwards and then I wouldn't be able to do it then either. So I'm going to be the DF canary in the coal mine.
 
There is at least one studio in Middle Tennessee that has been having parties for a month. Second hand reports say only one (young) couple wearing masks.

My teacher and I wear masks during private lessons. Most of her other students don't require them.

With COVID cases going up in this area I probably shouldn't even be taking privates. I will not be attending parties in the foreseeable future.
 
Wow. It’s amazing that your dance studios are already having dance parties. I doubt I will see any dance studio parties in our city for a while.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I think it is a very personal decision about how we navigate these times and dependent on a host of factors. People at greater health risk ought to be more cautious. I don't go to dance parties, but if I did, my decision would be made on how the community transmission is going, how big the room is, what the ventilation is like and how many people are there. Also if it is a "regular" crowd versus new people all the time. I think we are all creatures of habit, in terms of where we go, who we are near and now, what our COVID habits are. I would wait and see how the others fared for 3 weeks or so and then, if there was no outbreak, I would think the risk would be acceptably low for me (but it is low in my city at present). Dance studios here are holding classes again. My husband went back to soccer and when the guys were the known regulars, he felt safe enough even though it is a contact sport. Now people he doesn't know are coming out of the woodwork to join and so he will not go back until the numbers are reduced. As Bonnie Henry says: "fewer faces, larger spaces". BTW, there is interesting research that the MMR vaccine can reduce the severity of COVID. Have booked the family to get boosters next week.
 
Another local studio, Chevy Chase Ballroom, opened this past week. Yesterday was a banner day there. A visiting coach, Kathusha Demidova, gave a private lesson to two of the staff teachers there, Dima and Alina. Owner Irina, Mama Bear, recorded some of that. Watching that was like a ninth grader was sitting in on a college class. And it was great to feel Mama Bear's joy at finally being able to run a studio again. I tried to enclose the face book video. But fb has been very cranky lately. Video may not show.

 
So Showcase was both strange and comforting. I was generally pleased with how my routines went, a couple baubles in each of them that make me cringe every time I watch them, but overall the lockdown practice seems to have paid dividends.

Temp check and waiver at the door, plenty of gloves and masks and hand sanitizer provided. I would say about 40-50% of us were wearing masks. I have a few different blinged out ones and was asked more than once if I had matching masks for every dress (obviously yes). I danced one routine with mask and one without (facial expressions integral to performance), and all general dancing with mask. Proper social distancing was practically non-existent.

Unrelated to COVID, I put on my own false eyelashes for the first time ever, which is my proudest achievement of the year. I usually outsource nails/hair/makeup but this time it was all DIY. Turns out I cannot do hair, need to make sure there is always a professional for that. Everything else was satisfactory, though I find I missed the pampering.
 
IndyLady said:
Also... I had a change of heart/mind about my studio's Showcase, which is tomorrow. In large part because the routine I was working on has had a lot of improvement, and I hate to just abandon it now and (hopefully) pick up in the fall. And who knows what the situation will be in 3-4 months - this could all take a giant step backwards and then I wouldn't be able to do it then either. So I'm going to be the DF canary in the coal mine.
Click to expand...
Are you a life actuary? ;)
 
I saw the updates from the comp on FB. Call me nosy, but i would like to know if there are any positive cases within the next 12-14 days that were at the comp, and how many. One comp doesn't make a trend and would not be considered a decent study, but it would be nice to have a little idea of what kind of spread there may be at a comp.
 
scullystwin42 said:
I saw the updates from the comp on FB. Call me nosy, but i would like to know if there are any positive cases within the next 12-14 days that were at the comp, and how many. One comp doesn't make a trend and would not be considered a decent study, but it would be nice to have a little idea of what kind of spread there may be at a comp.
Click to expand...
That's not nosy!!! That's seeking relevant data. I wonder exactly the same thing.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Dance Ads

Advertise on Dance Forums Reach dancers, teachers, studios, event organizers, and dance-friendly brands. View ad options
Back
Top