COVID-19 Precautions at Kennebec Dance Centre

The safety of our dance family is our #1 priority. With respect to the ongoing global pandemic and the latest guidelines as put forth by the Maine CDC, Kennebec Dance Centre faculty and staff have adapted our studio policies and practices to ensure that we are doing absolutely everything we can to create the most clean, safe, and healthy environment possible.

Personal Protective Measures

Handwashing/Sanitizing

  • Hand sanitizer stations are available at all entrances, inside each dance studio, and in all common areas including the lobby and offices.
  • Prominent handwashing/sanitizing signage

Temperature Checks and Screening

  • Persons entering the building will have their temperature checked with a contactless thermometer.
  • Persons with a temperature of 99.6 or higher will not be allowed to enter.
  • Upon entering, dancers and staff may be asked a series of screening questions pertaining to COVID-19 symptoms.

Social Distancing

  • Each of our large dance studio spaces has been measured and marked with a prominent grid system and wall markings to ensure at least 6 feet of space between dancers, faculty, and staff.

Social distancing signage is posted in prominent areas.

  • Class capacity has been reduced to ensure a safer environment for dancers to be able to keep their distance from each other and still have full range of motion for their technique training.
  • New, clearly marked traffic patterns have been established in common areas to minimize crossover between different groups of dancers.
  • The lobby waiting area is closed until further notice. An outdoor seating area with picnic tables, chairs, and shade canopies is available to parents and friends. The outdoor furniture is cleaned and disinfected frequently.

Face Covering/Masks

  • Face coverings/masks are required at all times.
  • Faculty and staff members wear clear face shields to protect our dancers while allowing them to see our smiling and supportive faces.

Environmental Surface Cleaning

  • Barres and equipment are disinfected between classes.
  • The bathroom and common areas are cleaned and disinfected hourly.
  • Dance studio floors are cleaned and disinfected frequently.

Ventilation and Air Circulation

  • Each of our three large dance studios is equipped with high ceilings, fans, windows, and dedicated HVAC units to continuously keep the air moving and filtered.

In-Person Attendance Policy (Effective 9/30/30)

Dancers and staff members may attend class in-person provided that they are allowed to attend school in-person. If a school closes or goes to an all-remote format due to a presumed, probable, or confirmed case of COVID-19 within that school community, dancers and staff members affiliated with, or in close contact with that school will be asked to attend KDC classes remotely, via ZOOM, until they are allowed to return to school.

Per CDC guidelines, parents/guardians should screen their children for illness before sending them to dance class and should not send their children to the studio if they are ill. The following questions are recommended for screening:

  • Do you feel sick with any symptoms consistent with COVID-19? (such as new cough, shortness of breath, or other)
  • Have you been around anyone who is unwell?
  • Have you been in close contact with a person who has COVID-19?
  • Within the past 24 hours have you had a fever (100.4 and above) or used any fever reducing medicine?
  • Have you traveled to an out-of-state location other than New Hampshire, Vermont, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, or Massachusetts in the last 14 days? If so, dancers traveling outside of the current exempt states must attend dance classes remotely for 14 days after returning to Maine.

Adherence to Maine’s Health Advisory System

In August 2020, the Maine Department of Education, the Maine Department of Health and Human Services, and the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention released an updated Health Advisory System to classify counties risk of COVID-19 transmission. Schools are allowed to consider in-person instruction as long as they are able to implement appropriate safety measures. The color-coded system is outlined below with KDC’s planned response to each categorization below in italics. All of this is subject to change as new guidelines are released, of course.

GREEN: Categorization as “green” suggests that the county has a relatively low risk of COVID-19 spread and that schools may consider in-person instruction, as long as they are able to implement the required health and safety measures.

If Kennebec County is categorized as GREEN, KDC will remain fully open and operational for in-person instruction.

YELLOW: Categorization as “yellow” suggests that that the county has an elevated risk of COVID-19 spread and that schools may consider additional precautions and/or hybrid instructional models as a way to reduce the number of people in schools and classrooms at any one time.

If Kennebec County is categorized as YELLOW at any time between September 2020 and May 2021, KDC will reduce class capacity by half. One half of the class will meet for in-person instruction and the other half will attend virtually via Zoom. The next week the groups will alternate so all dancers are able to have an equal amount of in-person instruction.

RED: Categorization as “red” suggests that the county has a high risk of COVID-19 spread and that in-person instruction is not advisable.

If Kennebec County is categorized as RED at any time between September 2020 and May 2021, KDC will seamlessly transition to virtual classes via Zoom until the advisory changes.

If you have any questions regarding KDC’s COVID-19 procedures and precautions, please contact us at kennebecdancecentre@gmail.com.