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C O V I D-19  Updates and  Info

YES! We're still here and we're still dancing! 

This year may look different as years past, but that is what is great about dancers - we're FLEXIBLE! Lol! 

But in all honesty, artists are problem solvers at heart. Even if we can't be in person all the time, or there are several unknowns in our future, we are ready to take on those challenges and are not going to let it take away our opportunities to share our passion for dance with our Combs and San Tan Valley community. 

Here is how it looks in Combs High Dance classes: 

Dance students use the human body as their vehicle of expression to navigate through the artistic processes of Creating, Connecting, Responding, and Performing/Presenting. The following guidance contains reentry considerations relevant to dance education. This section is written from the perspective of local dance educators and arts coordinators as guidance for local LEAs, principals, administrators, educators, and local school boards specific to PreK-12 Dance programs.

 

Teaching and Learning

Dance teachers will:

  • Use “Flipped Classroom” curriculum to allow students to complete physically exerting movement components at home during periods of high risk.

  • Have dance history, vocabulary and individual project concentration during periods of high risk or distance learning. Asynchronous practice will also be available when learning concert and competition routines.

  • Focus on Connecting and Responding in the Arizona State Dance Standards accessed and addressed to create modified lessons. 

  • Revise the dance syllabus to accommodate Covid restrictions in both in-person and online learning.

  • Connect with students who are absent by making a video recording, link or another type of makeup work option available

  • Provide suggestions and guidance to students for proper attire and additional materials necessary in the syllabus (i.e. Hand towel, water bottle, dance shoes, proper hygiene).

  • Restrict dressing room access to restroom and hand washing use only. Dance students should arrive dressed appropriately for a physically active class.

Accommodations

  • Performance possibilities and parameters determined by the LEA following CDC and National Dance Organization recommendations.

  • Students choosing not to participate in public performances for health and safety reasons will not be penalized.

  • Dance Room:

    • As the virus is thought to be is less virulent in humid conditions, monitor air conditioning and encourage a more humid environment.

  • Criteria for participation in dance classes:

    • Follow all state, local and site guidelines for safe participation in-person learning.

    • No signs or symptoms of COVID-19 in the past 14 days.

    • Dancers who are quarantined should be advised to continue to train at home, if able.

  • Music

    • Recorded music will be used. A working sound system is provided in all Dance studios.

    • LEAs should consider providing a classroom headset microphone with the sound system to amplify the dance teacher’s voice. 

    • Sound equipment will be cleaned before and after use.

    • Educators should consider the volume of music. The louder the music, the louder the instructor will have to project, potentially causing droplets to travel further.

Physical Distancing

  • Dance teachers will adjust curriculum according to their classroom space to maintain social distancing guidelines, and may use alternate spaces for traveling movement or across the floor (outside, stage, cafeteria, gymnasium, auxiliary gymnasium, lobby areas, etc.).

  • Dance room doors are to be propped open so as to minimize surfaces to be touched and for suitable ventilation in the dance room. This should be balanced with the understanding that humid spaces may be safer to dance in.

  • Dance teachers, musicians, and students will follow state and LEA policies and wear masks when learning combinations, practicing light work, and during discussions in class. 

  • Depending on the size of the dance space and determined number of students, proper layout of the classroom will need to be made to follow social distancing guidelines.

  • Barre:

    • Dancers need to stand at least 6 feet (2 meters) apart or 43 sq feet (4 square meters).

    • Marked with tape or some other indicator.

    • Wipe down the barre before and after each use.

    • Dynamic exercises with larger movement should be avoided to minimize air turbulence in the room.

 

  • Center Work

    • For stationary center work, dancers should be able to maintain 6 feet distance.

    • Normal breathing should be encouraged over forced breath cues, as forced exhalation spreads larger droplets farther distances.

 

  • Across the Floor

    • Dancers should avoid following right behind each other; it is safer to work next to each other. If dancers travel directly behind each other, they are in the slipstream where droplets remain suspended. To avoid contact, dancers need to allow even further distance.

    • Dancers should maintain 6 feet distance apart standing side by side in one line and allow each group to complete the combination to the end of the room before the next group starts.

    • Dancers should be reminded to maintain a distance of at least 6 feet when waiting to go across the floor and after completing the combination. 

 

  • Transition

    • High School Dancers that are waiting for entrance/attendance into the dance room/stage for class will maintain appropriate social distancing guidelines (6 feet apart).

    • Avoid dancers congregating before or after class.

Materials and Supplies

  • Cleaning supplies and hand sanitizer, supplied by LEAs, will maintain a safe working environment with cleanings multiple times/day. Refer to the CDC Disinfecting Guidelines.

  • Students will supply their own water bottles. Water refill stations are provided.

  • There should be no sharing of shoes or personal clothing or items between dancers.

  • Dance teachers should develop a safe plan for costuming for performances.

​Sanitation

  • When scheduling, administration should allow at least 10 minutes between classes to allow for cleaning. We don't have this built into the schedule, but we will use the 5 minute passing period to clean as possible, with a deep cleaning daily after school.

  • LEAs should supply adequate amounts of the necessary cleaning supplies for frequent sanitization.

  • Teachers and dancers are responsible for cleaning equipment. Teachers will distribute and monitor the cleaning supplies. Appropriate maintenance staff members should also be responsible for cleaning and maintaining the classroom on a regular basis

  • Immediate cleaning of the dance room floor and equipment (i.e. Sound Systems, Yoga Mats, Yoga Blocks, Ballet Barre, Mirrors, Therabands) is required following each student’s use.

    • Touch areas need to be specifically attended to such as, door handles, ballet barres, copy and fax machines, stair railings, and bathrooms/dressing room areas.

 

Staffing & Scheduling

STAFFING

  • Class sizes should follow the LEA designated student-to-teacher ratio in order to allow for social distance. The dance room capacity is 30 students at 6ft apart.

  • Extracurricular dance programs will be maintained as much as possible to support growth in order to sustain offering dance education.

 

SCHEDULING

  • Scheduling should be fair and equitable across disciplines maintaining a well-rounded learning environment for all students.

  • Schools may consider adjusting duty rosters to provide coverage to ensure the supervision of areas are maintained while disinfecting protocols are completed between classes.

  • Considerations for completing disinfecting protocols between classes may affect transition times.

Professional Learning

Providing ongoing education of all teachers and staff during this time is imperative for safe school re-entry. Specialized content instructors will receive discipline-specific learning opportunities allowing them to continue teaching safely within their content areas across all learning environments including in-person classes, hybrid models, and online/virtual. All LEAs will strive to provide regular and consistent growth opportunities for Dance Education staff by:

  • Providing Dance teachers with content specific professional development and adequate time for researching, planning and implementing distance learning, blended learning, hybrid learning and/or flipped classroom instruction.

  • Providing time and opportunity for teachers to collaborate through Dance Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) to develop modified lessons, provide instructional support and collaborate on the new foundations of social distancing classroom environment.

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