COVID-19 Update – March 24, 2020
March 24, 2020
Dear Academy family member ~
Thank you for the overwhelming support, connectivity, and gratitude you are sharing as we have moved from physical locations to classes-in-home with our LIVE online interactive format! We continue to build more resources in our families-only Virtual Website and love watching the joy as our teachers connect with each loveable student in our 120 classes! We are ALL flexing and adapting One Step at a Time to continue bringing anchors of normalcy to our students in these unprecedented times.
As of 3/23/20
- The CDC announced recommendations for no gatherings greater than 10 until May 8.
- Governor Noem closed schools through May 1.
- Mayor Allender ceased operations at the Civic Center for all gatherings greater than 10 people through April 30. (see attached letter)
What this means to our Academy family of students, caregivers, and A-Team of employees:
- CLASSES GROW ONLINE MARCH 24 – MAY 2, 2020
We are taking prudent action to protect our students, families, caregivers and A-team members as we continue to provide the best service possible. In our plans to finish the season strong, our teachers and administrative team will begin broadcasting from home, effective TODAY with:
- LIVE online dance class solutions for safe, virtual gatherings with friends and teachers
- Supplemental 24/7 access to active class videos, clips and snips with familiar faces and skilled, professional instructors
- Links to custom rehearsal videos, music and performance notes
- FREE access to previous dance production videos and entertainment, like our 2005 Over the Rainbow, available now!
- Dance activities like crosswords, kindness journals and more!
- EXTENDED ONLINE DANCE ACCESS MAY 3-30, 2020
Live online classes will conclude on May 2. All currently enrolled students will continue to have access to our online library, tutorials and resources until the end of May.
- CIVIC CENTER PRODUCTIONS
We are not giving up on our students, seniors or the shining culmination of their invested progress this year and believe they deserve every chance to share their results in an appropriate place and time when we emerge from this COVID-19 season. Again, we will err on the side of caution with our best practices model of prudent action.
Given the move by our Mayor to cancel our dates, at this time we have booked the week leading up to September 19 to secure this performance date for our dancers.
Rehearsals: If the CDC and local authorities give us the green light, we will rehearse dancers through August to polish up and re-stage each show in anticipation of an unconventional solution to an unprecedented time.
We understand and share disappointment regarding the production move, but will continue to exercise caution and care in each step to emerge when it is the right time to again gather! There will be no additional rehearsal-time charges to our families moving forward for the production. May 2 tickets already purchased from the theatre will be honored for the September 19 performances. Further details regarding ticketing will follow soon, as we are coordinating details with the Civic Center.
Portraits will be rescheduled for late summer sessions, prior to our Graduating Seniors moving away to school. Costumes will go home for all performers prior to photography sessions.
We are looking forward to the day when we can emerge and reunite our dancers with their dancing dreams! We can’t wait to get back to all of our dancers in the studios and share new tools to help them progress, one step at a time!
Until then, we believe social distancing will play a critical role in controlling the spread and duration of COVID-19 in our community.
Please reach out with questions we can help to answer in our virtual offices from noon-8pm:
605.342.4426
Via email: info@rcdancearts.com
Via Facebook messenger or on our Facebook Academy Families and Students page
Or in the Zoom calls!
Now more than ever, we are so grateful for your feedback and for the opportunity to meet concerns and anxiety with our methods of spreading joy, normalcy, and anchors for our children.
Thank you for continuing to dance with us!
Yours in dance, Ms. Julie & your entire Academy of Dance Arts Family
Ms. Abbey, Ms. Alie, Ms. Alina, Ms. Anna, Ms. Claire, Ms. Grace, Ms. Janie, Ms. Kat & Ms. Sara