Our Covid-19 Responsible Re-Opening Plan

EDMC is a Safer Studio™

EDMC follows the More Than Just Great Dancing!® Safer Studio Guidelines which prioritize a hierarchy of safety and wellness measures including:

Wellness checks for staff
Frequent hand hygiene
Enhanced cleaning procedures
Minimizing mixing and mingling via physical distancing practices
Curricular and facility adjustments
Student safety guidelines
Gradual re-opening in line with local health orders
Continuous parent communications.

Enhanced Cleaning Procedures

We have increased our cleaning frequencies and sanitation procedures in high traffic areas and high touch surfaces of the studio such as doors, barres, floors, counters, media equipment, and restrooms.

Each dance room an individual Air Filtration System to help filter germs and allergens out of the air.

Dance rooms are disinfected daily!

Wellness Checks for Staff

EDMC is a Youth Protection Advocates in Dance® Certified Studio. Additionally, all staff members will receive regular and continuing safety training as it relates to preventing community spread of COVID-19.

Staff must also review our health screening questions (see below).

Staff members are required to stay home if they are experiencing any symptoms potentially related to COVID-19.

Wellness Checks for Students

Students must remain home if they, or a member of their household, have symptoms potentially related to COVID-19.
Students are required to stay home if they, or a member of their household, have tested positive for COVID-19 or have come into close contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 until they receive an all-clear from their health care provider.

Mask Wearing (UPDATED 3/2/2022)

We are proud to continue to offer consistent weekly class experiences that support the physical, social-emotional, and mental well-being of our dancers. Throughout the pandemic, we have made necessary adaptations to our programs, following local, national, and industry guidance in order to support a Safer Studio™ learning environment. You have been thoughtful and generous in your compliance with our policies throughout this period and for that, I remain thankful! I’m here today with an important update. Video Message Update Here - continue reading below for detailed information. On Monday, February 28, 2022, Governor Newsom released changes to the indoor masking requirements for California businesses as follows:

- Effective March 1, 2022, the requirement that unvaccinated individuals mask in indoor public settings will move to a strong recommendation that all persons, regardless of vaccine status, continue indoor masking.
- After March 11, 2022, the universal masking requirement for K-12 and Childcare settings will terminate. California Department of Public Health strongly recommends that individuals in these settings continue to mask in indoor settings when the universal masking requirement lifts.

As a private business that serves children, we have been aligning our policies with area public schools throughout the pandemic and we plan to do so again at this time.

Beginning Monday, March 14, 2022, Expressions Dance & Movement will be transitioning to a policy of mask optional.

Face masks will no longer be required for dancers during class or at performances, regardless of vaccination status. We will support all individuals who choose to continue masking. We ask all our dancers and families to continue to adhere to our current masking requirement through Saturday, March 12, 2022. Every day that we can get where children can fully express themselves in the dance room and teachers can have full communication, including facial cues, we will celebrate! And, if there are days ahead where cases rise to a point where we have to revisit our mask policy, we will do so.

Until further notice, our lobby remains open only for dancers who are waiting between classes in order to reduce the number of bodies in the facilities. Parents are welcome to come to the desk to conduct business and use our restroom facilities.

As a reminder, if your dancer has any symptoms of illness, please keep them home. You may call the studio to request to have the class available on zoom. If a dancer comes to class with any signs of illness, we will call a parent/guardian to pick them up.

Our Safer Studio™ plan is constantly being evaluated based on a variety of inputs, including local and national sources, as well as industry and studio data, and we are committed to keeping our families informed of policy updates as they are made. Measures such as hand hygiene and the use of separate entrances/exits remain in place, and our studios will remain tech-enabled indefinitely as each of our families adjusts to this change in their own way and at their own time. We continue to encourage the same community spirit which you have shown since the very beginning, which has been so inspiring and uplifting to me, our staff, and our community. YOU are truly what make us More Than Just Great Dancing!®

In Partnership,

Miss Darcy Fagerwold, Studio Director

Hand Hygiene

All staff members must wash their hands immediately upon entering our facilities and wash their hands and/or use hand sanitizer frequently throughout their shifts, including between each class.
In addition to our restroom facilities, a portable sink has been provided outside of our main entrance for student use.
Hand sanitizer is provided in multiple locations throughout our facilities.
Students will sanitize their hands both as they enter and as they exit their classes.
Hand washing posters are posted within restrooms and with our outdoor sink.

Phased Reopening and Continuous Communication

EDMC has implemented a red-yellow-green communication system to quickly communicate with parents and students. In red, all classes are conducted online. In yellow some classes are permitted in-studio with restrictions. In green, all classes are running in-studio with safety protocols in place. This red-yellow-green communication can be found on our EDMC Family Facebook group and in our studio windows, and right here, in our most up to date Covid Re-Opening Update!

Current Level:

Facility and Curricular Adjustments (UPDATED 3/2/2022)

Until further notice, our lobby remains open only for dancers who are waiting between classes in order to reduce the number of bodies in the facilities. Parents are welcome to come to the desk to conduct business and use our restroom facilities.
Curricular adjustments have been made to eliminate shared prop use
Classes are shortened by 3-5 minutes to allow for sanitization of the room and equipment.
Outer doors to each dance room will remain open during class for improved airflow, as long as the instructor feels it is safe to do so.
Students will enter and exit the main dance rooms through different doors.
We encourage all students to use the restroom at home before coming to class.
Restrooms & Dressing Rooms will be limited for emergencies and are cleaned frequently.