COVID-19 Information
COVID-19 Information
Tech Enabled Studio
As a Certified Safer Studio, UDA is committed to following Utah Health Department’s best practices and recommendations. Even with these precautions in place, under our current situation not all families will be able or ready to send their dancers back to UDA this fall. This recognition motivated our plan to provide a way for everyone to participate in dance classes, while still maintaining personal and family safety, physical boundaries, and comfort levels.
Utah Dance Artists is the First Tech-enabled Dance Studio in Salt Lake City!
What does this mean?
- Each of our 10 dance studios are equipped with wide lens cameras, providing a 90% view of the studio setting so dancers at home can feel more a part of the classroom experience.
- Every studio in our facility sports a wall mounted, large screen TV for teachers to easily view and correct their students who are participating from home.
- In every class, teachers will wear lapel mics to ensure dancers from home can hear their voice as clearly as the students in the studio.
- Both of our studio locations/facilities have been serviced with hard-wired internet connection to enhance internet speed, demolish digital interference, and increase virtual security.
Our tech-enabled capacities will allow UDA to seamlessly transition our services and keep students dancing throughout the year no matter the extenuating circumstances or risk levels associated with COVID-19. These services will also provide parents flexibility and a choice of participation. Dancers can take class at the studio, from the comfort of their home or even transition between these two options depending on individual or family circumstances.
UDA’s tech-enabled services will be provided to our dance families at no additional cost. Monthly tuition will remain the same throughout the year, regardless of the service platform chosen.
Parent Communication System
Green indicates normal class participation at the studio.
Yellow indicates a cautionary change to service delivery and to check email for further instructions.
Red indicates dancers and families should remain at home and attend dance classes online.
Considering the continuation of COVID physical distancing mandates and government restrictions, UDA will adhere to PARENT COMMUNICATION SYSTEM, using “green, yellow and red” emojis to commune Utah risk levels and dance class status. These faces will become familiar as they appear on the homepage of UDA’s website and social media platforms, directing traffic to the appropriate service channel.
UDA's Safer Studio Guidelines
A Message from Brooke Maxwell, UDA Owner
Re: Studio Safety
Dear Current and Potential UDA Families,
As we prepare to reopen the studio on UDA on Monday, August 17th, the health and safety of our students, staff and extended UDA family members remains our highest priority! We have spent a lot of time in thoughtful preparation to 1) orient ourselves with the rules and guidelines set forth by Utah’s local and state government and Department of Health and 2) using this information to execute the highest standard of care by putting plans and systems in place to minimize risk, keep our UDA family safe and healthy and keep our studio operational during this continued COVID-19 circumstance.
Most of you are aware that the number of positive COVID-19 cases in Utah have significantly increased over the past several weeks. It probably also goes without saying that we are a school, and as schools welcome back their staff and students this fall, they are going to experience reports of COVID-19 exposure. This consideration caused me to reach out to the Utah Department of Health, inquiring our responsibility as a business if a student or staff member (or their immediate family) contracts COVID-19 and potentially exposes a risk to other members of our UDA family.
The Utah Department of Health advised that single reports of COVID exposure does not require studio closure, nor is it recommended. Under these conditions’ businesses (dance studios) are encouraged to continue conducting business responsibly by doing the following:
- If a dancer or staff member tests positive for COVID-19, or was in contact with someone who has, they must notify studio administration and report an exposure risk.
- If UDA receives a report of exposure risk, we will 1st contact the Utah Department of Health to report and aid in tracing efforts and 2nd notify the parents of dancers who were in class and potentially exposed (while keeping individual names confidential during reporting).
- UDA will conduct an exposure-risk level cleaning at the studio ASAP.
- The individual who tested positive for COVID-19 or was in contact with someone who has, will be asked to self-quarantine for two weeks and attend dance classes through live broadcast from home.
- UDA can monitor employee self-quarantine but not students. As such, parents of dancers potentially exposed should monitor their child closely over the next several days - weeks and pay careful attention to the possible development of COVID-19 symptoms.
- Parents of dancers potentially exposed will have the choice for their child to continue taking class at the at the studio or temporarily participate through live broadcast in the safety of their home.
- If UDA were to receive cluster reports of exposure risk, we would work directly with the Utah Department of Health and take the necessary steps to maximize the health and safety of our UDA family members
Knowing COVID rules and regulations can change daily or even drastically, UDA is prepared to pivot our decision making, planning and execution at any given time. For now, I hope this letter will offer proof of our thoughtful consideration during this pandemic and provide the confidence needed to trust our organization during continued times of uncertainty. This year, our mission is to provide excellent service while maintaining a comfortable and safe experience for all UDA dancers and families.
Our teachers and staff are excited to welcome you back to the studio in August! Until then, enjoy the rest of your summer break😊
Brooke Maxwell
UDA Covid-19 Policies for a Safe Reopening
Welcome to Utah Dance Artists 2020-2021 Dance Season!
The following information has been provided to ensure parents and dancers have a happy, healthy and safe return to UDA classes this fall! Please make sure to review these policies prior to your first class.
UDA is a Safer Studio™
UDA follows the More Than Just Great Dancing!® Safer Studio Guidelines which prioritizes a hierarchy of safety and wellness measures which includes:
- Wellness checks for staff members
- Frequent hand hygiene
- Enhanced cleaning procedures
- Minimizing mixing and mingling via physical distancing practices
- Curricular and facility adjustments
- Gradual re-opening and continuous parent communications
Wellness Checks for Staff Members
- All UDA teachers and staff members have been trained extensively in Safer Studio Guidelines as it relates to preventing community spread of COVID-19.
- All UDA staff members are wellness checked before their shift.
- Parents are asked to not send their children to class if they, or a member of their household, have a fever of 100 degrees Fahrenheit or respiratory symptoms.
- Parents are asked to not send their children to class if they, or a member of their household, have tested positive for COVID-19 in the last 14 days.
Frequent Hand Hygiene
- Employees are required to wash and sanitize their hands before and in between every class that they teach
- Hand sanitizing stations are available at the entrance of our studio and inside every bathroom and studio.
- Upon arrival and in between every class they take, students are asked wash and sanitize their hands.
- Hand washing posters are posted inside our restrooms, classrooms and throughout the studio.
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, viewing windows, barres, floors, counters, stereos, and bathrooms.
Minimized Mixing and Mingling
- We have made facility and organizational changes to reduce mixing and mingling in support of physical distancing recommendations. However, we understand that unlike older children and adults, young children cannot be expected to maintain social distancing at all times.
Facility & Curricular Adjustments
- Dancers are required to bring personal water bottles labeled with their names. Drinking fountains will not be available.
- Dancers will limit the belongings they bring to the studio.
- Bathrooms will be available for restroom use only, and not for changing clothes.
- No food will be allowed in the studio.
- Curricular adjustments have been made to eliminate prop use to reduce mixing and mingling in the classroom.
- Class sizes have been modified to reflect no more than 12 preschool dancers and 14 grade level dancers in a room.
- Classrooms will refrain from high fives, “ballerina hugs”, fist bumps, stickers, and stamps.
- Classrooms will end five minutes early to allow proper sanitation between student transitions.
Gradual Re-Opening & Continuous Parent Communication
- Considering the continuation of COVID physical distancing mandates and government restrictions, UDA will adhere to continuous parent communication by using "green, yellow and red" emojis to commune Utah risk levels and dance class status. These faces will become familiar as they appear on the homepage of UDA’s website and social media platforms, directing traffic to the appropriate service channel.
- Green indicates it is safe to attend face-to-face classes.
- Yellow indicates a cautionary change to service delivery.
- Red indicates clients should stay home and attend class online.
Arrival & Departure
- Each of one of UDA’s South Jordan studios has an individual outside entrance which leads into the studio from the parking-lot area. Dancers in graded levels will be dropped off at the entrances of each of these studios to aid in physical distancing.
- Only parents of tippy two, dance with me, preschool and pre-k/k dancers will be allowed in our studio lobby to help little dancers get ready for class and use the restroom facilities.
- Siblings and visitors of dancers will not be allowed to wait or congregate in the lobby during class operations.
- All six studio exit doors at our South Jordan locations will be used for dancers to enter and exit the studio. Parents will park and wait for their dancers in these locations.
Bathroom Use
- Dancers will be encouraged to use the restroom at home before coming to class.
- Bathrooms be monitored for minimal use and cleaned frequently.
Masks
- UDA administrative staff and customer care team members are required to wear masks during their shifts.
- UDA dancers and teachers are required to wear a mask as they enter and exit the studio.
- UDA dancers and teachers are given the option to wear their mask during class or remove it during strenuous physical activity