An update from our director and founder, Jennifer Secrist Goran, about dance in the time of COVID-19 and what we are doing to help keep you and our whole dance family in good health.

Watching people hoarding toilet paper (I still don’t get it) and the temporarily empty shelves at stores, it feels like we are living in the wild west. OK, I don’t know if they hoarded toilet paper in the old days, but, hey, I’m trying to tie in this fun picture I found of us (Steph, Rebecca, me & Rosie of Tribe Nawaar) during one of our visits to Tribal Summit in Silverton. You can’t blame me for trying, lol!

Ok, now I’ll be more serious and touch on how I’m helping all of the dancers in our Tribe Nawaar community stay safe during COVID-19 ~Jennifer

Our Studio:

For quite a while now I’ve been wiping down surfaces such as the entry, studio and bathroom doors and our studio handrails with sterilizing wipes. I do this before our students arrive to start the evening’s classes and after everyone leaves at the end. I’ve replaced our community cloth bath hand towels with compostable paper towels for the time being. And, as always, I keep the air purifier running in the studio almost constantly. In addition to these measures I have hand sanitizer on site for use during class, private lessons or in-studio shopping appointments.

Shopping:

At this time we are shipping out all orders on time without delays and are still accepting small group in-person shopping appointments at our studio. A note on shipping orders: There is very low risk of the virus being spread thru parcels according to the CDC, but, we aren’t taking risks. Before I or someone else begins processing your order, we go thru rigorous hand washing and/or sanitizing. All of our boxes and storage materials are kept in our private shipping area, away from the general public. Even our regular carrier who picks up our parcels wears gloves when handling all mail and parcels. In other words, we are looking out for you and your order.

Our Classes:

Starting this week I will be offering a live streaming video (or something similar) in a private FaceBook group for our students who have purchased this session. It is up to you whether you want to join us in person this week (the week of March 16th) or join us remotely. I will watch the CDC, WHO and local health agencies to determine if we will need to switch over to online only classes for a short time while we, as a world and community, try to reduce the fast spread of the virus.

Online Class Perks:

1. In the private online groups you will be able to join along and add comments and questions.
2. You can watch class later if the timing isn’t right, due to work, travel or health.
3. I’ll leave the full session’s worth of classes up while that session is active so you can go back and watch it as many times as you like.
4. I’ll be watching for your comments on the live feed and try to answer questions as best as possible during class time.. and later if you post videos or follow up questions. (I will be managing 6 different class groups with this method, so, again please be patient)
5. You will also have the opportunity to upload videos of yourself practicing if you wish and I’d be happy to give you feedback if you ask for it. Please do not download, share or otherwise distribute these online classes. They are custom made just for your use.

I will be creating these groups today and inviting you all to join in and check it out.

At this time I’m only planning to offer online streaming classes during the next session but may extend that based on need. This video service is included in the regular price of class (no additional charge) and may end up being our main way of staying up to date should it be advised that even small group, non-contact dance classes such as ours be cancelled temporarily.

So, watch for the invite to join your new class group(s). I’ll post a sample video so you can see how it might look and make comments or suggestions. This is new for me too so please be patient while I figure the best way to give you a great remote class experience.

In Closing

I do believe in the power of dance and it’s ability to help keep us in good mind, body and spirit. So, now, more than ever, make time for yourself to dance and step away from the worries and stress, even if for just a short window. I’ll be there leading the charge (and our group of dancers!).

Wishing good health and good dancing to you all,
Jennifer

PS: if you do have to go out to get groceries, supplies or see a doctor or visit the ER/ED remember to bring your patience with you. Everyone is working hard to keep things stocked and show up for these high public contact jobs, they can use our kindness and well wishes now.