COVID-19 Protocols

The best way to stay up to date on the current situation and find guidance is to check the following website often:

Alaska Department of Health and Social Services

Upon Arrival 

  1. We ask that students come as prepared for class as possible in order to avoid crowding in the locker room.
  2. A staff member will be stationed at the lobby door taking students’ temperatures.
  3. Students must sanitize their hands before entering the studio for class.
  4. Beginning May 8, masks will be optional.

Before Class

  1. Students and instructors will sanitize their hands
  2. Barres, equipment, and high touch surfaces will be sanitized
  3. While in the building individuals must observe social distancing and wear a mask. 

During Class

  1. Students and instructors will do their best to maintain a 6-foot social distance in the studio.
  2. Everyone will wear a mask.
  3. Doors to the studio will be open during class to optimize ventilation.

During The Nutcracker Rehearsals

  1. Students and instructors will do their best to maintain a 6-foot social distance in the studio. However, much of The Nutcracker choreography requires dancers to be closer than 6 feet. That being said, we expect Nutcracker performers to do their best to maintain social distancing when at all possible in order to minimize risk of COVID-19 transmission and maximize the chances of a successful Nutcracker.

After Class/Rehearsal

  1. Students will sanitize their hands
  2. Students will leave as quickly as possible (please avoid changing in the locker rooms if at all possible).
  3. Barres, equipment, props, and high touch surfaces will be sanitized

 Staff Protocols

  1. Staff will receive training in safety and disinfecting protocols.
  2. Staff members will wear a face mask while in the building. 
  3. Staff will have temperatures taken upon arrival
  4. At this time all NSB staff is fully vaccinated against COVID-19

In the event someone tests positive for COVID-19

If you have symptoms consistent with COVID-19 you must not come to NSB until you are symptom free. We strongly encourage you to:
  • Contact a healthcare provider, regardless of your vaccination status, and find out whether you should get tested.
  • If you get tested, do not come to NSB until your test results are back. While you are doing this, use the state’s handout about testing to help identify your close contacts (PDF).
  • If your test results are negative, or if your doctor determines a test isn’t necessary, you should stay away from NSB until your symptoms subside and you are well enough to return.
  • If you test positive, you must not come to NSB for at least 10 days.  Please notify NSB of your positive result as soon as possible.
A close contact is defined as a person within 6 feet of a covid-positive individual for 15 minutes within a 24-hour period.  North Star Ballet endeavors to have no close contacts in our building through masking and social distancing. If, however, someone is a close contact of a COVID-positive person, and they are unvaccinated, they:
 
  1. must get tested within 7-10 days after exposure
  2. and quarantine for 10 days.
If the close contact is vaccinated:
 
  1. they should get tested 3-5 days after exposure
  2. they do not have to quarantine
If a staff member or student tests positive for COVID, North Star Ballet will take into consideration vaccine eligibility of the class, whether classmates have been close contacts, current COVID case counts, and other factors to determine if the class will need to be cancelled and made up at a later date or proceed as usual with the ill student quarantining at home.
 

We strongly encourage close contacts to talk with a healthcare provider to determine individual quarantine and testing needs that may exceed the requirements for returning to NSB. The CDC and Alaska Department of Health and Social Services provide detailed guidance on quarantine requirements and testing for close contacts.

Community Spread

We highly encourage all eligible individuals to get vaccinated against COVID-19. We base our decision to close the studio due to community spread of the virus on our experience in the studio and our understanding of the local COVID situation. We will make decisions about closing the school based on many factors that include a sustained high weekly average case count. But our hope is to keep our students dancing, in-studio, and avoid needing to close again. We understand you as families need schedules that you can count on, and your children need a safe place to gather which gets them out of the house and away from their computer screens. We are making every effort to continue to offer high quality, in person dance education.