Thank all of you for sending me your thoughts about starting to dance together. Overall, most of you are being cautious. With a few exceptions, most people do not want to dance in person: especially not changing partners. As Multnomah County has not opened at all yet and infections are on the rise, I think this is a good approach for right now.
Zoom lessons are still the safest
My group lessons will be on Zoom for at least a few more months, and probably through next flu season, unless we get a vaccine up and running or the virus dies out in the area. I want to have everyone safe, and this is my FIRST consideration.
Private lessons will also be available on Zoom from now on. For some of you, we have found half hour lessons twice a week work best; and that works better without a commute. For others of you, you are more health compromised than I am, and need to be 100% safe. And then there are those of you who live in other countries and have been doing lessons—what a nice silver lining to this situation, to meet you and teach you!
I encourage all of you who are willing to continue learning via Zoom, to do this. I should be getting a new camera tomorrow to further enhance distance learning. I am continually working on improving online lessons. I know it’s not the same as in person, but we all want to be alive to dance together on the other side of this!
Be safe and take care of yourself and others: wear a mask!
Traveling ice cream (uh, tango) truck?
I have been experimentally visiting some students and teaching them from outside their French doors, while they dance in their house. I bring my mask and the music, and don’t come inside.
This has worked well, but I have found I cannot really sustain a visiting teacher status without charging for travel because it affects how many lessons I can teach per day. If you want me to deliver tango to your house, let’s talk. We will need to come up with some sort of travel charge.
Outside couples’ lessons are open
Studies have found that COVID-19 transmission is much lower outside. While the weather holds, this will be the new option available.
Private couples’ lessons OUTSIDE AT MY HOUSE are now open! As of this week, I am the proud owner of 1. an infrared, touchless thermometer; and 2. vinyl flooring on my back porch.
The porch is covered and it is big enough to social distance and/or have me stand inside to teach. Unless it is a downpour, the floor stays dry. There is room to change your shoes, etc., and you can come down the driveway and avoid entering the house. Unfortunately, heels are a no-go right now. I hope to strengthen the flooring later to make it heel-friendly, but for now, please wear socks or practice shoes only.
There will be a fan for more movement of air. There will be hand sanitizer available and I ask you to get used to wearing masks (please bring your own) during classes, especially if you want me out of the porch with you. I will take temperatures and run through safety protocol for each class. I know it’s a hassle, but a month is the hospital is more hassle than that.
Planning for private solo lessons
I am a bit nervous about dancing with people, as I have a history of several bouts of pneumonia. I will be taking it very slowly in re-opening private solo lessons. The first people will be those who live alone, have not been socializing, and preferably have had a COVID-19 test. I hope by the end of the summer to have all of you back dancing, AS LONG AS numbers of cases in Multnomah County start to go down. Stay tuned.
Private one-on-one lessons will require:
hand washing/sanitizer;
temperature check;
masks;
dancing outside
me feeling comfortable with/knowing your level of socializing.
Thank you again for your input. I am taking into account all information. I have a few friends who work in infectious disease research, pharmaceutics research, etc., and I have been bugging them for information to help me stay au courant with COVID-19 news. Again, the county has not budged, and numbers are going up, so please bear with my slower-than-you-want opening, those of you who want to dance NOW :-)