So, we are now moving into the final week of summer 1 term unbelievably, which means this is our 4th full week of online classes (which are still being added to all the time)! This would have also been our last week of rehearsals before moving into our official show week, starting on Sunday 24th May with the first full run through of the show, where backstage volunteers and the technical team also come together to see the students perform. Although we are disappointed that this is not going ahead as planned for the time being, we look forward to when we can all come together once more and celebrate the achievements of the pupils when they take to the stage. It seems very strange not to be in full swing with preparations right now, but looking back over the past weeks to previous shows, this is not the first time that we have altered performance dates.
As I have discussed in previous blogs, we were very much looking forward to returning to classes once the May half term had passed. However, with one week to go until the half term is here and with so much ambiguity still surrounding the reopening of academic schools, we feel that this is going to be too soon. Furthermore, as the children are phased back into school and with it being likely that there shall be a staggered approach to drop-offs and collections, we think so many pupils will be at different stages at different times to then try and also implicate this within our own timetables. Therefore, we have taken the decision to keep the whole of the summer 2 term online (bearing in mind that we would finish this term on 11th July, which is two weeks earlier than the academic schools). We would continue to provide the services we have thus far, with the view to adding more classes where possible – most probably recording them during the school day and making them accessible via YouTube for the pupils to follow at night, home schooling permitting. Let me reiterate that this would be in addition to the zoom meetings and Facebook lives that are already being held.
We understand that some of you may feel disappointed not to have the children return to class, but please understand that we are putting everybody’s health and safety as priority; we, too, are disappointed.
Therefore, moving forwards we have needed to consider possible ways of gently introducing a fee structure once again. As you know, we have delivered all classes this term, and over the Easter holiday period, free of charge and also encouraged parents and pupils to attend as many different classes as possible, including trying new dance genre and participating in our general keep fit lessons. We want to keep encouraging you to do this for many different reasons. Firstly, the pupils are used to attending lessons that challenge them mentally and physically; we do not want their achievements to be reversed. Secondly, dance is a physical activity that keeps you fit both in body and in mind; during this difficult time it can be very easy to become demotivated, but after dancing your mood can be uplifted dramatically and it makes you feel so much better than you have kept moving. When a large group of us come together on zoom, for example, that is also a great motivation and you can feed off of each other’s energy and also feel part of the Attitude community. So even when you are having a difficult day, we would really like you to try and attend all the lessons provided for your age group, as much as possible.
So, bearing this in mind, we are going to setup a monthly subscription service, which will allow you to access ALL of the lessons on YouTube, Zoom and Facebook. If you are unable to attend a meeting on Zoom (providing you give us enough notice) we can also record the meeting and email it across to you so that you can do it in your own time. This service would start after the May half term, 1st June, and at the moment would run until the end of July, which means we have actually extended the summer term, and will cost £30 per month.
Emails will be sent out in the next couple of days explaining the subscription service in more detail and will also include a short form that we shall need you to complete and return by email. Once this has been received and the first payment received for the month of June, you will be sent all the various links/codes and will also be invited to join a private community group off our usual Facebook page where the live classes shall be moved across to. So please keep a look out for emails reaching your inbox; I shall make an announcement on all the usual platforms when the emails have been sent so that you can check your junk boxes as well. If you don’t receive an email or if you think you have updated your email address and not informed me then please get in touch by direct message on any of the social media sites or by email.
I hope you welcome this news regarding summer 2 and that you will continue to join us as a community and to keep on dancing, whilst we look to hopefully having a completely fresh start at the beginning of the new academic year in September. For the rest of this week and also throughout half term, all lessons remain free of charge and accessible via the usual platforms.
Please stay safe and #keepondancing
