Covid-19 and Lakes Performing Arts Company

Firstly, thank you for your patience on this matter, we do understand the stress and frustration COVID-19 is causing to our staff and customers. The ever-changing details of the virus has made it increasingly difficult to make long term decisions. At LPAC, protecting the wellbeing of our staff and students is our top priority.

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As this situation has been evolving, we have been doing everything we feel is right and responsible to manage our studios. Yesterday, with the further spread of COVID-19 and the situation in NZ escalating, and after consulting local health care providers, and the Ministry of Health, we have made the difficult but necessary decision to temporarily suspend DANCE and DRAMA CLASSES ONLY at the LPAC premises effective from Monday 23rd March. We will be introducing online lessons for these classes so they can continue learning for the remainder of the term.  Classes will continue to run as normal until then (19-22nd March) with our current measures in place to manage person-to-person contact and hygiene.

A reminder! This includes: ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

- No one extra in the building at any time - apart from dancers and teachers.

- Limit all student-to-student contact. (Teachers will be enforcing this).

- Continue to sanitise and wash hands often.

MUSIC and VOCAL LESSONS will continue to run as per normal but we ask teachers to keep a safe distance from all students and follow policies and procedures in terms of Health and Safety, Cleaning and Hygiene.

This now gives us a 5 week period to help slow the spread of COVID-19. This will also allow us a longer window to continue to assess the situation and make decisions about how best to proceed into Term 2.

Next week we plan to go online creating great content for our awesome customers to keep our students moving and engaged over this time. We will still be posting, sharing and talking online, so make sure you stay check in to see what exciting things will be happening each week.

But please, while we organise ourselves and make moves to look after our LPAC Whanau and plan our next steps, bear with us. We will be releasing more info for you on how your performing arts education can be delivered.

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In the meantime, show dates remain unchanged. We will monitor exams and competitions and will deliver more information on that as soon as possible.

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We know dance and drama is a huge part of our students’ lives and we want to do everything we can to continue to provide as many of the benefits that the Performing Arts brings, even if we cannot be face to face with our students.

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It is more important, now more than ever, to engage online. Comment, share and like all our posts on social media. We want to hear from you! It is so good for the students to continue to exercise, maintain their strength and flexibility, continue their dance training and enjoy the stimulus and motivation of the Arts.  Students will love seeing the familiar faces of their teachers each week, it will provide a connection and stability for children in this time of change.

All plans are to resume as normal in Term 2.

Thank you so much for your understanding over this time and please continue to do your part in the community to help our government slow the spread of this virus. Wash your hands, practice social distancing and don’t touch your face.

If anyone has any advice or suggestions that would be helpful to us, please email me. The more we can help each other, the stronger we will all be.

Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Yours sincerely

Rebecca Brake

Managing Director

Lakes Performing Arts Company

We will keep you updated on any information from the Ministry of Health as we receive it. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask.