Our comprehensive safety plan includes 7 measures:
We strongly believe that the LINX community's adherence to testing and quarantine for those who travel have helped our ability to stay open for classes since we resumed in person classes in the fall. Although Massachusetts no longer requires testing and quarantine for those who travel, LINX still does. Persons who are fully vaccinated (all doses have been received more than 14 days ago and who do not have symptoms) and persons who tested positive within 90 days of arrival to Massachusetts and successfully completed isolation are not required to quarantine.
The Center for Disease Control (CDC) defines close contact, which causes the risk of exposure, as
Being within 6 feet of an infected person for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period.
We have worked diligently to plan our classes so that no one experiences close contact.
In response to COVID-19 and for the safety of the entire LINX community, we have reduced the number of staff members who will be onsite at 141 Linden Street at any one time. Nonetheless, we are committed to providing you with the same level of outstanding customer service! Most LINX staff will be working from home in the mornings when we have fewer children in the building and even during our peak afternoon hours much of our non-teaching staff will be working offsite. We will have the most staff available to answer your calls or chats during the hours of 10:00 am to 1:00 pm. After 1:00 pm, our department Directors and teachers may be traveling to LINX and/or teaching classes and thus be less available to connect.
We encourage you to reach out to us in the morning hours so that we can provide you with the most timely response to your inquiry. Be assured, however, that in the event of an emergency, our onsite staff will be reachable for both incoming and outgoing communications.
In line with the shared responsibility of the community and keeping each other safe, if anyone in your family is displaying possible symptoms of COVID-19, or has been notified of a possible exposure to COVID-19, we ask that you please keep your child home and have them attend class remotely until such time as you receive additional information confirming or clearing the exposure.
We do not issue refunds or credits for class absences, although we have a couple of other options. First, your child may attend class remotely. A second option is to book a make-up class, a virtual class.
The state and Wellesley Board of Health do not anticipate the need for LINX to be closed because of COVID-19 exposure. If LINX is closed, we will offer remote attendance to replace in-person attendance until we can re-open in-person again.
We plan to hold a recital performance in June. Based on CDC and state guidelines the location and audience size may differ. In anticipation of a limited audience capacity, our recital acts will be filmed and live-streamed through Wellesley Media.
Dance T.A.Ps will be invited to be the assistant in virtual classes. We cannot include them as assistants for in-person classes because of limitations on the number of people in a classroom.
We believe there will be competitions this year and we will choose competition companies that have clear safety protocols. The number of competitions we attend as a studio may be lower this year due to these restrictions.
In line with the shared responsibility of the community and keeping each other safe, if you or your child has been notified of a possible exposure to COVID-19, we ask that you please keep your child home and allow them to participate in their class remotely until such time as you receive additional information confirming or clearing the exposure.
We have worked diligently to plan our classes so that no one should ever be in close contact. Therefore, under the guidance received from the Wellesley Board of Health, the presence of an individual with possible COVID-19 symptoms in a LINX class will not be considered to have placed the remainder of the students or teacher at risk. This should inform your answer to the daily attestation.
We do not issue refunds or credits for class absences, although we have a couple of other options. First, your child may attend class remotely. A second option is to book a make-up class which is delivered to all students through remote attendance.
Per current state guidelines, students are required to wear a mask through all of class. Students are required to wear their masks beginning at the point in time that they exit their car. Please note that a neck gaiter may not be used as a mask.
Each classroom floor will be marked into sections to ensure appropriate physical distancing between students. Each student will have space appropriate to any movement the curriculum requires.
First, we will require all students to wear masks at all times. When students enter a classroom, they will be directed to designated personal spaces beginning at the farthest one from the door and moving toward the door. This process will lessen the number of times that students cross near one another. Secondly, we will require all students to stop and sanitize their hands, at a sanitation station they pass on their way to their classroom.
The number of students in a class depends on the square footage of the classroom and the currently understood best practice for physical distancing. When classes begin in September 2020, six feet of physical distance will be followed.
Recently scientific findings described in this December 2020 article support our comprehensive COVID-19 safety plan that places more of an emphasis on continuous air purification than cleaning between each class. With the intent to lessen the exposure of our students to the chemicals in cleaning products, and to maintain the integrity of our sprung floors, we now thoroughly clean our studios and floors once each day.
Each mat will only be used by one student during each class. All mats will be wiped down with disinfectant wipes between each class.
Students 3-5 years old will be given a “prop bag” that they will bring to class each time. No props or supplies will be shared.
Students must come to class in their required dance clothing. Dressing rooms will not be available and bathrooms may not be used as changing spaces.
Our teachers follow the Acrobatic Arts model of certified instruction of only advancing a student to more rigorous moves when the student is strong enough and skilled enough to complete the move with minimal risk on their own. Our teachers will continue to verbally spot dancers in the same way they have in past years.
If due to current regulations your in-person class may only be offered for remote attendance, your rate will adjust to our virtual rate with the next billing cycle.
Due to our comprehensive COVID-19 safety plan, we are offering one make-up class each month in each of our departments of Dance, Enrichment, and Theater. This class is delivered to all students through remote attendance. Registration for each monthly make-up class is closed three days before the class so that we can plan for appropriate staffing and curricula.
In the interest in reducing cross-class exposure between students and operating in a way that supports physical distancing, we cannot offer Clubtime.
When classes are moved indoors continual air purification, mask requirements, physical distancing, and open windows and doors are enforced.
A message will be added to the top of the family dashboard if we expect to move inside. If there is an unexpected move inside while your child is in class, we will notify you with a text message.
No, in-person and virtual classes have different rates and benefits. We offer multi-class discounts for both in-person and virtual classes.
Virtual classes are not impacted by any changes to in-person classes.
Our virtual classes have the same emphasis on individual attention, community interaction, and socialization as our in-person classes. For this reason, we limit our virtual classes to 14 students.
We strongly encourage families to join a virtual class waitlist. We are prepared to launch additional virtual classes to meet interest! Alternatively, if you have a group of friends or a pandemic pod who would like a private enrichment class or classes, please let us know using this form.
All of our recreational dance classes are 55 minutes long. All of our competitive dance classes are 55 minutes long in our 2020-21 program year.
Our recreational classes are month-by-month, but we do highly encourage remaining in the same class after January. At this point, our instructors begin to choreograph recital routines and base their routines off of the dancers in class at the time. We also encourage dancers to be committed to attending class each week starting in January.<br><br>Our competitive program is a season-long commitment.
Classes typically start with a warm-up that lasts about 15 minutes. In a ballet class, dancers usually begin in a circle and start with floor stretches. In jazz and other classes, dancers typically warm-up in the center of the room with floor stretches, standing stretches, isolations, standing technique, etc. Dancers then work on across-the-floor technique, continue onto centerwork, and then to from-the-corner technique. These techniques include kicks, turns, leaps, etc. Some classes end with a combination, where the teacher will teach a choreographed phrase to the dancers and the dancers perform it in groups.
LINX has a 5:1 ratio at all times. Each dance class has a specialized dance teacher, and depending upon class size, may have a teacher's assistant (T.A.P.).
Our recreational dancers are only required to take one dance class, however we typically see that dancers are interested in taking at least two classes a year!
Go to class forms to complete all paperwork for your child to attend classes. You can find this link on your family dashboard under the Class Tools section.
You can update your class forms at anytime right from your family dashboard—under Classes Tools you will see a button for Class Forms.
Please visit our recreational classes rates page for full information about class rates, including multi-class discounts.
Our competitive rates are based upon a combination of competition level and number of classes. Please visit our competitive classes rates page for a full description.
Dancers Image in Newton and Capezio in Wellesley carry all of our dress requirements.
Yes, they do!
Competitive dance classes require more time commitment from dancers and families. Competitive dancers are expected to attend class several times a week and participate in at least 3 mandatory competitions throughout the year.
LINX Dance Studio requires our competitive dancers to attend three mandatory competitions throughout the year. There are also other optional competitions that our dancers can take part in if participating in a solo, duo, trio, or small group.
Each dancer will be given a required schedule of classes that they are required to attend each week. Electives may have team/company members in it but are not exclusive to team/company members only. Required classes are invite only - electives are not by invitation.
Our instructors will assess the level of the dancer throughout the year, and will express any concerns that they may have to their director. The director will find an appropriate level for the dancer and will contact home if necessary.
LINX Dance competitive dancers who are in middle or high school may apply to participate in our Teacher's Assistant Program (T.A.P.).
Please visit the drop-off and pick-up page for complete details on LINX drop-offs and pick-ups.
For recreational dancers, you may book a make-up class online or call us at 781-235-3210.
Children with a fever of 100.0 degrees or higher, or symptoms of being ill such as, but not limited to, cough, sore throat, nausea, dizziness, aches, or chills, must stay home.
Children may only return to LINX after they have been fever-free for at least 24 hours without the aid of acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil or Motrin) and/or have completed any required quarantine period.
LINX does not issue credits or refunds for sick days. If your child misses class or is sick you can schedule a make-up class.