COVID-19 UPDATES AND INFORMATION
Update as of Thursday, April 2:
Project Ballet hopes to resume regular operations on June 1, 2020. If circumstances allow, we may open sooner than June 1 for abbreviated operations (such as private or semi-private lessons, or a modified schedule). However, at this point it is impossible to predict the restrictions that will remain in place throughout the spring, or if our closure could even be forced to extend beyond June 1. The following is our tentative plan, based on what we know now. However, please continue to be patient and flexible as we constantly adjust to the current information available from government officials. We encourage you to check back regularly for updates.
-
Our 2020 Variations Showcase and 2020 Spring Concert are canceled. If you purchased tickets for our Variations Showcase, please consider converting your ticket to a donation. Our organization would sincerely appreciate your generosity at this difficult time. You do not need to take any further steps to convert your ticket to a donation. If we do not hear from you, we will convert your ticket purchase to a donation, and you will receive a donation receipt. If you do not wish to make a donation, and would like a refund for your purchase, please contact manager@projectballet.org.
-
We are looking forward to holding our Graduation Ceremony later this summer, as gathering restrictions allow. In the meantime, we are planning ways to celebrate our graduates online.
-
Our Academic Conservatory will finish the school year with e-learning. Mrs. Frank and the academic team will continue to communicate regularly with our Conservatory families.
-
We are committed to holding our last week of Preschool Ballet observation classes. Please stand by for exact dates. We will finalize this just as soon as we can, but are hopeful that the classes will be held in June. Until we are able to dance together again, please continue with the online programming offered on the PB@Home site. It will continue to be updated regularly.
-
We are committed to holding our last three weeks of Preparatory Ballet classes. Please stand by for exact dates. We will finalize this just as soon as we can, but are hopeful that the classes will be held in June. Until we are able to dance together again, please continue with the online programming offered on the PB@Home site. It will continue to be updated regularly.
-
We are planning to resume a regular Training Program schedule on Monday, June 1. We will plan to hold classes from June 1 through July 11, to fully make-up the six weeks of missed instructional time. During these six weeks, we will have flexible scheduling and attendance requirements. (We also remain hopeful that we may be able to offer some abbreviated operations in May, such as private or semi-private lessons.) Until we are able to dance together again, please continue with the online programming offered on the PB@Home site. It will continue to be updated regularly.
-
As of now, all Preschool and Preparatory Summer Classes will continue as originally scheduled.
-
We will be canceling Week #1 of our Junior Summer Intensive. Those families who are signed up for Week #1 will be contacted individually and given the option of transferring to a later week, or receiving a refund.
-
We will be moving Weeks #1, 2 and 3 of our Senior Summer Intensive to take place from July 13-31, rather than the original June dates. Those families who are signed up for Weeks #1, 2 and 3, will be contacted individually and given the option of transferring to a later week, or receiving a refund.
-
It is our hope that the upcoming 2020-2021 School Year will be held without any disruption or modification.
-
Once the stay-at-home order has been lifted, we will make arrangements for students to pick-up their things from the studio, if desired. We will be in touch with our Training Program and Conservatory families via email, when that time comes.
Project Ballet's most important priority is the safety of our students, staff and families. However, this extended closure is going to be a significant burden to our budget. Project Ballet is a non-profit public charity devoted to arts and education. Even the best years are still tough years. If you are in a position to give, please consider supporting Project Ballet, and other small businesses and non-profits in our community. Project Ballet is accepting on-line donations, HERE.
If you are on a tuition payment plan, and are able to continue to pay your tuition throughout the closure period, we ask that you do so without interruption. Our budget relies on those payments to pay our staff and to pay our bills. Further, as we mentioned above, we have plans in place to make-up or supplement all of the instruction promised in your enrollment contract. Your child's training and/or education will be temporarily interrupted, but not compromised.
That being said, if your family is experiencing significant hardship during this time due to loss of income and/or medical bills related to COVID-19, you can contact to request a deferred payment plan. We can temporarily suspend or defer payments through both FACTS tuition management and the CourseStorm program that we use for summer intensives.
Further, we will be extending our priority enrollment period through July 1, 2020 to allow our families an extra cushion to benefit from reduced-rate enrollment fees. We realize that the original deadline of May 1, 2020 may be an unnecessary burden at this time. We will also delay the distribution of tuition worksheets for our 2020-2021 school year. Worksheets for the new school year will be sent home to enrolled families in July.
More than anything else, we hope and pray that you and your family stay safe and healthy. Please let us know of any COVID-19 related illness among the Project Ballet community.