Ready to Fly (Again)

Lewis Hatkoff of Fly Dance Competition discusses the company’s memorable first year, and his plans for moving forward with dance events in a post-pandemic world.

With a number of live, in-person competitions resuming around the country, many of us dance parents have tons of questions – we know that the experience will be very different than what we’re used to prior to COVID-19, so what should we expect? I asked Lewis Hatkoff of Fly Dance Competition to give us a little behind-the-scenes insight into the process of planning and facilitating a post-pandemic live dance competition.

Hi Lewis! Can you give us some background on your company?

My name is Lewis Hatkoff and I am the proud owner of FLY Dance Competition. Our first season was in 2020 and we had 7 scheduled events. We were able to do 4 of them before the shutdown and were forced to put a pause on our season. We have rescheduled our last 3 events for August and we are so excited for the opportunity to answer these questions for the dance community! 

What is the “vibe” amongst your staff members right now?

The staff are all very excited to get back to work and see the dancers perform live on stage. I feel like it has been very hard for the dance judges and staff during this time but they have done an amazing job adapting. They have turned to teaching live virtual classes, virtual conventions and judging virtual dance competitions. We have been very fortunate to have been able to employ many of our staff for our virtual events over the past 3 months.

What was the most difficult obstacle to overcome to make live events happen again?

We really just want to make sure the dancers are all safe. We are trying to figure out the best way to do that at a live event. At FLY Dance Competition, we have been working hard to make a safe space that the dancers can perform. We have also been in talks with other competitions to make sure we are all on the same page and we can brainstorm.

Please describe the differences between this next phase of in-person competitions as compared to pre-pandemic events.  What changes should dance families expect?

I think that parents should expect different measures in place than a normal competition. Unfortunately we are not at the point where we can resume everything as normal. We are still doing live, in person competitions, but we have to come at it in a safe manner. This includes social distancing the staff from one another, making sure the audience members are separated, and keeping the dressing rooms spread out – parents and studio. This is all subject to change but as of now, solos will all go on in their respective sections by age. We will have marks on the floor for them to stand on to keep everyone in order and separated by at least 6 feet. When they perform on stage they will not need to wear a mask but will be asked to wear one before and after their performances. They will enter on one side of the stage and exit on the other side of the stage. The groups will be done one studio at a time or slightly more. We will also have more time in between each act number. Unfortunately while we will have an awards ceremony, the dancers will not be allowed on stage. We will also be replaying the entire competition and awards for everyone to be able to support one another.

Are you limiting the number of competition entries, and if so, by what factors (age, genre, group size, etc.)?

As of now we are not. We are seeing many studios are transferring their lines and productions to next year and modifying their group numbers to allow for social distancing but this is up to the studios. 

What protocols are in place for the dressing rooms?

We will be limiting the number of dancers in a dressing room at a time and utilizing larger spaces like cafeterias and larger rooms to allow for more social distance. We will be keeping one studio per dressing room.

What guidelines are you following for the live audience?

As of now, and this is subject to change, we will be limiting the audience to 1 parent per person. We may be giving out wristbands to ensure this is being enforced. We may also be doing temperature checks at the door. All audience members are also required to wear masks at all times. If they are not wearing a mask, they will not be permitted inside. If we see someone not wearing a mask once inside, we will ask them to put it back on. If we have to ask again, security will be involved and escort them out for the safety of the dancers and dance families.

Can you describe the cleaning process you plan to institute in the venues?

We will be mopping before and after each session. We will also be wiping down all surfaces that are frequently touched and we will be working with the venues as well to ensure their cleaning is deep and thorough in all public areas. 

What would you like to say to the dance parents that are hesitant to allow their child to participate in a live competition again?

I get it. This is a challenging time for all of us. Personally I take every precaution when I am at home to ensure the safety of my family and my staff. I am always wearing a mask in public, wiping down surfaces and my phone multiple times a day, and keeping my distance. All staff will be wearing masks and we will be limiting the interactions with one another. We want to have a fun competition but keep it safe for everyone. For those that are not comfortable doing a live event that is okay too. We will be back next year! We also have a lot of virtual competitions and virtual improv competitions they can be a part of where they can record from home.

What have you learned from this experience?  Has there been a “silver lining” in all of this?

Although this is not great for any of us, I have definitely learned a lot as a competition owner. I was pretty quick to pivot when all of this happened to virtual competitions and we have been able to reach over 1000 new dance studios with this experience of virtual events. We were so excited to be able to have people from all over the world compete with us. It is also a great way to get our name out there as a new competition as we plan to expand to over 20 cities next year from 7 this year.

What are you and your staff most looking forward to?

Seeing the dancers on stage! It is so heartwarming to see the dancers light up on stage and see how happy it makes them! We can not wait to get back at it!

Is there anything else you would like to add?

I just have to say that the studio owners and dancers should be very proud of what they have accomplished these last 3 months. I know it has not been easy but huge kudos to them for continuing their dance education and training. Everything they have had to learn and adapt to keep these kids dancing is truly amazing. I am blown away by the dance industry with how we stick together and adapt! I hope to see all of you at one of our FLY Dance Competition live events in 2020 or 2021! Also, the above plan might change based on how everything evolves. We will do our best to keep in touch with the other members in our industry to keep everyone safe and up to date! I just have one question to ask…”Are YOU ready to FLY?”

Thank you so much to Lewis Hatkoff for giving us a glimpse into this next phase of dance competitions, and best of luck to him and Fly Dance Competition!

Work hard, have fun! – Danielle

What other questions do you have about this next phase of dance competitions? Comment below!

Courtney O. of IDA talked to us about Virtual Dance Competitions – see what she had to say!