Updates & Info

Hi Hepcats Members,

It’s been a long time, but we’re happy to announce that we have plans to start resuming activities again soon! This fall we’ll be rolling out new class series, beginning September 20th with some solo dance classes. Registration is now open, so please check out our class page for more details and to sign up! These classes will all be socially distanced, with masks required. We’re limiting the number of people who can be participating in the class so that everyone will have space to distance. We’ll also be doing your standard COVID screening questionaires before each class.

For more detailed information on safety with COVID-19 please see our safety information page.

If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to us at info@hepcatswing.com

Looking forward to seeing some of you soon!

The Hepcat Swing Team

Hello Again, Fellow Dancers,

When we posted our COVID-19 update earlier, we did not think we would be making another announcement quite so soon. However, in our previous update we made it clear we would be closing the studio and cancelling classes in the event that major employers or institutions in the region moved to an online or work-from-home model. Yesterday, all publicly-funded schools in the province closed for three weeks and today the University of Waterloo and Wilfrid Laurier University announced they were cancelling in-person classes, assignments, and exams for the remainder of the term.

We recognize the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Waterloo Region is still very low. However, we are aware that social dancing is a high-risk activity and we want to do what we can to protect the community. Therefore, in line with public health recommendations for social distancing, we are cancelling all upcoming events at Hepcat Swing, including classes, until further notice.

We will be offering regular updates throughout the closure, including some tips on how to work on your solo dance practice, so please stay tuned for further announcements. If you registered for this session of classes, you will be receiving an email with further instructions tomorrow.

Stay healthy and take care of one another! Hepcat Swing Board of Directors

Hello Fellow Dancers,

With news of COVID-19 constantly being updated, we imagine that many of our community members are thinking about how this could affect their social dance. We are monitoring this situation very closely and plan to follow guidelines issued by public health authorities. We also feel it’s important to be proactive when it comes to safeguarding one another’s health. You will be hearing about some new rules at upcoming dances, and we will also post them here and on the web site.

First, we ask that anyone who displays symptoms of cold or flu please refrain from attending events at the studio. We also ask that all members practice effective (and regular) hand washing and sanitizing while they are here. This is not just a matter of protecting yourself – it also protects everyone else. Remember that not all conditions are visible, and other dancers may have compromised immune systems you are not aware of. Please exercise good judgement – if you have recently been travelling in a place with community transmission of COVID-19, now is not the time to go partner dancing. We also ask that you communicate with us if you have been diagnosed with COVID-19 and have been to an event at the studio within the last two weeks.

Many of you will be wondering whether Hepcat Swing will remain open in the coming weeks. While public health officials state the risk for this region is still low, this situation could change any day. For now, we will remain open. However, if major employers or institutions in the region move to an online or work-from-home model due to COVID-19 exposure among staff/students, we will close the studio and cancel planned events until further notice. We will also close if we discover someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 has been at the studio.

Those of you who are taking classes or thinking of taking classes may ask what this will mean for you. In the event of a studio closure, all classes will be cancelled. Students will have the option of claiming a studio credit or receiving a refund for the weeks that were cancelled. We will provide updates on this process as needed.

Stay healthy!

Hepcat Board of Directors