I hope you are all well.  I wanted you to know I participated in a ZOOM call this weekend with the dance studio directors and Masquerade staff for an update regarding Masquerade Nationals.  There were a few key points:

1) CONDOS – The tourism council wants an excel sheet from each studio showing last name, booking agency used, and place you are staying.  We already have some of that information, so Miss Tess will be compiling the info and sending it in for our studio.  There is a woman on the. council who will help any family who is having difficulty should you need to cancel your booking. Those (like me) who booked thru VRBO, have no recourse except what the owner has set and if the individual will work with you.  However if you booked thru an agency, then you will have some one who will help advocate for you IF the event gets cancelled. 

2). The convention center is open at 50% fior events who are "approved".  To be "approved", the event manager, tourism council, and city council, must all work together to demonstrate their plan of action for safely having the event.  The Masquerade staff has completed the form and has a meeting this week with the councils.  The councils know Masquerade and is working closely with them.  This week the plan will be given to the Govenor and as long as it is approved, Nationals will be approved.  The city council believes it will be approved.  THE DEFINITE DATE of if nationals will or will not happen is MAY 26. 

**IF your rental needs full payment prior to May 26, you could always cancel, and RE-BOOK.** 

3) In the event Nationals is happening, it will be very different from Nationals in the past.  For example:  On Teen solo day, only the LE DANCE studio teen solos will all compete one after another, then they will leave the building.  The event space will then be fog sanitized before the next studio enters (using different entrances and exits).  There will be a very stringent schedule as to how we compete, with safety at the forefront. 

4) The fees for Nationals will be regional fee prices.  Since we have already paid our regional fees, we would not be paying anything additional. 

5) There will still be a Parade Of Stars, and they will inform us how to proceed for those who missed a regional event. 

6) Should Nationals cancel , there is a St. Louis regionals scheduled on the weekend of Aug 28. I know seniors may be gone, but it is in place as an option.  I will not decide anything about this until I know about our Nationals. 

**That is what I learned from the Zoom meeting.  I will keep you updated as I find out any information. – I know we haven't "competed" regionally, but I would like to see the dancers take the stage this season safely.  

Thank you for your patience.  I know it is "frustrating", but everyone is working to be safe and give students a light in 2020.  

Liz