More Questions than Answers

Once you look past the health concerns of this pandemic, the greatest assault of COVID-19 on the small business owner in this industry is the inability to plan. At CDPA, we have dates of events and activities that have been "standing" for 30 years. Now, I sit staring at my calendar most days looking at time swirl as a galaxy of unknowns. As a business owner I am called to provide order and, try as I may, I simply cannot give clear direction with any measure of responsible time frames and for this I sincerely apologize. Three weeks ago, I decided that timeliness and expectation were my top priorities and I set out to try my best to hit our expected calendar markers with events that come as close as possible to the overarching context. For instance, at CDPA our highland dancers expect to be together in Savannah at the beginning of May. And so, we held a CDPA SAVANNAH ANYWAY Day to at least spend that time together. It was not the same, of course, but it satisfied some inkling of the internal time clock.

Today as I look ahead one week, we will be saying our goodbyes and closing out our CDPA Performing Ensemble Senior Tea. It will have been a "virtual overall" to a CDPA tradition, but again, our time clocks will be thanking us for staying on track. That opens our doors for the time of year when we prepare for our Showcase which means building excitement for dances finished and needing cleaning, costumes adorned with sequins, practicing hair and makeup and all the stress that goes with this time of year! Yes, our bodies are calling for that familiar stress! And so the task this week, is to come to a final decision about how all of this will transpire. You are an essential part of this process so I ask that you complete the short survey that will be sent out in your jackrabbit email on today, Sunday, May 10th! And yes, it is Mother's Day and I hope that each of you have been blessed! I, for one, celebrate you all and I thank you for making dance at CDPA a part of your child's regular activities.

I assure you that every possible measure of care is being given to the decisions I am making for the studio; the programming, the schedule, the teachers, the summer, the fall and of course, the heaviest weight on my heart...Showcase 2020 which is all about vision. I accept the challenge to hone my creative vision and my ability to focus, but I will offer up that it is a daily, exhaustive and courageous act as I watch so many friends, colleagues and competitors simply cancel or close. My eyes are set on the goal which is to sustain a steady presence in the lives of your children and in our community. Please note that all that you are learning and teaching me is part and parcel to the development of success strategies for studios across the nation. I have been actively involved in the moderating, facilitating and presenting of webinar based sessions to help studio owners throughout the United States survive this economic downturn. As I presented in a webinar this past Friday, "We are all in the same boat, just using a different paddle. The goal is to get to the other side without capsizing." Thank you all for taking up your oars to secure the future of CDPA!