Its seems like such a long time since we have published a new article! March 2020 unfortunately set us back just like everyone else, as it did for other businesses and self-employed people across the U.K and the rest of the World. I don’t think any of us quite expected the COVID-19 outbreak to effect the country just as much as it has! However we a have remained positive and kept our spirits up, no matter how hard it has been to stay afloat. A.Y. Dance has witnessed hen parties come to a standstill, the entertainment industry to completely shut down and 2020 weddings to be postponed or even cancelled completely, leaving us pretty dried up in terms of business! But we are now looking forward to moving on and taking the steps to getting back to doing what we love, and providing the best dance and entertainment services!
During the last 4 months, we have kept busy online with our virtual dance classes! I think the Zoom programme has been a saviour for a lot of businesses during this time, especially within the fitness, dance and entertainment sector. We teamed up with a fabulous company called ‘Virtually Together.’ They created and put together a number of amazing packages and experiences for groups to enjoy online. One of these experiences was our dance parties! The idea was to create a virtual dance class, taught by myself, to a group that had either; missed a hen do/other celebration, or had an idea to do something together as a group online and wanted to try something a bit different! We ended up with quite a few bookings, and it was really great to get up and dance and get people moving and having some fun! The hen party groups were especially lovely to teach, as a lot of brides-to-be would have had to unfortunately cancel their plans for their big day this year. Not only were we doing virtual dance parties, we also had the Zumba classes up and running online too! Three times a week, for 45 mins a session lots of people wanting to continue their Zumba routine and get their ‘fix’ would come and join in the fun. It was really great to have the regulars support the business, and also see some new participants join too.
As we are now approaching the opening of gyms, sports centres, halls and social clubs…A.Y. Dance will be able to start taking booking for dance parties! However, we will be looking at putting together a policy to ensure the health and safety of all our clients. Although this is very exciting and we can’t wait to start seeing people face to face, (at a distance of course!) we still intend to offer and provide our virtual and online services! So if you still feel like you or your group are not quite ready to come together in a studio, or dance space, we are still her for you!
A.Y. Dance currently work with some amazing businesses. Some of these are now open again, with lots of procedures put in place. The wonderful Bath Boutique Stays is one of them! They have some lovely houses to accommodate your group, with a variety of activities to add to your stay. We can’t wait to start providing some fun dance parties for their clients soon! However, not all of our partners have begun trading again, just yet, especially as the majority are in the events industry. But we are looking forward to them all being able to open their doors and working with them in the upcoming months.
Finally, after we use the quiet autumn and winter seasons to recover, we are moving forward into 2021! We have already had some enquiries for next year, especially as many of our hen parties were postponed this summer. I can see the hen party season next year being a very busy one! As well as this we can predict that festivals will be booming again too, and we will be ready to bring our children’s dance workshops to lots of different locations. Also, weddings are most definitely going to be packed out next year, we are almost certain of this! A.Y. Dance are going to be working hard preparing new and exciting dance routines to perform to keep your guests entertained. Not forgetting the all-important audience participation too! All in all, this has been a major challenge for us, and we are aiming to come back with even more energy, fun and enthusiasm to make up for lost time. Watch this space!
