TOMBALL, Texas — 2020 was supposed to be Kim Davis' year. And while it still could be, the small business owner is worried about the future of her dance studio, Cypress Elite.
This year marks 15 years since her dance studio opened. It started with her as the only instructor and 13 kids.
The Tomball business has grown to more than 400 students and a staff of 16.
She's not able to physically stand side-by-side with her young students because concerns over the coronavirus pandemic.
But that doesn't mean she can't teach them.
"So we’re trying to crank out three to four a day," said Davis of the videos she's now posting to a private Facebook group for paying customers.
"There’s a lot of fears of what the future looks like for us," she said, but instead of leaning in to fear, Davis is standing firm in her faith.
"We have to pay rent, we have to keep the lights on, the air conditioning," said Davis. "So just making sure that we have that rent, month-to-month, you know, as a small business, is just super important."
After a crash-course in how to edit cellphone video on an app, Davis uploaded her first instructional video Sunday. Her staff is practicing social distancing while recording content which is sent to Davis.
"Parents are sending us videos back of, 'Look, we’re still doing the dinosaur dance.' Or, 'We’re still doing the goldfish dance,'" she said. "So it’s been a lot of fun to see."
She said Cypress Elite is now teaming with other dance studios in Tomball to devise a plan to address questions like:
"How can we come together as a community and make this be efficient? What if we’re closed for multiple weeks? What do we need to do to keep our kids engaged and actively participating in dance?"
Hers is a small business working to keep the doors open long enough to welcome people back in.
Coronavirus symptoms
The symptoms of coronavirus can be similar to the flu or a bad cold. Symptoms include a fever, cough and shortness of breath, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
Most healthy people will have mild symptoms. A study of more than 72,000 patients by the Centers for Disease Control in China showed 80 percent of the cases there were mild.
But infections can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and even death, according to the World Health Organization. Older people with underlying health conditions are most at risk.
The CDC believes symptoms may appear anywhere from two to 14 days after being exposed.
Human coronaviruses are usually spread through...
- The air by coughing or sneezing
- Close personal contact, such as touching or shaking hands
- Touching an object or surface with the virus on it, then touching your mouth, nose or eyes before washing your hands.
Help stop the spread of coronavirus
- Stay home when you are sick.
- Eat and sleep separately from your family members
- Use different utensils and dishes
- Cover your cough or sneeze with your arm, not your hand.
- If you use a tissue, throw it in the trash.
Lower your risk
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
- If you are 60 or over and have an underlying health condition such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes or respiratory illnesses like asthma or COPD, the World Health Organization advises you to try to avoid crowds or places where you might interact with people who are sick.
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