New Geneva Studio Offers Safe Space For Dancers Amid Pandemic

GENEVA, IL — After five years on the top floor of a West Chicago office building, the Elise Flagg Academy of Dance recently moved into a new studio in Geneva.

That move has been nothing short of amazing, according to owner Elise Flagg, who said seeing her students at the new studio after months of online classes was “the best feeling you could have” as a teacher.

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“It was so exciting,” Flagg said, crediting her students for their commitment to maintaining high standards despite the coronavirus forcing them to alter their daily lives and routines.

Flagg had seen many of her students almost daily since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, but only through videos and online classes. She said she’s grateful to be able to teach in person, noting how “demanding” online classes were on instructors, with “kids going a million different tempos” due to bad internet connections.

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The Elise Flagg Academy of Dance now operates at 9 N. Fourth St. in Geneva. When the studio recently hit the real estate market, “we just knew it was the right time,” Flagg said.

The former professional ballet dancer said she has always loved Geneva for its stores, restaurants and love of the arts, and she is “thrilled” to now be a part of the community.

“We are so happy,” she said. “We are just thrilled to be here.”

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The Elise Flagg Academy of Dance offers training in many dance styles, including ballet, contemporary, jazz, modern and Pilates.

But the studio is widely known for its classical training that is “deeply influenced” by Flagg’s time with George Balanchine, who is known to many as the father of American ballet.

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Flagg learned from Balanchine at the School of American Ballet before joining his New York City Ballet company when she was 16. For more than five years, Flagg has been passing on her world-class knowledge to students in the Kane County area — first at a studio in St. Charles before opening her own academy in West Chicago and moving to Geneva.

Desiree Cortez, a parent who volunteers at the academy, said the new Geneva studio allows Flagg and her staff to “control the (dancers’) experience from the moment you walk in the door.”

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It’s also allowed them to create a space where dancers and parents feel safe amid the coronavirus pandemic, Cortez said.

Everyone must have their temperatures measured each day before entering, and families must certify they are not experiencing any coronavirus-related symptoms, Cortez said. All dancers and staff must wear masks while inside, except during bar exercises when dancers can maintain their distance from others.

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The studio limits its class sizes to fewer students than allowed under public health guidelines to provide additional space, Cortez said, pointing to new guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that states the coronavirus can spread beyond 6 feet in poorly ventilated indoor spaces.

The studio’s fans are always on and windows remain open to ensure good air circulation, Cortez said. Hand sanitizer stations have also been placed outside each door in the studio, she said.

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Students at the Elise Flagg Academy of Dance have embraced its safety precautions and protocols, as they allow the students to safely reunite with their friends after spending months apart, Cortez said.

“The girls were like, ‘I don’t care what we have to do if it means we can be together in the studio,’” she said.

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