In the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, people of all ages are looking for new ways to get active while staying at home. Once mandatory stay-at-home orders began to be instated and non-essential businesses began to close, dance studios across the country shut their doors seemingly overnight.
With her students remaining her number one priority, studio-owner and dance director Misako Aoki was quick on her feet to devise a plan. In only a few weeks of deliberation and planning, Aoki and the other dance teachers were able to continue their teaching remotely beginning March 30th. Hosting classes via Zoom, an online meeting platform, teachers have the ability to connect with every one of their students through the screen while dancing in their own space.
Ms. Jessica’s Ballet 1 Virtual Class
In the last few months, both students and teachers have gotten back into the rhythm of dance, focusing on developing their technique and honing their skill as if they had never left the studio. With classes held on the daily, the staff has learned to become familiar with the hiccups that sometimes occur; however, it’s well-known that technology doesn’t always work as planned.
There have been numerous classes in which teachers and students have tackled connectivity errors, audio and video issues, and glitches. Our younger students especially will often turn their microphones on just to announce to the teacher that their video is lagging, resulting in the teacher having to repeat a portion of the choreography.
Ms. Misako’s Ballet 6 Virtual Class
Communication is one of the key issues that teachers tend to encounter during virtual classes. Because the students and instructors are no longer working together in-person, corrections are more difficult to make. “I worry that some of my students may be hesitant to ask for help when they need it,” comments Jessica McElvaney, Ballet and Modern teacher of Misako Ballet Studio. Florian Rouiller, Advanced Ballet teacher of Misako Ballet Studio, has a similar take regarding his personal experiences with virtual classes: “The downside for the younger levels is that they cannot correct themselves over a screen, making it overall difficult.” Some teachers even had to change their dance entirely to accommodate the limitations of virtual classes. “Elementary Ballet 3&4 were working on a dance in the studio but I had to change the choreography because each student had a partner,” says Dottie Adams, Modern and Ballet teacher of Misako Ballet Studio and Misako Beats.
As frustrating as it may be, slow internet or any other roadblock has never gotten in the way of a successful class. Dancers and their instructors maintain their perseverance and optimism daily, staying put and having patience when things go wrong. Fortunately, most days tend to be stress-free without disruption. When things go smoothly, our dancers are even more encouraged to participate and succeed. As for the teachers, a class without errors means a class with A+ effort. Choreography is taught faster and more efficiently, making it easier for the students to learn.
Ultimately, virtual classes allow students and teachers to reconnect face-to-face since they can’t be together in the studio. “I'm glad that we can still dance together even if we can't breathe the same air,” says Jessica. Being a parent as well, Jessica also recognizes how online classes offer an opportunity for parents to watch their child’s growth and see what they’re learning in class. “As a parent, I've really enjoyed being able to peek in on my son as he takes his dance classes.”
Ms. Jessica’s Modern 1-2 Virtual Class
When it’s time to log in each day for class, it’s impossible to know what to expect. With every day having the possibility to be completely different from the last, teachers have to be ready to alter their instruction based on the presence of any issue, while students must be flexible enough to work around it. While actually being in the studio is the most ideal situation for learning to dance, our dancers have shown admirable amounts of positivity about the circumstances. Personally, while monitoring each teacher’s classes over the past few months, I’ve of course seen my share of frustration, as well as instances where some students feel as if it would just be easier to give up. What outweighs these, however, is what I see on the daily from our students-- dedication and confidence. While I may not be the one teaching, I’m the one who sees the dancers growing. In just a matter of weeks, I’ve seen individuals who’ve started out with no real interest in virtual classes shape into the ones who give the most effort. And while I sit on the sidelines muting and unmuting microphones, I’ve gotten the sense of these students’ passion for dance, which, to me, makes virtual classes completely worth it.
By: Autumn Moore