The social climate this Spring in Ontario has forced Dance Extreme to find innovative ways to keep dancers engaged and our dance troupe teams connected. As a result of the COVID-19 outbreak, we were forced to close our doors to our dancers – but to open our minds to new ways of teaching and learning online.
We began by launching our learning ‘DX Dance at Home’ web page to allow our dancers to keep training from home – complete with dance education games and activities, online pre-recorded classes, and a section to practice their recital dance from home. Two weeks into the pandemic, we launched a complementary schedule of online dance classes taught in real-time with our talented instructors facilitating these classes.
Dance Extreme recognizes the importance of remaining connected with our students during this time. The reasons are two-fold. First, similar to school, once students are out of the habit of something they do regularly, they can begin to lose skills that they have developed over time. Dance training requires dancers to maintain flexibility, agility and technical skill for the body to retain the muscle memory it has.
Secondly, children and youth thrive on social interactions, and when these are taken away some risk decreased mental health. Our dancers have worked hard for their training and we owe them the opportunity to continue training while at home. Online dance training will enrich what our dancers have learned in the studio and will continue to enhance their analytical and critical thinking skills. It will teach them that ‘the show must go on,’ even when plans change, or when challenges arise. Keeping active in a variety of ways, and cross-training dance classes with yoga, conditioning, stretch, meditation and visualization will help our students stay physically, mentally and emotionally healthy while social distancing or quarantined. Additionally, meeting online to take a class or have a team discussion promotes a sense of community and connection when they are not able to see their peers each day.
Dance Extreme has been thrilled to continue to offer dance training and education to its students and families in the hopes of maintaining a sense of normalcy and routine during a time when so much has happened around us.
By Richelle Hirlehey for Dance Extreme and photos by Henry Mendel
