Thursday, July 9, 2020

Ready to Zoom your ballet class with me? A helpful guide

The state and city have their phases, so why shouldn't we?

The 4 Phases of Ballet with Leigh During the Pandemic

Phase 1 - Daily Livestream classes via YouTube (March-June) COMPLETED

Phase 2 - Daily Zoom classes & 1 YouTube livestream (July-?) <-----WE ARE HERE

Phase 3 - Mix of Zoom classes and a few in-studio classes

Phase 4 - All in-studio classes

Let's talk about Phase 2....

I'm going to be perfectly honest with you about Zoom: I wasn't a big fan. After teaching company classes and pointe classes and doing some private lessons, I have come to appreciate certain things about teaching on Zoom which I hope will be of benefit to my students and perhaps other instructors.

General Do's for Students:
  • mute your audio except when requested
  • place the camera at a high angle to capture most of the body
  • give yourself plenty of room
  • "pin" one of the boxes so you won't be distracted by others

Extra Do's for My Students:
  • feel free to be a non-video participant if you're not comfortable with video on you
  • use Speaker View when I'm demonstrating so you only see the close-ups of my feet
  • use Gallery View during the combination if you want the "classroom" feel
  • arrive a few minutes early if you want to mingle with me and other students
  • wave your hand at the camera when you have a question and then unmute yourself
  • if you would like to record a class you are taking so you can review later, contact me to arrange

General Do's for Teachers:
  • limit class size so the boxes are big enough to see everyone to give them feedback
  • keep music separate so you can continue to give instruction during an exercise
  • sign in on 2 devices and keep one static and wide; use the other for close-ups of feet or arms
  • use as much light as possible in front of you; close blinds behind you
  • shut off audio wherever possible to limit interference and echo
  • turn off all devices in the area which could steal bandwith

Some final thoughts on ballet and the pandemic...

I've learned a lot about my students and myself during the past four months while we've been out of the studio. Not gonna lie, there are a lot of sad and bad days for me and for all of us. It's hard to keep going especially when you're not feeling inspired. I draw a lot of my inspiration from my students, whether it's writing a blog post or creating a class exercise or new choreography. Not having them around me has been a tremendous challenge and it can be depressing. On the other side of things, I know some students don't want to take class at home because it's nothing like class in the studio and it depresses them in that way; or maybe they simply don't have adequate space which is also disheartening.

We are living in uncertain times. We don't know what the future holds. We don't know what ballet will look like, what our lives will look like - a week from now, a month from now, a year from now. So we must live in the moment. If we are healthy and can move our bodies: take joy in that moment. If we have a roof over our heads, food to eat, and we can manage a plie at our kitchen counter: take joy in that moment. If we can Zoom a class with our dance friends and vent about the difficulties in dancing with animals in our homes: take joy in that moment.

When things get really bad for me and I just want to weep 24/7, it helps me to remember these positive things:

About me...

I'm very grateful I've been able to push all my furniture to the corner of my apartment so I can carve out a small studio area to teach in.

I'm grateful to have a proper barre and a decent floor.

I'm glad my wi-fi isn't terrible and I have been able to pick up the technology quickly.

I'm excited to have learned some new things, like how to livestream, how to teach remotely, and how to design and maintain my website.

I'm thrilled to have moved all of my business online which we will continue when we're back in the studio, with e-cards, advance sign-ups and limited classes.

About my students...

They are resilient and dedicated. They still love ballet and are eager to find ways to continue it in their homes. They are supportive of each other and me. They want to go back to the studio and see their friends but they are smart and rightfully cautious. They are willing to try new things.

Remember: dance is forever. It supports your immune system, floods your body with endorphins, builds strength and stamina, and increases your flexibility.

Remember: the pandemic is temporary. We will get through this if we take care of ourselves, wear our masks, maintain social distance, and consider everyone around us as important as our own family members.

Happy dancing~

Vivian Garcia, LPBC Company member, doing some rooftop ballet

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