At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, dance studios across the world closed their doors to help stop the spread and to keep their teachers and students safe. Studios here in Alberta were no different. With restrictions continuously changing in the wake of new waves of the pandemic, dance teachers have had to continue to make changes to their class delivery.

Jenn and Chris Zacharias are the owners and teachers at Icon Dance Studio in Calgary. They, like many others, have had to adapt their teaching as the pandemic has moved people out of the studio and into the home. In order to keep their students engaged and active during lockdown orders, they have had to make a change to their class delivery.     

“When the pandemic started, we knew we would have to continue to provide this environment for the well-being of our students. In order to accomplish this, we transferred our classes as quickly as possible to an online format,” said Jenn in an email interview.  “We made many changes to class format, having to adapt with a go-with-the-flow attitude. If this has taught us anything it is that being adaptable is a top priority.”

So, with the COVID-19 pandemic keeping dancers and teachers indoors, everyone has had to adapt to the changes. Right away, Jenn and Chris noticed changes in their students.

“They were forced to adjust, change their ideas, ways of learning, and habits, along with us, both inside and outside the studio. Their usual routine was interrupted every time we logged into the virtual classroom.  Motivation is a constant struggle. Energy in class is a real phenomenon, we really discovered the lack of energy exchange from shifting to online learning. We continue encouraging them to keep working to achieve their best. Reminding them over time this situation will pass.  We will be back in the studio doing what we love soon. We believe all of this has made them stronger, more adaptable, and willing to try new things.”

With students now facing a technological overload, Jenn and Chris, as well as the other teachers at Icon have had to make sure everything is working well when doing their online classes.

“With so many unknowns this season this has been a never-ending task of repetition. As studio owners, we have to be able to adapt, be flexible and work with our dance families as best we can to keep them informed of what is going on. These are all normal things, but in the wake of this pandemic every piece of information is so much more important,” said Chris.

However, with the change to remote learning for both school and dance lessons, Jenn and Chris have found that their students have been facing new challenges ranging from a change in routine to screen fatigue, the teachers at Icon Dance have had to take all of this into account when it comes to mentoring their students.  

“Dancers feel more free when they are in a safe space at the studio, not taking class in a family basement or living area where everyone is watching.  Teaching online creates frustration and fatigue for the teachers and the students alike.  We continue on, trying our best to share the love we have for our art form in any way we can. Having a philosophy of Progression and not Regression,” said Jenn.

“It is a challenge to come up with new skills and activities for the dancers to participate in each week with the limited space they have at home.  As time goes on, dancers struggle to maintain focus, it is our job to keep them engaged and put in the effort to continue their journey in dance.  Online classes are a wonderful enrichment opportunity. However, nothing can be a substitute for in-person learning, with human contact, hands-on correction and interaction between teachers and peers. We feel lucky that we can continue our dance education in an online format, but our hearts really want to be in the studio.”

With online classes being the new normal and in-person classes few and far between, Jenn, Chris, and the other instructors at Icon Dance have also had to make changes to their competition program.

Back in March of 2020 when the lockdown orders were just beginning in Canada, dance competitions that were just about to start were forced to reschedule to the fall in hopes of better condition. Routines that should have been performed in March were shown in September and both Jenn and Chris could not be prouder of their students for the strength and resilience that they have shown.   

“Throughout this pandemic, we have continued to train and practice routines, running intensive classes with our competitive team.  It has been a hard challenge, but it is inspiring to see how much they still love dance.  It shows every time they attend class with a good attitude, work hard and try their best despite not having room or being inhibited by lack of space,” said Jenn.

Parents and student have had their fair share of struggles with the switch to online and blended dance education. However, most parents have been grateful for the continuation of their child’s dance education.

“My daughter can’t wait to return back to the studio, but with vaccinations for her age group just now rolling out, I know it will be a while yet. But having her ballet classes online has allowed her to stay active and we couldn’t be more grateful,” said parent Jay Watts. 

With the ever-changing COVID-19 restrictions here in Alberta, it seems like online dance education will be continuing on for a little while longer. In the meantime, it is important to listen to dancers and dance educators as they strive to work within the confines of the safety restrictions put in place.