9 July 2020
Richard Still
The dancing world has continued throughout and will bounce back bigger and stronger than ever. Digital dancing may not offer the same social interaction or team spirit that face to face learning can. However, it is now definitely a platform to support the future of our dance businesses.
With the country being in lockdown from March, dancers and teachers were left with little choice but to look at alternative ideas for how to continue working on their dancing and development of their dance skills.
Many other industries faced a similar problem, yet the next three months would shape a new culture of dance delivery. Thus was born the digital dancing era, or was it? There have been many attempts to offer dancing via a distanced platform and apps and online lectures have been around for a few years. Dance media has always been around, not only for the development of dance skills and techniques but also to fulfill the desire for social interaction online.
“Different media platforms have been used to keep dance going, from Zoom to Facebook”
At the start of April many online classes developed across a range of dance and fitness genres, and the uptake of people who already danced has been fantastic, with different dance challenges and dance movements and people working together for the survival of dance establishments.
Different of media platforms have been used to keep dance going, from Zoom to Facebook. Children and adults alike have wanted to continue developing their knowledge of dance. It became evident that the industry was not always equipped with the knowledge of liability and policies and processes that was needed to deliver online content. Dance associations globally tried to information their members to ensure the safety and protection of teachers and students throughout these unprecedented times.
It has been extremely clear that dance plays such an important part in people’s lives. Online daily dance classes have definitely kept people’s interest and played a big part in the stabilisation of mental health, helping people to focus and see a future for their hobby and passion.
Online lectures have provided increased access to information at a price that is affordable. Online dance competitions have given dance students the goal that so many of them strive for. This of course wouldn’t have been possible for any of the UK population if it hadn’t been for government assistance in supporting the UK economy.
With lockdown easing and many dancing facilities opening their doors there are a new set of issues to face, with the social distancing guidance.
Dancers will need to keep up the resilience that they have shown throughout the pandemic so far. This dreadful virus has hit the world hard and resulted in the sad loss of many people before their time. The dancing world has continued throughout and will bounce back bigger and stronger than ever.
Digital dancing may not offer the same social interaction or team spirit that face to face learning can. However, it is now definitely a platform to support the future of our dance businesses.
