Covid-19 brings about a change in dance format; online mode preferred

Dance is not just a form of creative and entertainment, but also a blissful way to keep fit and healthy. Moreso at a time when people are facing Covid-19 crisis. Physical dance classes and sessions are difficult in view of the prevailing situation. Most of the dancers and dance trainers have shifted to the online mode.

Pooja Joshi Igoor of Beyond Taalas said, “Dance is the best medicine for many ills. It can heal the mind and the body, give a lot of happiness to a person and keep one’s spirits high. Under prevailing conditions, we have shifted to online formats. Online dance training and sessions can’t be commercially successful. Effective training is possible only physically. Still people are engaging online due to the crisis”.

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She adds,”Generally, the dance scenario has become online and studios are not still getting many dance enthusiasts. We also hesitate to engage in physical classes. Financially, it has affected dance teachers. Still in view of maintaining good health of our students we are conducting online classes. We have to explore ways to keep the students engaged. We need to be innovative. Their fitness and health depends on how much time they spend practising and enjoying dance.”

“Recently, I conducted an online programme involving 70 dancers to motivate them. The audience response was good and over 1,500 viewers joined online. We need to conduct such online events for the time being to engage the dancers and also to encourage them. To attract online viewers, we need to be innovative and also experiment,” Pooja said.

Initially difficult

Cheppudira Thulasi Kushalappa of TKC Kompany said, “Adopting to the online format was difficult initially. In a couple of months, myself and my students were comfortable in the online format of dance. They practise on the basis of my video by watching it. Then, they share their practise video for my review. I suggest some changes and corrections in choreography as well as technique which they incorporate for a complete dance experience”.

“However, attendance has reduced by almost 50%, from physical format to online format. Under the prevailing situation, children attend online classes in schools and colleges. As most of the students use the mobile phones of their respective mothers, the mothers do not have their phones with them, most of the time. So, not many parents have enrolled with us, especially women. Earlier, parents who used to bring their children for the dance class would simultaneously attend elders’ dance classes,” Thulasi said.

Part-timers

“We had a couple of dancers who are also involved in other vocations who would be part of the events like wedding choreography. Now, as the scenario is not encouraging for physical events, we do not hire them. They would also help me in conducting dance classes. Thanks to their other vocations, their livelihood is not affected,” she said.

“Initially, the students were hesitant to send their practise videos. But gradually, as they saw some of their batchmates sharing the videos, all were encouraged. Now, almost all share their practise videos. Still, competitive and team spirit that is abundant in a physical class is missing in the online format,” Thulasi said.

“Hope the situation eases paving the way for conducting physical dance classes and events. Till then, we do our mite to keep our students engaged so that their fitness and health is maintained well,” she added.