Late March 2020. The stay-at-home order has been given. How do the dancers of Arthur Murray keep on dancing? Usually we enjoy a combination of Personal Sessions, Group Classes and Studio Parties for a well rounded, full bodied dance experience. So how does the studio offer this range of dance tuition with the doors to the studio closed?
Personal Sessions
Zoom, Skype, Facebook Messenger, Apple FaceTime are all excellent video conferencing services that allow you to see your teacher as you practice along at home. There was a small learning curve for some of our students, but the teachers were more than happy to help guide everyone through set up. Learning and practicing steps on your own can be a great way to feel more confident as either a leader or follower. There are plenty of styling skills to practice too. The advantage of personal sessions is the ability to go at your own pace and your teacher can personalise what you work on each session.
Group Classes
"Your Arthur Murray Adelaide" is a closed Facebook group for members to enjoy exclusive learn-at-home content. During stay-at-home we streamed a group every day of the week for beginners through to advanced of all different styles. Tuning in live allows you to type questions and comments for the teacher to respond to as the group is being broadcast, just like you can in person. We have also run Zoom classes for stying where we can all see each other so the teacher can give feedback as you practice. There are also over 70 videos up on our Facebook page and YouTube channel to give everyone lots of extra material to review between lessons. The advantage of group classes is that you can practice everything you are learning in your personal sessions.
Studio Parties
Virtual Parties have been really fun. We used Zoom to conference in and catch up. Fun dress-up themes and sit-down group dances have been an absolute blast. We also ran a game show and a trivia night. Studio parties are a great way to stay connected and socialise.
With the studio opening again we are looking forward to seeing everyone in person and slowly returning to normal. Its great to know that there are new and exciting options for people to learn remotely. If you are feeling a little under the weather but still want to take a lesson, you can book an online session. If you live in a remote area and only get to Adelaide every so often, you can book some lessons in person and some online. The possibilities are now endless.