{"id":1063,"date":"2020-04-09T19:47:10","date_gmt":"2020-04-09T19:47:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.dancedispatches.com\/blog\/best-online-dance-activities-quarantine\/"},"modified":"2023-12-26T17:45:40","modified_gmt":"2023-12-26T17:45:40","slug":"best-online-dance-activities-quarantine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.dancedispatches.com\/blog\/best-online-dance-activities-quarantine\/","title":{"rendered":"Virtual Dance: The Best Online Dance Activities for Quarantine"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

When I first went into self-quarantine with my family, I worried about the difficulty of finding online dance resources. Hence, I frantically came up with 60+ things for dancers to do at home <\/a>and compiled a list of the useful dance at home resources amid Covid-19<\/a>. Ironically, nearly three weeks into lockdown, I\u2019ve started to get digital dance FOMO (aka: \u2018fear of missing out\u2019). To combat the stress of too much choice, this short list prioritizes the very best dance online activities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photo credit: Ashley Stone\/ Scopio<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

1. Attend a Live Streaming Watch Party<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Although nothing can beat the excitement of viewing a thrilling dance show in person, there are some benefits of watching a live streaming dance performance<\/a>. For instance, there\u2019s no need to dress up \u2013 and once the show is over, you can just clamor into bed. Many dance venues and companies are broadcasting their professional dance productions for free or only ask for donations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

By joining a watch party, you\u2019ll have the perfect \u2018digital seats\u2019 to see both group formations far away and the dancers\u2019 expressions up close; and, as a bonus, you can simultaneously converse with your friends and fellow dance enthusiasts from around the world in the live text chat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

PS. If you don’t know, this is how streaming watch parties work<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Raise the Barre with Tamara Rojo (of ENB)<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019ve previously practiced ballet<\/a>, there\u2019s something special about the generally fixed routine of a ballet class. Although the exact exercises can change from lesson to lesson, the order of ballet barre and center exercises remains the same. During this strange, uncertain time, tune in to a reliable ballet class with Tamara Rojo, director of the English National Ballet<\/a>. The physical activity will do your body good, and you can let your mind relax while your body goes into autopilot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you have 30 minutes or less, peek at these handy <\/em>free online ballet barre classes<\/em><\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Tamara Rojo dances in Akram Khan’s Giselle<\/em><\/a> with English National Ballet.
Photo credit: Laurent Liotardo<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

3. Do a Dance Challenge<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Complete a dance challenge, we double dog dare you! You\u2019ll enjoy connecting with other dance enthusiasts on social media. Even if your dance challenge videos don\u2019t turn out as masterpieces, that\u2019s okay. It\u2019s all about having fun. Some dance challenges will require you to learn certain choreography, while other are much ore open ended. We published a list of dance challenges from 2020,<\/a> created in response to Covid-19 and the resulting period self-isolation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re super ambitious and\/or love to travel, take on our dance passport challenge<\/a> (#dancepassport). You\u2019ll learn short combinations of six different dances from around the world \u2013 and we\u2019ll date and stamp your digital passport when you do! Even if you don\u2019t complete them all, you can still tick off the #culturaldancetravel challenge by learning just one of these global dance styles<\/a>. Otherwise, you can teach someone else a dance to #spreaddancenotgerms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Make it Modern with Graham Classes<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Members of the iconic Martha Graham Dance Company<\/a> have taught a handful of dance classes<\/a> live online, some of which remain on their YouTube channel. You can really get in Graham because it\u2019s dramatic, as well as beautiful. And you\u2019ll have the opportunity to wring out your angst with series of deep torso contractions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Modern dance classes in Graham technique are quite rigorous, but there are classes for both beginners and more advanced dancers. You can learn some of the Graham basics in this hour-long introductory video<\/a> by soloist Anne Souder, followed by her second 30-minute video<\/a>. You can also find a handful of advanced classes led by Alessio Crognale and Marzia Memoli.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you plan on dancing at home frequently, learn how to create a home dance studio<\/a><\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. Go Gaga with Classes from Tel Aviv or NYC<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

While Martha Graham codified the first type of modern dance, Gaga is a much more \u2018modern\u2019 version of modern dance. Developed by Ohad Naharin of the Israel\u2019s beloved Batsheva Dance Company<\/a>, Gaga is about freeing the body. Classes are more experimental than prescriptive, as each participant finds their own way to move. They\u2019re a great way to get creative.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gaga teachers from Tel Aviv and New York City are currently streaming eight Gaga dance classes online per day for donations. So far, they have raised more than $100,000 USD on their Gaga Classes Online FundMe Campaign<\/a> to pay their dance instructors. Some sessions are for professional dancers, while others are designated for \u2018people\u2019 \u2013 so anyone can drop in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We took both kinds of Gaga online dance classes<\/a>, comparing the people sessions with the dancer sessions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGaga\/people classes offer a framework for users to connect to their bodies and imaginations … and enjoy the pleasure of movement in a welcoming, accepting atmosphere.\u201d<\/p>– GagaPeople.com<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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6. Watch Positive Dance Videos from Covid-19<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s perfectly understandable if you need a pick-me-up as lockdown continues to combat the spread of this very serious virus. Since Covid-19 emerged, many people across the globe have turned to dance to lift their spirits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whether a non-dancer husband partners his professional ballerina wife in a pas de deux or a granny making her daughter and granddaughter laugh with her physical antics during a drive-by visit, there are plenty of dance clips that are sure to make you smile. We particularly like the videos of Latin dancers \u2018self-partnering\u2019 in the mirror. (Now, do you think they were more inspired by the quarantine \u2013 or by Emma Watson?)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read these uplifting dance stories from lockdown<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

7. Perfect a New Dance Trick<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Despite the saying, \u2018You can\u2019t teach a dog new tricks,\u2019 you can always learn a new dance trick or two.If you\u2019re looking to grow your dance technique, there are some great dance trick tutorials online. You can play to your strengths \u2013 focusing on turns, jumps, balances or inversions \u2013 or you can specifically train to improve skills you find particularly challenging. Windmills, shoulder stands, kip ups, switch leaps and fouette turns are all examples of dance tricks that you can master… Good luck!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

8. Take a Dance Fitness Classes<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you can\u2019t get motivated to exercise at home, trick yourself into a good workout with an online dance fitness class<\/a>. When you follow the fun choreography, set to a good beat, you\u2019ll happily be sweating in no time \u2013 with a smile on your face. You don\u2019t have to worry about dance technique or perfecting choreography here; so just enjoy. You can get your groove on with DanceBody<\/a>; although originally from NYC, they provide an online subscription service. Or you can find tons of aerobic dance videos on POPSUGAR Fitness YouTube channel<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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9. Join an Online Dance Party<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Social dancers are probably finding it hard to stay at home. Luckily, DJs are taking to the internet to host digital dis-dancing parties late into the night. (Get it? It\u2019s the \u2018dance\u2019 solution to social distancing!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can show off your sweet moves for everyone else to see, or you can keep it low-key at these virtual dance events. People who particularly enjoy the spotlight can join jam sessions with designated theme nights and costume suggestions. And revelers, rejoice! When the party is over, you don\u2019t have to calculate a long, late night journey home. We had a great time at our first virtual dance party on Zoom<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not such a late owl, you can take part in a conscious dance party that\u2019s meant to help you get in touch with your emotions. URUBU School of Transformation Arts<\/a> holds many throughout the week \u2013 including a free session on Thursdays from 7:30 – 9:30pm GMT, with some time to socialize online before and after. Alternatively, host your own dance party with just your friends in a private group video chat. (We hear Houseparty is pretty popular.) Just put the playlist together ahead of time and let loose!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Hopefully you feel inspired, rather than overwhelmed, by seeing this abridged version of digital dance activities. However, it all seems too much, hop offline and read a dance book<\/a> to restore your calm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which of these dance online activities sounds most appealing to you? And what have you been up to since you\u2019ve begun to self-quarantine? We look forward to hearing from you in the comments below.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When I first went into self-quarantine with my family, I worried about the difficulty of finding online dance resources. Hence, I frantically came up with 60+ things for dancers to do at home and compiled a list of the useful dance at home resources amid Covid-19. Ironically, nearly three weeks into lockdown, I\u2019ve started to […]\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1064,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[71],"tags":[94],"class_list":["post-1063","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-community","tag-spotlight"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.dancedispatches.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Photo-credit-Ashley-Stone-on-Scopio-woman_in_pink_sweater_sitting_on_black_couch-scopio-abc11c4a-821d-45c5-aa7d-5d341e17fdb9.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dancedispatches.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1063","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dancedispatches.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dancedispatches.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dancedispatches.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dancedispatches.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1063"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.dancedispatches.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1063\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1069,"href":"https:\/\/www.dancedispatches.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1063\/revisions\/1069"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dancedispatches.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1064"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dancedispatches.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1063"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dancedispatches.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1063"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dancedispatches.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1063"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}