Amidst the chaos and uncertainty that Coronavirus is creating, artists are uniting to ensure that creative outlets are not stifled during this time. Throughout history, the arts have been a source of escape from the scary things in our world, one reason why during the Great Depression, the government’s New Deal supported artists financially. With the spread of COVID-19 forcing Broadway to go dark, most classes and shows to be cancelled, production to come to a halt and rehearsals postponed, we as artists are faced with the task of creating art to inspire like every other generation before us, but with the stipulation that we must do so while respecting the CDC’S guidelines of quarantining and maintain a practice of social distancing. While things may seem dark at present, here are some suggestions for virtual classes to take in order to keep up technique from the comfort of your own home while we wait this season out:

Best Virtual Classes You Can Take During Class Closures

1) Ailey Extension “was created to continue Alvin Ailey’s legacy that dance comes from the people and should be given back to the people…to make dance accessible to everyone.” True to their mission, Extension instructors are offering online live classes via their Instagram and providing instructor resources for a virtual dance experience.
Website link:  https://www.aileyextension.com/keepdancing2) Dancio is an online ballet-centered site committed to bringing expert teachers to you anytime and anywhere for an affordable price of $15.99 a month for unlimited classes. They are now offering a free two-week subscription to “keep you moving during COVID-19.”
Website link: http://www.dancio.com/3) Veyette Virtual Ballet School, founded in 2018 by Miami City Ballet’s principal soloist, Lauren Fadeley and her husband, Francis Veyette, exists to “bring world class ballet training to every aspiring student, regardless of location.” Small group classes are $25/ student, while private lessons are $100/ hr.
Website link: https://www.veyettevirtualballetschool.com/

4) Masterclass is now featuring American Ballet Theatre’s Misty Copeland teaching ballet technique and artistry in seventeen 12-minute sessions. Masterclass All-Access is $15/month.
Website link: https://www.masterclass.com/classes/misty-copeland-teaches-ballet-technique-and-artistry

5) Debbie Allen Dance Academy founded by actor/dancer/director/choreographer/author, Debbie Allen, is providing free classes via Instagram Live.
Instagram link: https://www.instagram.com/officialdadance/?hl=en

Final Thoughts: Virtual Ballet Classes You Can Take During COVID-19 Closures

Social media, especially Instagram, seems to be an outlet for accessing free dance classes. American Ballet Theatre went Live with warm-ups, as did ABT’s Julie Kent teaching her daughter a tendue warm-up and Stella Abrera posting a Giselle sequence on IGTV. The “Conversations on Dance” podcast featuring former Miami City Ballet dancers Rebecca King Ferraro and Michael Sean Breeden, also has some good recommendations for ways to keep up training during quarantine. Here’s a link to it: https://conversationsondancepod.com/

Martha Graham said that “dance is the hidden language of the soul of the body,” so while classes are cancelled and shows postponed, let’s choose to get up and feed our hearts through dance, resolve to stay active, and continue to keep up our skills so that when this is over we are all in tip top shape to spread hope and light through our art.

(Special thanks to Kaitlyn Miller at Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.)