The mood was high and there was much excitement as dancers slid onto the dance floor at Backstage Studio after lockdown restrictions were relaxed.
Dancers, young and old, were glad to see each other after months of virtual dance lessons.
“At the beginning it was a bit difficult and I had to learn how how to adapt to my lessons.
“But we soon got our YouTube lessons up and running and my dancers got videos of the new routines I wanted to teach them,” said studio owner Alicia Flemming.
Also read:
Dance queen Busiswa’s documentary debuts at Africa Rising International Film Festival
“The nice thing about it is dancers could go at their own pace and learn offline.
“Those who were not able to join our virtual classes were not left out as the routines and dances are going to be repeated now that we’ve opened, so that everybody is on the same page.”
Alicia’s students coped with lockdown in different ways.
Keegan Burr-Dixon, whose been dancing for three years, said he coped with lockdown by dancing and doing his schoolwork.
“It was pretty easy during lockdown because Alicia would send videos, and it didn’t clash with schoolwork.”
Dancer Jo-Ann Schoeman said it was fun.Although the majority of the dance competitions were cancelled as a result of Covid-19, some were postponed to November.
The dancers said this provided extra motivation for them to practise so they are ready to compete in three months’ time.
The studio has adapted to the lockdown regulations and has smaller classes with social distancing practised at all times.
Also read:
Dance Directions strike gold at the SA Dance School Championships
Each dancer has their temperature taken and sanitises before entering the studio.
The majority of the dancers say although dancing with masks took some getting used to, it is now a way of life.
The studio will put on various virtual shows before the year ends.
Follow us on social media:
