In person versus online dance classes: Which one should you choose?
We live in the era of advanced technology where we have the privilege of connecting with people from across the world with the click of a button. Naturally, we want to be able to use that to our advantage to expand our learning opportunities and engage in skills that we wouldn’t have otherwise. This is specifically catered to in the dance world. Now, more than ever, we can train with some of the most renowned gurus and earn degrees from the most prestigious schools, all from your living room.
“Do you recommend online classes?
A popular question I get is ‘I want my daughter/son to learn dance but I want them to learn from someone abroad. Do you recommend I put them in online classes?’
I honestly struggle with answering this question well. I’ve been through numerous online and in person dance classes to know the strengths and difficulties of both. It is also hard for me to make any kind of recommendation without knowing the prospective student well. Not everyone’s learning capacity is the same and training in any kind of skill should be tailored for each student’s needs.
Before making this decision, let’s dive into the pros and cons of video classes for dance foundations.
In Person Dance Class
Pros:
Ability to be face to face with your guru
This builds an intimate relationship with your teacher and, inadvertently, builds loyalty with your teacher. You can first hand witness the struggles and the work your guru puts in to help you learn and better your dance which gives you the obligatory sense to make them proud.
Pay attention to detail
Being in person makes it easier for your teacher and for you to pay attention to the little details like eye looks, bending, controlled hand movements, and expressions. These fine details are what make your dance go from good to WOW.
Classmate interaction and active learning
So much of your learning comes from observing others. Especially from your peers who are learning at the same pace as you. There is also a special bond between you and your classmates that, again, inadvertently, motivates you to continue practicing and showing up for class. You also create long lasting memories and life long friends in the process. The retention rate is longer, in my opinion, for those that engage in group classes.
Cons:
Travel to and from location
This can be difficult. I can say from personal experience that attending a class far away from home every week with a commute up to an hour took a toll on me and my parents. Overtime, it was something that we got used to but, again, is a hassle to have to deal with. It can result in a lack of motivation to go to class especially if the travel tires you out before you even get there. If the teacher is abroad, then it completely limits the student's training time to summers and holidays, which isn't consistent.
May not get one on one attention in a group class
This is directed at group classes. Group classes are difficult for a teacher to focus on any one student for a long period of time and may succumb to a generic teaching style. For this reason, no one student can get personalized attention.
Online Dance Class
Pros:
Ease of access; convenient
This one is a no brainer. You can learn from the comfort of your own home without having to travel anywhere and have no additional stress about whether you arrive on time for class.
Anyone can be your teacher (if they are willing)
Much of our learning depends on the gurus who are in the vicinity. Online, you don’t have this restriction and you are able to learn from distinguished people given that they are willing to oblige to your requests. This literally means the dance world is your oyster and you can reach out to those who spark your interest.
Individualized Attention
Benefits of having an online class is to get personally curated attention from your guru which can make it easier for you to follow and to focus on your own dance without any distractions.
Building self discipline
This will really give you the opportunity to exercise self discipline in practice. You will have no one else but yourself to challenge yourself to practice, make sure that you are paying attention to the small details and understanding your dance better.
Cons:
The inevitable lag
Regardless of high speed internet, there will always be the inevitable lag. Along with the lag, the video can become pixelated, the audio can cut in and out and it can be hard to pay close attention to all the fine details.
Losing connection to the guru
Without having your guru in person, you can miss out on building intimate relationship with them and struggle to communicate with them without any perceived barriers. Communication, especially when learning digitally, is essential, and this can be at risk.
Limiting work on fine tuning details
With a video, you can miss the subtleties of expressions and the nuances that you can observe live in person. The teacher will also have a hard time observing you from behind a screen and ultimately have an effect on your dance.
Low motivation from not having classmates and group discussions
Since you will be on your own during the classes, you may miss out on the active learning from your peers and the opportunity to connect with those that are learning with you.
Final Thoughts
In my humble opinion, foundations in any dance form should be learnt in person. Having someone knowledgable in the art - face to face - can give the proper instruction on how to execute a step or movement rather than having to learn on your own right from the beginning. When you're on your own, you may not know the different tricks to executing a step well. In fact, a great guru can tell you exactly what you're doing wrong by observing and modifying the step that will be catered to your needs.
Getting advanced training online after you have had a mastery of the basics is reasonable provided that you can grasp the material quickly.
But, keep in mind, in both scenarios, there will be a lot of self teaching involved. Dance is a practice and is something that needs to be explored from within. Having the proper guidance from any guru, whether it is from online learning or in-person learning, is essential to anyone’s learning.
Make an informed decision on how you want to learn dance. There are many factors that go into a practice and only you can choose the best option for you. Not everyone learns dance in the same way and can benefit from either one or the other. Sometimes even in conjunction. Find the perfect balance through trial and error in what works best for you and use technology to your advantage. But also, don’t forget about the intimate relationships that are built in face to face interactions.
Now that you know, which one would you choose?
D.A.N.C.I.N.G in the D.I.G.I.T.A.L A.G.E
Comments