Resources for Online Dance Instruction

LIKE THEATRE, dance is a social art — but not exclusively. We’ve all experienced the joy of a private dance party to our favorite tunes. In response to social distancing measures, many dance studios, companies, and artists are supporting solo dance sessions with free or reduced-price classes available through social media livestreams, Zoom sessions, or prerecorded videos.

There’s never been a better time to dance like nobody’s watching (because, really, nobody’s watching) — while still connecting with people around the world.

MUSICAL THEATRE

Dancer-choreographer Debbie Allen (Fame, West Side Story, Sweet Charity) and her Debbie Allen Dance Academy are offering global classes through Zoom, including a Broadway class with Kim Morgan Greene. Registration requires a $3 donation per class.

L.A. dance studio Edge Performing Arts Center is hosting free classes on Instagram Live, including Theatre Dance.

The Daily 8 Count was developed by actor-choreographer Brian Curl, a frequent dance teacher at chapter festivals and ITF. Every Monday, Daily 8 Count releases an original dance combination broken down into sections so Thespians can learn at their own pace. An email sign-up is required to access a free week of classes.

Learn to strut and kick like the Radio City Music Hall Rockettes. Rockette dancers are taking turns daily teaching sections from their famous kick line routines on the group’s Instagram Live account.

Finally, master seven classic Bob Fosse dance steps in this Dance magazine roundup of videos featuring the Broadway cast of Chicago demonstrating each move.

BALLET

Ever wonder what it’s like to take a class at Julliard? Now you can with Dance Division Director Alicia Graf Mack. Head over to Julliard’s IGTV channel for the full barre class. No barre? Just grab a chair, or better yet, two chairs widely spaced. That way, you can switch sides quickly without turning your back to the screen.

In March, Pointe magazine compiled a roundup of ballet livestream classes and other resources offered by prominent dancers hunkered down at home. Also check out YouTube ballet videos such as the popular series by former New York City Ballet dancer Kathryn Morgan, featuring occasional guest classes by Christopher Sellars of Ballet West.

TAP

Put on your tap shoes and head to the basement or ground floor for these online tutorials. If you don’t have a flat surface on which to tap in a ground-level room, or if you live in an apartment with residents below, we suggest practicing sans taps.

There’s a wealth of free YouTube tutorial channels, including Bill Simpson’s Just Tap, Ryan Campbell Birch’s Tap Dance Tutorials, Shelby Kaufman’s Tap Dance Tap-torials, expertvillage’s Tap Dance Instruction, and Masters of American Tap.

CONTEMPORARY STYLES

There’s some debate over what “contemporary dance” means, with some claiming it’s synonymous with “modern” or “lyrical” ballet, and others applying the term to any dance style that’s culturally current. For simplicity, let’s call it both.

Ailey Extension, a division of the New York City-based Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, is offering a series of classes on YouTube that you can do any time, such as this musical theatre dance combination. Or dance along with live classes on Zoom and Instagram.

Ryan Heffington, two-time Grammy-nominated choreographer of Sia’s music video for “Chandelier” and owner of the L.A. dance studio The Sweat Spot, is hosting his Sweatfest class series on Instagram Live. Check out his account for updates on class dates and times.

L.A. dance studio Contra-tiempo describes itself as multilingual, “physically intense, and politically astute.” They provide weekly online programming through Instagram and Zoom.

Gaga, a “movement language” developed by Israeli choreographer Ohad Naharin, combines dance, mindfulness, and improvisation. According to its website, teachers are sharing eight, 30-minute classes per day, seven days a week, livestreamed from Tel Aviv and New York City.

SOCIAL DANCE

In a time of social distancing, you can’t exactly practice waltz steps for Cinderella or hone mambo moves for West Side Story — at least not with a partner. But you can use this time to brush up on the basic elements of social dances on your own.

From foxtrot to jive, gain a basic ballroom literacy for free at Ballroomdancers.com. There, you can watch tutorials on the elemental steps of international ballroom and Latin styles, American smooth and rhythm, and social and nightclub dances. Challenge yourself to learn both the lead and follow parts. Passion4Dancing.com provides free beginner video tutorials explaining the rhythms and essential standing and walking steps of American and international ballroom dance styles.

Livestream variety — All day, every day

Not sure what style or technique to try? Check out the livestream dance card at Dancing Alone Together, a website that “aims to be a central resource for the digital dance world that is beginning to bloom.” You’ll find an aggregated daily schedule of classes (mostly via Zoom) ranging from Gaga to belly dance to ballet.