During these times in quarantine, having online privates are hard but still doable. Without the teacher being there to help directly, it can be more difficult to learn and dance a solo. For me, it feels somewhat tougher because I am starting to learn a brand new variation, which I’ve watched in a video, but have not physically done yet. For each variation that i’ve learned, I have had to change it to make it possible for me to do, or even so that it can challenge me. Because my teacher(s) are not there face to face with me, and are watching through a camera, there may be some technical difficulties, and more disadvantages. Also, if the teachers are not there, they can’t help you if you are doing something wrong, like a position that is placed in a wrong place.

During quarantine, I have been taking privates through Zoom and Skype to learn a couple of new variations. One is Medora, from the ballet Le Corsaire. I wrote about this ballet, and a variation from it in another post, the March/April 2020 Edition. This variation is especially hard for me, because there are many challenging parts already in the variation, so it will be very different to learn the whole thing, exactly, without a teacher to help me understand what I am supposed to do. One challenging part includes the very first diagonal, which has a lot of repeadity, and also many pirouettes. This variation is almost all turns, which can be complicated in some ways or another. With this, it can be more complex, since each pirouette can be different and have different ways of doing it.

Though there are many things that are tough from learning virtually, I can still be able to learn a variation with many corrections applied. Through quarantine, I am still able to learn something I love. This variation is a great variation for many reasons, one being that I can explore beyond my comfort zone, with a more challenging solo, as I have said before. Also, I will get to experience a different way of training to get ready for a performance or competition. Even though there are differences in the way we are training and dancing now, at least we are still able to do what we love.


Publish Date: 03/21/2020