Online Dance Training Is Here to Stay, But the Purpose Has Changed Post-Pandemic
When COVID-19 lockdowns closed in-person studios in 2020, “pivot” quickly became the hot word of the day. “People started online training as an act of desperation because we couldn’t be in class,” says Caitlin Trainor, founder of Dancio, one of the few virtual platforms that existed before the pandemic hit. Whether dancers loved them or (often) hated them, remote classes were pretty much the only way that most students and pros could maintain their training.
As restrictions lifted and in-person studios opened back up, unsurprisingly, demand for online classes fell. “People want to be in the studio, which I totally get,” says Trainor. Many industry insiders expected remote classes to disappear entirely. But slowly, dancers started getting back online again a little more, and then a little more.
At this point, the demand is high enough to support numerous online training options. And platforms are still being launched. For instance, just this year, former Los Angeles Ballet principal and Miami City Ballet dancer Bianca Bulle started Danceported, hoping to attract students willing to pay up to $150 an hour for private online sessions with pro dancers.
However, today’s virtual training looks a little different than it did at the height of the pandemic.
“Online training first gained traction out of necessity,” Bulle says. “It has since transformed into a tool.” Pre-professional dancers are no longer logging on just to keep up with their everyday classes; they’re using digital platforms to complement their day-to-day training and gain an edge by accessing opportunities they may not be able to get in person.
In particular, many high-achieving dancers now turn to remote lessons to prep for things like auditions, summer intensives, or competitions. “A lot of young dancers are like, ‘Oh, gosh, I’m going to have to do some modern dance; I better jump on and learn some Graham technique so that I know how to move my spine,’ ” Trainor says. Lauren Fadeley Veyette, co-founder of Veyette Virtual Ballet School, which specializes in private online coaching, says the school recently had a dancer reach out before joining Miami City Ballet. “She was like, ‘I need a Balanchine bootcamp’ the two weeks before she started,” she says.
Meanwhile, platforms like Ballet With Isabella and Dance Masterclass offer dozens of focused on-demand lessons on specific areas of technique, like turnout or pirouettes, so students can level up particular skills. “Virtual ballet training can fill in gaps that local instructors may not be able to address—without disrupting a student’s regular studio schedule,” Bulle says.
Online classes can also come in handy for dancers who don’t want too much downtime during the year. “We’ll have a rush during Christmas break when all the other schools are shut down,” Fadeley Veyette says. “And we’ll have a bit of a rush in between the end of the school year and when people start summer programs, and then again before people start in the fall.”
It’s not just classes students are signing up for, though. Some virtual platforms offer formal mentorship opportunities to get career advice from an expert who’s got a fresh perspective (and who’s not involved in your Nutcracker casting, Fadeley Veyette points out). Bulle says that working pros at the top of their game can offer insights “that local teachers, especially those many years removed from their own careers, may not be able to provide.” Do you dream of dancing for Les Ballets Trockadero? Well, you can book a half-hour guidance session on Danceported with company principal Andrea Fabbri for $55.
These one-on-one opportunities (which usually come at a premium cost) typically attract exceptionally serious pre-professional dancers. “Most of our students tend to be hyper-focused,” says Francis Veyette, of Veyette Virtual Ballet School.
More affordable on-demand classes, on the other hand, have a broader appeal. Trainor says one of Dancio’s biggest demographics are teachers looking for a low-pressure way to get some fresh material, or cues, or just to see how other professionals structure their classes. Since it’s online, teachers can fit it in without having to trek to a different part of town totake a whole barre and center themselves.
There are also many adult students who started streaming classes from studios like Ballet Academy East in New York City or LINES Dance Center in San Francisco during the pandemic and still take advantage—whether they live nearby or not. Beginners or those with disabilities who might feel intimidated to step inside a physical dance studio sometimes appreciate that option to keep their cameras off.
“Most of the people who take our virtual classes are not looking for careers in ballet,” says Julia Dubno, founder and director of BAE, which offers in-person, virtual-only, and hybrid classes in the school’s adult division. “They might have danced seriously at one time, but now they do it for themselves purely for their own joy.”
One thing that all kinds of students still love? Getting access to the stars online. “Our most popular classes are Wendy Whelan and Julie Kent,” Trainor says, “and those have been on our hot 10 since the very beginning.” No matter where you live in the world, the internet offers access to the best of the best, as long as you’re willing to learn through a screen.
That’s why industry experts are confident that, even though it can’t replace full-time in-person training, virtual classes aren’t going anywhere. “It’s not how you build a dancer from start to finish; we all have to be very realistic about that,” Dubno says. “But it serves a purpose.” Sometimes that’s giving pre-professional dancers a leg up in today’s competitive environment where the level of technique is only getting higher. Other times it’s offering adults a way to enjoy ballet classes they might not otherwise be able to access.
“As long as the virtual training stays in its lane,” Francis Veyette says, “it’s here to stay.”