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Ballet dancers learn remotely
American Ballet Theatre dancers practice via Zoom calls.
NEW YORK - Carlos Lopez, a ballet master with the American Ballet Theatre, has been hosting virtual classes from his Chelsea apartment for the past six weeks due to the coronavirus pandemic. Believe it or not, even something as intricate as classical ballet can be transformed into a remote experience.
"I told them, 'Listen, you guys need to train. We don't know how long this is going to be, so why don't we try this,'" Lopez said.
Lopez told FOX 5 NY it all started after one of the dance company's performances in Chicago was cancelled. Little did he know, instructing his dancers five to six days a week via Zoom would become the new normal.
"It is crucial for them. It is so important. I think dancers, we're so used to discipline," Lopez said. "We're so used to exercise, the routine of moving."
However, teaching and learning from home comes with challenges. Every ballet class begins at the barre, a stationary handrail used for balance during warm-ups, stretching and training. Now, the dancers are using chairs, tables, just about anything, in place of that.
"We use whatever we have in the house," Lopez said.
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Even with the physical, emotional, and technical hurdles, he said the classes are just as rewarding as they are challenging. It gives his dancers something to look forward to even though they can't see each other in person, and allows them to support one another both on and off the barre.
"You know, it's just giving me a little bit more sanity in these times that we're living in that are so difficult," Lopez said.