Due to COVID-19 many aspects of the San Luis Obispo High School dance world and community have significantly been affected, leaving many dancers looking towards their studio and professionals in the industry for guidance.

Amidst all of the chaos in the sports and competition world, local dance studio, Studio @-Ryan’s American Dance, ceased all in person rehearsals and lessons and switched to Zoom virtual classes in an effort to ensure everyone’s health and safety.

  Junior at San Luis Obispo High School and R.A.D. dancer Aaliyah Beck shares how the sudden changes have affected her as well as the dance community as a whole.

Expressions: How has the quarantine affected you as a dancer?

R.A.D. dancer and SLOHS student Aaliyah Beck: Well, since the studio is closed we aren’t able to train all together which has been so hard and taken a toll not only on our dancing, but we are all like a family so it’s weird not seeing all of them as well.

Expressions: In the dance community have there been major cancellations?

Beck: We were supposed to go to two conventions over this time which both got cancelled which was so sad because those are the times we all get to show who we are and let go of everything else happening in the world and just dance. As far as studios go, every studio is closed even in Los Angeles and stuff so literally every dancer only gets to train on their own.

Expressions: How has R.A.D. dealt with the quarantine in terms of classes/rehearsals? 

Beck: We are lucky to have online classes so we still have like an hour or two of dance on weekdays. It’s a lot less than we’re used to, but it still keeps us active. As far as rehearsals for our competition dances, we aren’t having them, which has been weird but nice.

Expressions: In your opinion are the zoom classes a good alternative instead of in person? 

Beck: Zoom classes are amazing, I think it’s so great that the dance community is staying strong and uniting through this past our studio classes, so many professional dancers are teaching instagram classes or zoom classes which help bring the whole dance community together which is so amazing. But nothing will ever be the same as being in class and having that energy of being all together and hyping each other up.

Expressions: How have you personally been maintaining your skills? 

Beck: Personally I’ve been trying to take classes by a bunch of people as well as taking our studio’s classes, but honestly it’s been so hard motivating myself. I just know though that so many people are going to come out of this better than ever, so why shouldn’t I? You know what I mean?