Online Delivery of Dance Classes & Tutorials

Recommendations For Teaching

Dance is a dynamic art form that explores time, space, energy, and relationships. It is a collaborative, creative practice that requires people to come together to create, rehearse, and perform. While traditional dance involves physical proximity, modern life and technology have made online dance classes a popular alternative. To help you adapt to this new environment, we’ve compiled key recommendations for effectively teaching dance online.

Definitions: Different Modalities of Online Classes

Live Stream: Real-time video and audio coverage of events over the Internet.
Pre-recorded: Content recorded in advance for later viewing.
Webcasts: One-way, non-interactive web conferences presenting information via audio/video stream and visual aids like slides.
Webinar: Interactive web conferences allowing real-time collaboration between presenters and participants.
Learning Management Systems (LMS): Software applications for administering, documenting, and delivering educational content.

Legal & Duty of Care Considerations

Insurance

Discuss your shift to online classes with your insurance provider to ensure coverage.

Health and Safety

Apply your studio’s health and safety policies to your online classes. Visit business.vic.gov.au for OHS advice
Perform all the usual safe dance checks with participants and clearly communicate hazard identification and risk reduction.
Align terms, conditions, and disclaimers with your current studio policies.
Require supervision for participants under 18 for both safety and cyber-security. This can be set-up in enrolment forms.
Request participants keep the video on during class to help with identification, safety checks and cyber security.

Managing Risks for Recorded and Streamed Classes

Cyber Safety

Prevent private links from being shared publicly.
Obtain consent for recording sessions.
Set rules against participants recording or sharing sessions.

Platform Security

Use registration and waiting room features to control access.
Request participants turn on the camera and use their name at the start of each class to help identification.
Restrict chat to “all can view” to prevent private messaging.
End meetings for all participants simultaneously.
Avoid one-on-one interactions with students without a guardian present.
Ensure students understand the visibility of their space and themselves during classes. Visibility of background may help with class supervision but can open the participants up to bullying.

Copyright and Obligations

Music Royalties: Pay royalties for music used in your classes; visit OneMusic Australia for details.
Syllabus Materials: Ensure permission from relevant dance societies for using their materials.
Original Content: Communicate your copyright on original content to participants.

Practical Considerations for Planning and Delivering Online Classes

While you may not be face-to-face, these dancers are still in your duty of care. Consider the possible repercussions of delivering practical classes where you cannot see all attendees or cannot see them well. In most teaching practice, we look for and give corrections on alignment or performance of movement that may cause injury. Your instructions will need to be very clear, with as much safe dance advice as possible.

Class Level: Clearly define the level of the class, especially for new participants.
Adaptation to Space: Adjust class content to fit the available space.
Space: Provide guidelines for creating a suitable practice space at home. including how much space is required and the appropriate surface.
Clothing: Clearly state what kind of clothing and footwear is appropriate at the start of the class.
Warm-up and Cool-down: Ensure participants are thoroughly warmed up and cooled down.
Breaks: Include breaks, such as water breaks.
Safety: Provide clear, safe dance instructions to avoid injuries.

Pedagogical Considerations for Teaching Online

Adjust Presentation Style: Adapt your teaching style for online delivery. Check if your students prefer front or back-facing instructions and be mindful of direction changes which may be difficult to translate on camera.
Duty of Care: Maintain the same level of care in online classes as in-person.
Class Duration: Consider shorter classes (30 minutes) for better engagement.
Clear Instructions: Give instructions before attempting the activity with music and keep them simple and clear. Remember that speaking over music can cause interruptions in sound for some participants.
Known Exercises: Stick to familiar exercises and activities.
Feedback: Schedule private meetings for individual feedback, with a guardian present for minors.
Tech Checks: Test audio and video sync for music and choreography demonstrations. Visual or audio delays may occur so plan accordingly and remain patient.
Privacy: Be mindful of privacy implications when recording classes.

Safety Statements Prior to Classes

Here are two examples of safe dance statements that could be read at the beginning of any streamed class, or placed in the invitation to a specific class. These will need to be adapted for your own context.

For Pre-recorded Videos

“Welcome to our [insert dance style] class.

These exercises are designed for at-home practice and the instructions provided are general in nature. Your actions are unsupervised, so please use your best judgment.

Please wear appropriate footwear and clothing [describe what is appropriate to the style].

Ensure you have at least 2 meters of clear space around you, that the floor is clear of any objects or spills and the surface is suitable to [insert dance style]. Set up your screen at eye height and make sure you can hear the instructions clearly. Be mindful of the sudden appearance of pets or people and ensure you are not close to any heat sources that may burn or scald you.

Go at your own pace and take breaks as needed. If an exercise or action causes sharp or sudden pain, stop immediately, apply first aid and advise your teacher, or an adult, as soon as possible.

This class is for personal use only and not for sharing or third-party recordings.”

For Live Streamed Classes

Do a roll call and welcome each person.

“Welcome to our live dance class! These exercises are designed for at-home practice and the instructions provided are general in nature. Though I may be able to see you, it is not the same as in a live class, so you will have to take more than usual responsibility for the safety of your space and of your movements.

Please wear appropriate footwear and clothing [describe what is appropriate to the style].

Go at your own pace and take breaks as needed. If an exercise or action causes sharp or sudden pain, stop immediately, apply first aid and advise your teacher, or an adult, as soon as possible.

This class is for personal use only and not for sharing or third-party recordings.”

Online dance classes can be a rewarding and enriching experience for both teachers and students. By following these recommendations, you can create a safe, engaging, and effective learning environment. Adapt your teaching methods, ensure legal and safety compliance, and maintain clear communication to make the most of this digital dance space.

Other Teaching Resources

More Online Dance Teaching Resources

This document is a list of links to videos, lessons, tools and information which may support the teaching of dance online.

DOWNLOAD TEACHING RESOURCE LINKS

Disclaimer: The URLs in this resource were valid at the time of publication and were chosen as being appropriate for use as an education research tool. However, due to the dynamic nature of the internet, some URLs may have changed, ceased to exist since publication, or may inadvertently link to sites with content that could be considered offensive or inappropriate. Ausdance VIC does not accept responsibility for any such unforeseeable changes.