The Show Goes On... Virtually

Screenshot of SMC’s Dance Department production, Synapse Contemporary Dance Theatre - Fall 2020 Virtual Performance. Dancers Liam Gifkins, Amira Murphy and Aya Nakaguchi filmed by Sam Bedard.

When Santa Monica College (SMC) announced it would go online for the Fall semester it was difficult to imagine how particular classes would adapt to going online. Dance classes, which usually involve a lot of movement and open space can be challenging since not everyone has access to a large amount of space.

Students from beginners to advanced can struggle with learning new choreography, while instructors can find it hard to direct students through a monitor since dancing is a kinesthetic learning experience. Instructors usually have an entire studio to assess movement and critique easily with all of their students in one place as opposed to multiple tiny screens via Zoom.

 SMC Dance Instructor Mark Tomasic however, adapted fairly quickly to the online changes. Tomasic gives instructions from his living room which he rearranged to feel more like a dance studio, moving his coffee table and rug to create more space.

“It’s surprisingly similar to a regular dance class just that we’re not meeting in person … I see all of them [students] on screen in their own spaces obviously, and I’ll demonstrate things physically and I’ll also talk through things and I’ll have them do it, and often times I’ll do it with them.” said Tomasic.

While the classes may be similar, Tomasic mentions that dancing and learning choreography through Zoom does come with its own challenges.

“I think a challenge that I experience and that my students experience is missing a shared energy, particularly in a dance class. If you think about it, 20 people moving around in a space that actually physically builds up a certain amount of energy that is palpable.” said Tomasic when comparing in person to online classes.

For Jessica Taylor, a student choreographer and dancer, in the SMC production Synapse Contemporary Dance Theatre she’s found her own challenges in online dance classes. 

 “When you log on to a Zoom call you’re looking at the person [instructor] trying to mirror movement. If it’s my right side, is it your left side? Did you want your left side? Are you mirroring me? So you’re doing the opposite, but it’s the other side. Sort of like a Rubik Cube.” said Taylor

Taylor remains optimistic on what the outcome will be at the end of the semester “I think all of us can learn a lot from the process, whether we’re in a piece or in my case I get to choreograph something, I think it’s definitely something we’ll look back on and say look at what we were able to do.” said Taylor.

This year the SMC Dance Department faculty and students put together two productions, Synapse Contemporary Dance Theatre and Global Motion World Dance Company which would usually be performed at the Broad Stage in Santa Monica. However, you can find both of these productions on Vimeo for free where you will see the performers execute choreography collectively through individual video recordings. The dance department created two productions they are really proud of despite the obstacles of digital learning.