Bharatanatyam is one of India’s significant and oldest classical dances, originating from the state of Tamil Nadu. This classical dance form is inspired by ancient sculptures from the temple of Chidambaram near Puducherry. Dance is a form of art considered to be learned and performed face-to-face under the observation of a dance teacher. But as the covid suddenly entered our lives, everything went online, so dance class was not a different issue. So Bharatanatyam teachers started online classes, continuing in many institutions. Here are tips for you to start your online Bharatanatyam classes.
How You Can Hold Online Classes
Traditionally, Bharatanatyam teachers view concepts of balancing energy, finding the center, and body awareness as notions. So teachers in the face-to-face class show the students’ flaws, and they can rectify them quickly. But In today’s online courses, they have to articulate the movements verbally and hence, and those neglected ideas are becoming important right now.
Positive Points of Taking Online Bharatnatyam Classes
Bharatnatyam dance is one of the most elegant dance forms with intricate footwork and hand gestures. Traditionally it is carried through offline classes by the teachers, but today dance has also shifted online in many states due to the pandemic. There are many positive points of taking online Bharatnatyam classes.
- Many platforms are providing great audio-visual options for taking online classes
- Online classes are recordable, and many online platforms have opportunities to share pre-recorded videos.
- Recorded videos help the students to observe the steps and directions of the teachers as many times as needed
- Teachers can attain classes from their homes at their preferred time without traveling
- Global Students can learn from a dance teacher from any part of the country or world.
Tips for the teachers to start Online Bharatnatyam Classes
Today we all know the facilities and importance of digital learning. Institutions and teachers are moving classes online due to various positive responses from the students and parents. Yet to make the online dance class smooth and successful, here are a few tips for the teachers to follow:
Go Beyond Demonstration Presence
Keeping a strong connection with the students in the online dance classes is a tough job for the teachers. However, a physical classroom has a known environment where non-verbal methods of communication such as voice tone, and facial expression, are a reliable medium of student learning.
But establishing a solid presence in the teaching environment in a virtual classroom is quite different from face-to-face interaction in the classroom. Thus teachers should follow a rule to know if the student has understood well enough even after demonstrating and explaining the dance poses.
A Teacher’s Goal Should Be Unprecedented Engagement of the Students
Your role as a teacher does not begin in the classroom, but it starts long before your first online dance class. Bharatnatyam dance is not easy to teach or learn, and it becomes more difficult when you do it virtually.
Keeping the students engaged and focused is extremely tough throughout the class, especially with small kids. Make a series of the class content before you start to be well-prepared to keep your students engaged and use the maximum time to teach.
Set Ground Rules of Online Class
You will need a good teaching strategy to succeed in your online dance class. Technique comes with proper and structured rules and regulations in a classroom.
The rule should ensure a proper learning environment with less distraction and interruption for equal opportunities for all participants.
Send Right Invites and Clear Instruction
When you set up the classroom event and the content of the class, you will have to get the invites out to your students. You can create invites through your conferencing tool easily.
Your invite should contain:
- The theme and a rough schedule of the class.
- Joining instruction.
- Anything your students need to keep with them while attending the online course.
Hold Interactive Sessions
Online dance classes are best when teachers have active participants. You can arrange quizzes, show and tell of mudras, and brainstorming sessions related to your online courses.
Look at various ways to interact with the students who get less involved in the class. Give periodic feedback, review, and make notes of their different activities during the session.
Challenges for Teachers Taking Online Bharatnatyam Classes
As the classes went online, the educational and teaching methodology also changed. But online dance classes have their challenges. As a teacher, the most challenging part is keeping the students’ interest without compromising the learning and technical point. Other challenges that the dance teachers face are:
- Lack of motivation in students’ activity
- Less concentration while attending class
- Abundant distraction and lack of discipline
- Less focus on students resulting slow progress
- Less online attendance
To Sum Up
Embracing the digital environment and starting an online Bharatanatyam class can be nerve-wracking. But with all the problems come solutions like Classplus, which is the ultimate platform for the online coaching classes for the teachers who teach Bharatanatyam dance.
Classplus gives the freedom to the teachers to create classrooms as per their choice and need and increase earnings while offering outstanding teaching abilities. Get your own app where you can conduct live dance classes for your students and provide recorded sessions. To know more about it, contact us and talk to our experts.
