Though e-learning cannot replace traditional classes, it is here to stay, say experts

Chennai

“A dance teacher explaining natyas in a ‘normal’ classroom can never match to him/ her explain it to a bunch of students on a zoom class. I have been teaching dance classes via skype for students from other countries for the past 8 years. These students know the value of any dance forms and without a doubt, I can say they are capturing every bit of the class. But for children who were regularly going to dance classes, it was a bit challenging at first. But senior students can easily capture the essence of dance through online classes,” says Bharatanatyam dancer Lakshmi Ramaswamy.

 She adds that in most of the online classes, the teacher is also focussing on things that can nourish a student’s dancing talent. “We have storytelling, theory & singing sessions, memorising certain verses alongside regular dancing. Parents are happy enrolling their children for online dance and music classes. It is a great way of engaging them.”

Singer Aalaap Raju says that as a parent he is thankful to these massive online classes. “There is no substitute for personal training. In any dance or music school, there is a certain energy that the teacher gives out. But now, there is no other choice but to accept whatever is available in front of us.
 How effective such classes will be is entirely dependent on the participants and the teacher. Moreover, in online classes, they are not piling in students. There will be 5-6 students only. My daughter is e-learning both dance and music. At this point, I am only looking at how she is engaging herself during the lockdown period. We have to embrace the reality and use technology to our advantage,” says the singer.

 India’s only Beyond Barre instructor Sagarika Ganeshyam opines that online dance classes are very effective. “Participants are capturing it provided the instructor communicates effectively. Lots of people now want to stick on to the online format forever because it is much easier. They are more committed to the classes now because they don’t need to deal with traffic and travel to the studio,” notes Sagarika.