How Web 2.0 Can Help You Learn To Dance

How Web 2.0 Can Help You Learn To Dance

Dance classes are traditionally taught in the studio, with mirrors, an instructor and some pumping music. We’re not going to suggest that classes are taught any differently at the moment, but savvy dancers are using the internet to find classes and teachers that suit them better. This in turn is putting pressure on dance schools to wise up and embrace internet marketing and technology to entice students to their classes.

Not so long ago, to find a class you had to commit to turning up in person, to a room full of more experienced dancers, and to trialling a class to find out if you liked it or not. Then there was trying to decide which style: hip hop, or street (what’s the difference?), street jazz, or jazz funk. It was all so confusing, time consuming and expensive.

Now many teachers will regularly post their classes online on YouTube for example. This not only acts as a great advert, it gives the students a chance to review the class and remember routines for the next week.

Creation Dance, a dance class provider based in London and with classes in Oxford and Brighton exclusively markets and sells its classes online for a number of reasons. Speaking of the model, founder Elle Kealy says,” This is a great platform for consumers. Not only can they access our national classes from their home or office, they can view each teacher’s class online, decide which style they like best and sign up without having to spend time and effort coming to the classes. For a company such as ours, which started out with a simple website and one class, this enables us to reach out nationally. Starting dance classes in Oxford and Brighton would not have been possible using the traditional dance school approach. Students still come along to classes each week, but they know what they are getting.

Creation Dance plans to take this evolution further. With a new website launching in November 2008, Creation hope to have online dance classes for students to follow live as well as community portals and jobsites, where dancers can subscribe to rss feeds alerting them to the latest news and views.

For now the new site is committed to providing information and booking services for enthusiastic dancers, but the hope is that by mid 2009 the dance world will have truly caught up with technology.

Dancers can visit the site at http://www.creationdance.co.uk and give their feedback and ideas.

Creation Dance is a specialist adult beginners dance school with dance classes in London, Oxford and Brighton. Contact elle.kealy@creationdance.co.uk or 0870 140 3234 for more information. www.creationdance.co.uk