Can you learn how to dance forró online? What is the best way to do it?
Yes, of course! The experience will be different than an in-person class, but you can learn a lot online, from the comfort of your home or any other place. You can do it at any time and with any instructor around the globe. How wonderful is this?
I wrote another blog discussing the pros and cons of different learning methods (at parties, group classes, private lessons, and online - you can read this blog by clicking here). Learning online has many benefits and factors that will influence your experience.
1. Watching and imitating dance demonstrations
Pros:
It is usually free on youtube and social media.
You can watch as many times as you want.
Cons:
You will rarely be able to interact and ask questions to your "dance models".
You will not have important information and explanations that an instructor would give you in a class.
My opinion: this is great to get inspiration from, look at general elements of someone's dance, and also decide on what kind of movements you want to learn/improve. But I believe that to actually learn the moves, it is much more efficient to have an instructor teaching you step-by-step and explaining important technique elements of each movement.
Forró New York has some videos of dance demonstrations that you can watch on youtube. (watch example below)
2. Stand-alone educational videos
Many instructors put some free educational videos online as a sample of their work.
Pros:
It is usually free on youtube and social media.
You can watch as many times as you want.
Cons:
You will rarely be able to interact and ask questions to your instructor.
Since these are usually stand-alone videos, you will likely be missing information.
It will be impossible to continue your learning process with this particular instructor unless he/she has a huge library of free videos available for you or you decide to use another method.
My opinion: this is great to get a sense of the instructor style and add one particular movement to your repertoire, but if your goal is to improve your dance as a whole, I would then take a full class or course with this instructor that you like.
Forró New York has some short educational videos like this that you can watch on youtube. (watch example below)
3. Online courses (complete)
A longer format lesson or series of classes, designed as complete courses on specific topics. (These courses are usually paid)
Pros:
It is on-demand and you can watch as many times as you want.
You will likely have the opportunity to interact with your instructor via email or message.
It is a complete course on a topic designed to help you develop a specific skill or repertoire of movement.
Cons:
You don't have real-time interaction with your instructor or other participants.
My opinion: This is likely one of the best options for online learning, usually a good value.
Forró New York has many online courses available on various topics (click here for more info). Watch an example below.
4. Live online classes
You can interact directly with your instructor in real-time and possibly with other participants. interaction. Like in-person classes, they can happen in a group or private setting. (These classes are usually paid)
Pros:
You can interact directly with your instructor in real-time and possibly with other participants.
It is similar to a regular class in person (but with no contact).
Cons:
It depends on the connection and other technical aspects, so video/audio quality may not be as good as the other options.
My opinion: This is likely one of the best options for online learning if you are looking for ways to interact with your instructor and/or other dancers.
Final Considerations
Your experience as a student will depend very much on technology and the production quality of the course. I recommend you to choose your classes wisely, having in mind how it was recorded and edited. This can completely change your learning experience.
I recommend you to watch the class on a TV or other device with a big screen and good audio. A poorly recorded class played on a small screen with bad audio (like a smartphone) will result in a not so good experience for you. On other hand, a well-recorded class played on a big TV with good sound can be almost like having your favorite instructor at your home.
It is wonderful that we have these online tools today! It does not replace other in-person learning methods, but it is a great way to be able to learn from the distance. It can also be very useful to complement other classes and serve as practice time.
Join me online at https://www.forronewyork.com/online-class
About the author
Rafael Piccolotto de Lima is an experienced teacher. He is passionate about arts, a doctor of musical arts, and a Latin Grammy nominee as a composer. For him, all forms of expression are somehow related. Based on that premise, his interest and work have a wide spectrum: from a tail tux at a concert hall to the dance shoes at a worn-out dance floor. Born in Campinas, São Paulo - Brazil, now he lives at the Hudson waterfront, looking at the south of Manhattan.
Website: www.rafaelpdelima.com
YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/rafaelpdelima
Instagram: www.instagram.com/rafaelpiccolottodelima/
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