From Social Distancing to Online Gatherings - A New Forró Class
- Rafael Piccolotto de Lima
- Mar 20, 2020
- 2 min read
Updated: 3 days ago
Historical note: This article was originally written during the first weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, documenting the transition of Forró New York classes and community gatherings into online formats during that period.
In a short period of time all plans changed and the digital world became a priority for us. The internet - which already had a major role in our social life - suddenly becomes our only means to interact with most people. In the current situation regarding the COVID-19 crisis, there is the opportunity to start a project that I have been thinking about for quite some time.
I really want to be able to maintain the Forró New York weekly meetings and classes, even if it means being online. And now there is also the possibility of welcoming a broader community to our activities, including people who normally would not be able to attend because of where they live.
I also started producing a permanent online course as a result of a creative solution for this problem. Yes! Besides the live stream of my classes, I'm also recording it in a way that it can be edited and become an online course.
For those of you who know me only as a forró instructor, my main career is actually as a musician - composer, arranger and music director - and I also work as an audiovisual producer. Luckily I have most of my equipment here with me, including cameras, light gear, audio interface and studio microphones. Now it's time to put it all to good use for forró!
The circumstances of the creation of this course bring a special aura to the project, both because of the historical importance of this moment, but also because of the fact that it is being recorded as part of live sessions in my apartment, without the support of any staff. It is a big challenge that brings a poetic ethos to this project.
The first class was streamed this week and had participants from New York and many other US cities, including Washington DC, San Francisco, Rochester and Virginia, also Ottawa in Canadá, and São Paulo in Brazil. I have also received emails from students interested in participating from Germany, France and even Japan!
POST-PANDEMIC UPDATE: CONTINUE LEARNING FORRÓ ONLINE
What started during the first weeks of the pandemic as an emergency alternative for our New York classes gradually evolved into a much broader educational platform.
Since 2020, the Forró New York courses and educational library have continued to grow, now including more than 100 hours of content available to students around the world.
The platform combines material created specifically for the courses with recordings of workshops, classes, lectures, and special events taught in New York City throughout the years, creating an extensive educational archive focused on forró, musicality, creativity, rhythm, technique, and partner dance development.
Today, students can access the material through different subscription options and learning paths depending on their interests and level of experience.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Rafael Piccolotto de Lima is the Founder and Educational Director of Forró New York, as well as a Latin Grammy-nominated composer, arranger, and music director.
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