Chester Valley Dance Academy is proud to offer students with not only quality dance training at the studio, but also the opportunity to continue their training at home. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the faculty and staff at Chester Valley have been maintaining consistency and continuity in our student’s dance training.  

Over the past few weeks, CVDA Dancers have transformed bedrooms, living rooms, basements, and garages into their new dance spaces as Chester Valley Dance Academy implemented online dance classes.  We are proud to share that our students are persistent, and determined to continue their dance education from home and have been logging in week after week to their classes.  CVDA is proud to offer consistency in this uncertain time proving the opportunity for students to connect with each other and their teachers through these online classes.  CVDA Dancer Paige shares her experience with online classes.

Paige trains in ballet, modern, and jazz and is a member of the Company Performing Group.  Most recently, she danced the role of Clara in this year’s production of The Nutcracker.  Since moving to online classes, Paige has transformed her family’s dining room into a ballet studio to utilize the hardwood floor and uses dining chairs as a ballet barre.  Since beginning her at-home training, Paige has begun to focus more on practicing strengthening and stretching exercises outside of class to retain muscle memory and improve flexibility.  She has also focused more on core exercises that will allow her to utilize her core muscles more consciously within all styles of dance she studies. Paige notes,”Having a strong core and a broader range of movement will allow me to improve as a dancer.”

Like many students, Paige misses being able to interact with her teachers and friends and especially dancing at CVDA.  “It’s like my second home”, she says.  Paige reflects on her experience in her virtual classes, “I like being able to video myself during combinations because it allows me to see what improvements I need to make. I created a dance account on Instagram so I can compare my most recent posts to older ones to see improvement and work on technique.”

Paige would like to give a shoutout to her teachers and classmates, “I would like to say thank you to all my teachers… Miss Kim, Miss Tanina, Miss Alyssa for always being positive and upbeat during this crazy quarantine.  Also, Miss Cathy for always looking out for us and ensuring our ability to keep dancing and learning and to the entire CVDA staff and CVDA family… I miss you!  I would also like to shoutout to my CVDA friends who have been working so hard.  I can’t wait to see everyone again!”

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We would love to hear from you and share your at-home dance experience with us.  To be a part of our next student feature, please email the studio or DM our Instagram.