Annette’s School of Dance has overcome any adversity served by the ongoing pandemic, to provide an outlet for youth to dance. *All pictures were taken prior to the provincial mandate requiring all dancers to wear a mask. (Submitted photos/Cayla Ellis)

By Martin Martinson

Dancing Through It All

Local dance school keeps youth in rhythm

Dec 18, 2020 | 10:14 AM

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought a number of unique challenges this year, but that hasn’t stopped Annette’s School of Dance from moving to the music this season.

Cayla Ellis, a dance teacher at the studio, said while they have certainly had to be flexible in making some adjustments to their programming this year, the alterations have been well worth it, allowing the students to continue to pursue their passion for dance.

“We’re really just grateful to be open and provide a safe environment for the kids to continue dancing,” Ellis said. “For kids to be able to kind of forget about all the negative things happening right now, while getting to express themselves through dance is definitely very beneficial for their mental and [physical] health.”

The dance season started in September, running to mid-December, prior to their current break for the Christmas holidays. Despite changes to the way classes have been able to operate over the last 3.5 months, the studio has continued going strong.

From measuring out a series of six-foot ‘boxes’ on the studio floor to allow for adequate spacing, to the implementation of mandatory masks for all, the studio has continued to adapt to the hurdles laid out in front of them, while keeping an optimistic outlook.

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That includes the latest mandate as well, which also saw class sizes get adjusted mid-season, to adhere to the new eight-student capacity limit for each class, right from ages three to 18.

With much uncertainty surrounding what might happen with the season from the get-go this year, registration numbers for the 2020 season did diminish, compared to years prior. However, Ellis said they have full confidence registration will rebound once again moving forward, once things begin to return a little bit more back to normal.

“Just with the uncertainty, I think a lot of families didn’t want to sign up their kids for a bunch of activities or maybe any [activities],” she said. “There was obviously a lot of unknowns due to the uncertainty with the pandemic and what was happening, and if classes would even stay open.”

Ellis said the club is hopeful for a strong return to classes in the New Year, adding that it’s all about providing a safe place for students to come and take part in the experience that dance has to offer.

“I think it’s been a really great place for the kids to kind of let loose and have a sense of normalcy,” she said. “Even though they do dance in their boxes, they can still be back at dance. They can see their friends, and they can still do the activities that we did, just a bit modified. It’s a bit of something to bring back into their day-to-day lives that’s similar to before the pandemic began.”

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Martin.Martinson@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: MartyMartyPxP1