With so many places on lockdown during the 2020 Coronavirus pandemic, there are many dancers out there who are MISSING OUT on EVENTS, SESSIONS, and just catching up with the crew. While we understand how tempting it is to gather the squad and start sessioning again, we have to hold back and remember that just because we are staying home, it does not mean the dancing has to stop. It’s 2020, and WE HAVE TECHNOLOGY! With the help of the INTERNET, SOCIAL MEDIA, and the CAMERA in everyone’s pocket, we can still have sessions and battles. In, fact, some dancers have ALREADY STARTED!
TOOLS THAT HELP MAKE THIS POSSIBLE
Considering today’s extensive range of online tools, we are all still capable of dancing and keep up with our friends and crews. Facebook, Instagram, and Youtube all have LIVE CAPABILITIES that can connect you with the dance world at any moment. In addition, Zoom, Hangouts, and many other apps give you the ability to have VIDEO CALLS with your friends and crewmates. Lastly, there are even apps like the Battle App which are specifically designed for online battling. The Battle App specifically is focused on Rap Battles however, some breakers have dropped rounds on the app reaching out to anyone who wants to battle. We have many ways to CONNECT to DANCERS and friends while maintaining our SOCIAL DISTANCE, so let’s look at some ways dancers are able to practice online while staying connected to the community as a whole.
QUARANTINE CALL OUTS (NASTY RAY)
I first noticed the #quarantinecallouts through Nasty Ray’s IG post. This man posted a fresh round of him breaking during the California “SHELTER IN PLACE” Lockdown, calling out several dancers in the captions, and challenging them to post their BEST battle round and continue to call out other dancers. With California on lockdown, this shows breakers that regardless of the sessions being shut down, we can still dance, have fun, and call each other out. Not only that, but Nasty Ray did this outside in a SMALL SPACE. Many of us do not have much room in our homes to practice and it goes to show that you can still dance in different environments and produce some CRAZY ROUNDS! This is an incredible move that will help keep the dance community connected and active. So, continue the #quarantinecallouts by posting a dope BATTLE ROUND of yourself on Instagram to any music you want, tag anyone you want to CALL OUT, and tell them to continue to call out others!
BATTLING CORONAVIRUS (NICO CASTRO)
There’s also Bboy Nico Spins, who looked at the situation and knew that dancers could fight through our lockdowns. Nico started the #battlingcoronavirus challenge by posting a video of himself on Instagram legitimately calling out and battling the virus itself! He brought his trusty Swiffer, some disinfectant spray, hand sanitizer, and then dropped a strong round to make sure the virus knows that he is nothing to mess with! Jokes aside, this is great because it’s a fun and creative way for us to PRACTICE, stay clean, and stay CONNECTED with the DANCE COMMUNITY. Let’s continue the #battlingcornavirus challenge by recording your BEST ROUND against the Coronavirus, staying clean, washing your hands and maintaining SOCIAL DISTANCE.
ONLINE VIDEO SESSIONS (LILOU)
Online sessions seem like the simplest way to go, but this could actually open many doors in the future of dance as well. An online session can be as simple as using Facebook, IG, Zoom, Hangouts, or another video chat program, to VIDEO CALL your crew and practice in your own spaces. With these applications, you can BATTLE, play a game of STACKS, or just catch up and PRACTICE. By applying these tools you can stay connected with your friends, practice new concepts, and get some legit battle rounds In. Some dancers are already taking this to new heights like Lilou from the Red Bull BC All-Stars! Lilou did a recent Facebook LIVE Session where he broadcasted his personal practice, gave advice, and answered questions from the live chat. Not long after that, many other dancers started adopting similar concepts like live WORKSHOPS, and live BATTLES. These various practices provide a path for dancers to stay connected to their dance communities while staying healthy and maintaining social distance.
CONCLUSION
The world is going through a difficult and unprecedented time and while we are all bummed by the mass cancellation of events and sessions, it is more important than ever for us to work TOGETHER to keep everyone safe. By utilizing these online tools we can continue to stay connected, practice, and promote safety. Be sure to follow your state and local regulations, stay home, maintain your social distance, and most importantly be sure to hand out that VIRTUAL SMOKE!
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