Credit: Arquitectonica

The Miami City Ballet is an internationally renowned ballet company. Young dancers across the world who wish to someday be part of a professional dance company look to the Miami City Ballet for guidance. The company has always offered classes for dancers, but it was limited to those who could make the trip, whose auditions land them a spot in the class, and those who can afford it. Local programs are the perfect solution for thousands of young dancers who want to practice ballet.

Credit: Miami City Ballet

But as a result of the global pandemic, dance studios across the globe were forced to shut down out of fear of rising infection rates. Suddenly, students across the world of all skill levels were stuck at home. Whether students practiced once a day or once a week, dedicated dancers were stripped of not only their means of exercise, but their passion.

The staff at the Miami City Ballet couldn’t let that happen. With the help of their principal dancers, Miami City Ballet took to social media to create the “Move with MCB” program– free online classes designed to help dancers practice at home whether they are beginners or experts.

 The program takes place over two social media outlets– Instagram and YouTube. Using the livestream function on Instagram, Miami City Ballet hosts classes targeted ranging from half an hour to a full hour in length. These classes were designed to fit the needs of dancers at specific skill levels so that an expert wouldn’t be bored by a basic class and a beginner wouldn’t be overwhelmed by more intense moves.

Once the livestream is complete, it is posted on YouTube. This allows those who might have missed the initial Instagram post to practice on their own time– or it allows for repeat watchings.

Credit: ABC

Perhaps an online ballet class can’t exactly emulate the same thing as an in-person class could, but to those who live and breathe dance, it gives them the outlet they need to practice their art while being safe. During a time where everything is uncertain, having the one’s passion present in their life is necessary.

Move with MCB gives people back some sense of comfort and normalcy, something everyone can agree makes a world of difference.