The COVID-19 pandemic took away opportunities for individuals to learn in-person, but provided a new opportunity – virtual learning.
Virtual classes have removed many of the barriers to education such as physical, financial, time, or transportation constraints and have helped ensure that students can have access to quality programming. Instead of only being limited to workshops taught locally, students can learn from instructors around the world. Each instructor brings their own lived experiences, background, and viewpoints to their class. Virtual workshops give instructors a place to teach outside of their local community, on topics that may not have another platform.
Students with all experience levels can take workshops from the comfort of their own home, and don’t have to have their cameras on. This can increase participation and decrease anxiety over people watching. Recorded workshops can be watched at any time, anywhere, allowing even more flexibility.
We also know that when translating to virtual settings, we are still navigating a range of learning and engagement styles and a wide variety of content to take in – and making the choice of what to attend can be hard!
We asked our followers “What is the best virtual class you’ve ever taken?” Here are there responses:
- I loved being able to create alternative movements and still feel like I was part of the class in Perle Noire and SamsonNight Boylesque‘s workshops. Both had fantastic chair classes, but were completely different in approach!
- For costuming, Easy Access: Costume Closures With Disabilities In Mind with Kevlar B Lightning, Christina Manuge‘s Tips on Tap, and Nadi A’marena‘s rhinestoning workshop all had fantastic tips and tricks.
- GiGi Holliday‘s Stripper Savings class where I learned how to budget. I use it every day!
- Rubyyy Jones bio writing workshop. Literally the best
- I think the Inclusivity & Burlesque Instruction workshop that Jacqueline Boxx and Mx. Pucks A’Plenty taught was fantastic, and is something everyone should watch! Tas Al-Ghul‘s Don’t Get Cancelled was really helpful as well.
- My favorite workshop I’ve taken with DisabiliTease Academy has to be yesterday’s business basics course Burlesque as Industry: The Business of You! with Cruel Valentine!
- Energy Flow: Safe/Centered Stage Presence with Jacqueline Boxx was so good too, that was back in 2021
- I love all of Jacqueline Boxx‘s movement classes – learning from someone that looks like me is amazing!
- I gravitate towards practical classes more than movement, and even though it wasn’t TECHNICALLY a class it was a tutorial. I learned how to make a tulle boa from Maple Rose on YouTube!
- I’ve had many performers vouch for how effective the weekly online Fan Dance Technique classes through Maison Burlesque were for their strength and flexibility training, while also focusing on alignment and flow
- Anything with Rubyyy Jones!
- Sweetpea‘s Health Hussy program is a great virtual coaching program I’ve taken and have enjoyed more than once
Although the DisabiliTease Academy was created with disabled performers and producers in mind, our programming is meant for everyone. We’d love to see you in our classroom some time!
Stay tuned for next month’s post, where we share our community’s answers to our question “What is stopping you from watching virtual classes?”.