The upcountry dance studio Alexander Academy of Performing Arts (AAPA) is offering dance classes online for students of all ages to continue – or begin! – their dance education safely in the era of social distancing. In line with AAPA’s affordable tuition philosophy, the online classes cost just $9 a class. Anyone with an Internet connection and approximately 6 feet by 6 feet of open space at their home can participate in the studio’s weekly online sessions starting Monday, March 30.

Classes on offer include preballet (ages 3-5.5), elementary ballet (ages 6-8), and an assortment of ballet, jazz, hip hop, musical theater, lyrical jazz and contemporary classes ranging in level from beginner to advanced for ages 6 – adult.

“As a parent of young children myself, I know the struggle of finding engaging ways to structure my kids’ days at home during this challenging time,” said Danelle Watson, director of Alexander Academy.

“For our current students whose training has been disrupted by the onset of COVID-19, or for the adult who is looking for a way to release the stress of the day, this is how we can serve our community right now. These online classes can get our teachers working again, our students connecting with each other and continuing their training, and — we hope — some folks trying out a new hobby from the comfort of their home”.

At a time when many are out of work and facing significant financial hardship, AAPA encourages those who wish to participate but are unable to cover the cost of class to contact their office. 

“Our studio has always been sensitive to the economic realities of living on Maui,” said Watson, “and while we as a business are not in the best of circumstances either, we want to be able to support our community to continue dancing to the best of our abilities.”

The weekly class schedule is online at the AAPA website, alexanderacademy.info. Class descriptions include guidelines and ability requirements, but participants are ultimately responsible for determining the appropriate class level for themselves.

Participants need to register online at least 30 minutes prior to the start of each class and download the Zoom application onto their computer or mobile device in order to access the class; those new to AAPA will need to allot additional time to create an account on AAPA’s Studio Director site in order to complete their class registration.

Full instructions on how to register and download the required Zoom application can be found at www.alexanderacademy.info under the “Online Classes/Zoom” tab. Specific questions can be addressed to [email protected].