Local dance studio using technology to stay open and connected
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AMMON – As the coronavirus pandemic continues and many “nonessential” businesses close their doors, a local dance studio is digging deep to stay afloat and help others continue to smile, laugh and dance
“Dance is not considered an essential service right now, but we are learning there is another side to what is considered essential to our amazing kiddos and dance families,” Eagle Rock Dance Studio owner and director Carrie McCarty said.
Eagle Rock Dance Studio has locations in Ammon and Rigby and provides dance instruction to more than 300 kids between 3 and 18.
When the stay-home order went into effect, McCarty says her gut reaction was to be prepared for anything. She and her staff pulled several all-nighters and quickly transitioned to an online format.
Instructors can keep teaching via Zoom, and sometimes there are as many as eight different classes running simultaneously.
“We didn’t miss a beat. We were prepared enough that is was pretty much an instant transition for our dancers and their families,” says McCarty. “The longer this stay-home order has gone on, the more appreciative parents have (been) to (be able to) provide the kids with some activity and social connection and a little bit of normalcy.”
Staff also stays in contact with students through social media and mailers. Several virtual parties are in the works as well.
But there have also been some challenges. McCarty says many of the instructors have many years of experience. Under normal conditions, they can put a lesson plan together with very little effort. Preparing lessons takes some work with the new online format, she says.
“It’s mostly technical things, like learning how to pull YouTube clips, how to play music online in a way the dancers can hear it, spicing up their lesson plans,” says McCarty.
Other challenges include students dropping classes due to financial concerns and the cancelation of several competitions for a group of graduating seniors.
“It’s really disheartening for some of our poor seniors. Some of them have danced since they were 3 years old,” she says. “We don’t have any control over that, unfortunately.”
Maintaining social connections has been the silver lining through it all, McCarty says. Students are grateful for the opportunity to keep dancing when other dance studios have been forced to shut down.
Why dance?
McCarty has been dancing all her life.
She got her bachelor’s degree in secondary education and opened Eagle Rock Dance Studio in 2005.
“I knew I loved teaching, and I knew I loved dance. Teaching in a high school setting wasn’t exactly what I was looking for, but opening a studio combined the best of both worlds for me,” McCarty says.
She and her staff teach students to compete in all styles of dancing, including jazz, ballet, hip hop, tap, acrobatics, lyrical, contemporary, point dancing and ballroom. Jazz, contemporary and hip hop are the most popular styles, McCarty says.
Many of her students have gone on to compete nationally, including Shelley native Luke Phillips. He appeared last year on season 16 of the hit Fox show “So You Think You Can Dance?”
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During this time when many people are at home, McCarty says dancing is a great way to get some physical activity.
“It provides the physical release our body needs while we’re on this stay-home order…and social connection. Even if they don’t necessarily know kids in their class, simply seeing those faces, learning some new moves, and forming a relationship with their instructor — I don’t think there is any replacement for that right now,” says McCarty.
When times are tough, McCarty says there is no other place she’d rather be than eastern Idaho because it’s a community that takes care of each other. COVID-19 will only make us stronger, she says.
“We are a resilient area. We’re a community that really pulls together. We’re smart. We’re great problem-solvers, and I have every confidence that, as a community, we’re going to rise above this and probably come out even stronger than we were before,” she says.
Eagle Rock Dance is at 2816 14th N. in Ammon and 173 E. Main Street in Rigby. To register or learn more, visit the website.