It’s been quite the journey for dancers at Blanco Ballet.

The students were preparing for what should have been their spring performance when the coronavirus pandemic hit.

However, that hasn’t stopped them from keeping things going. The approximately 50 dancers have moved to online lessons through Skype up to five days a week as they continue to prepare for their now postponed performance.

At first, things were quite different than their normal, in-person practices.

“It was a big adjustment,” said Helen Lundy, 18, who has been taking lessons for nine years. “Not only did I have to figure out how to move and dance in a significantly smaller space, but I also had to adjust to no longer seeing my friends in person and interacting with them in the same way.”

Technology also took some time to sort out.

“The technology is challenging. We had to experiment with how to best see me, if we should mute or unmute, having the correct phone number to connect with, and then what to do if the screen freezes,” said instructor Lesley Erin Rice-Oyler. “We have had to employ our humor, flexibility, adaptability and humility to navigate the situation. My dancers have exuded positivity and patience. And they have also enlightened me on APPs that we now use to communicate, like GroupMe and we are currently taking videos of our performance pieces and uploading them onto Flipgrid for peer review.”

“It took some time to get used to the timing and structure of doing it myself. I like being with everyone more,” said dancer Jenna White.

There were some mishaps early, though.

“I accidentally kicked my bed during one of the exercises and had multiple technological difficulties,” Lundy said. “It was a learning experience for sure.”

It’s taken some time, but now in their fourth week of online lessons, the dancers have become more accustomed to their new routines.

“After the first week it was pretty easy to get into the classes,” said Calla Nelson, 13. “The first time I had an online class was kind of hard to make sure that I had everything right on Skype, but it eventually got really easy.”

“We’ve all become more familiar with using an online platform, so everything runs easier, for sure,” said Addison Gernenz, 16.

Rice-Oyler said she had two goals in having the online classes, one of which was to give her students some sense of normalcy in this situation.

“My goal is to offer a sense of structure and normalcy for these young ladies during this unpredictable time,” she said. “We have this wonderful built in goal of producing Beatrix Potter for our families and community. We now see that it will be a celebration signifying our ability to be together again.”

The most difficult thing for Nelson has not having in-person correction for mistakes.

“There are some things that you can fix just by hearing what it is, but sometimes there are things that you need to fix in person with your teacher,” she said.

Various classes of different kinds are offered each weekday afternoon. That doesn’t stop additional sessions working on the production.

“We’ve held individual rehearsals outside of our normal class calls. As one of the scene captains, I’ve been one of the girls responsible for setting up another student-led rehearsal,” Gernenz said. “Everyone has really stepped up and been willing to work around these challenges, and that has been a huge blessing as we work towards the future production.”

The production of Beatrix Potter stories will be postponed until it is safe for both the dancers and the public. The performance lasts approximately an hour with nine scenes of the stories.

“We were very fortunate that I taught the last major scene the weekend before we switched to Skype classes. Our rehearsal schedule was more intense this year and we were right on schedule,” Rice-Oyler said. “We will have a few loose ends to tie up when we get back together, but these dancers are taking incredible responsibility and ownership to keep their scenes together.”

What’s been the biggest challenge for everyone during this time? Not the actual classes, but missing out on social interaction with their friends.

“I miss the other dancers. I miss talking before and after with my friends and Ms. Erin,” White said. “I miss the music being around us. I miss the personal touches Ms. Erin gives to each of us.”

“The most difficult thing for me has been the elimination of the social time before and after class where I hang out with my friends, but I also miss the studio and having Ms. Erin there to make corrections,” Lundy said.

“I love my girls and Ms. Erin, and really miss all that time with them,” she added.