Toms River Dance School Keeps Students Connected During Shutdown

TOMS RIVER, NJ — Hips shaking and hands moving, the group of girls moved in time to the beat from Beyonce's "Bow Dow." song. The strong early evening breeze blew their hair across their faces. The sound of cars whizzing past on Route 37 muffled the music.

But the joy in every step, every arm movement, every smile, was unmistakable.

"It's nice to have the family back together," said one of the moms watching the outdoor dance class at Broadway Bound Dance Centre in Toms River.

When schools and nonessential businesses shut down on March 16, Lindsay Williams, owner of the Route 37 dance studio, found herself faced with the same dilemma that so many small businesses that were labeled nonessential during the coronavirus pandemic faced: shut down completely, or try another path to keep going.

Williams decided to keep teaching her classes through Zoom meetings. It was a learning process for her as well as her dance students.

"There's no mirrors at home," she said, for students to see how they are performing their dance moves and adjust to what they were seeing her demonstrate. And where in a studio she might be able to physically guide them on arm movements or help them make big leaps, that wasn't possible through Zoom.

"I'm trying to give them feedback, but they have to be able to figure it out. It's been a challenge for me to explain in language they understand," Williams said. She learned that giving focused corrections, speaking directly to specific children, helped them connect to what she was explaining."

The dance school has 75 students, but Williams kept the Zoom lessons small, because going to more than one page of participants added another layer of challenge to teaching the classes.

"It's been daunting trying to get everything paid," Williams said. "The families have been really wonderful, really supportive financially to try to make sure the studio succeeds."

Parents of some of the dancers said there was a value in the Zoom dance classes that went far beyond just learning tap steps and hip-hop moves.

"She kept the kids busy every day on Zoom," said Lori Crick, as she watched her daughter and the other girls dance in the parking lot. The classes helped give them a routine when most of their routine had been turned upside down, she said.

"It was hard, but it was so valuable," said Leila Dellorusso, another mother. "They could see their friends and chat" through the Zoom classes, keeping the children connected.

Jackie Chinappi, who has four children taking lessons, said the Zoom classes weren't just limited to the dance lessons. Williams would talk with the children and see how they were doing, giving them another adult to talk to.

"If we didn't have Lindsay keeping them going and keeping them connected to their friends, I'm not sure what we would have done," she said.

The girls, too, said the Zoom lessons were good.

"It was hard at first," said Gianna Castronuovo, 15. "But after a while it was good, because I was more focused. I couldn't fool around and talk to my friends like I do in class," she said with a laugh.

Maria Chinappi, 14, said the Zoom classes were good, but sometimes she struggled. "I would get distracted," she said.

Both were happy to be at an in-person class again, however; the din of chattering voices spoke volumes.

Williams said she set up the outdoor class as a trial run, after Murphy increased the limit on public gatherings outside to 25 people.

"The kids were dying to get back into real-life lessons," she said. And the lack of information from the state has been frustrating. "There's no real guidance from anywhere. The arts and dance studios, they don't exist."

"We matter, too," Williams said.

And after a successful first lesson, Williams said she's was looking forward to more.

"It's good to have the family together again," she said.

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