3/22/2020 Update

Posted on

Posted onAuthorMary Wall6 CommentsCategoriesGeneral UpdateMonthly Newsletter

Registration for Online Video Lessons is Now Available

I have completed videoing the lessons for the first 2 weeks of the current session for Levels 1, 2.2, and 3. Week 1’s lessons will be ready to be sent out via email tomorrow (Monday, March 23). There are 2 ways to sign up for these lessons:

1 – Using the WellnessLiving Registration system
2 – Via email

WellnessLiving
If you are comfortable using the WellnessLiving site, you can log into your account and register. I have set up the 3 classes so that they begin the evening of Monday, March 23 and run for 7 weeks. If you wish to receive all 7 weeks worth of classes, you will need to enroll in each week. If you don’t have an active class pass, you will need to purchase class passes (single class or one of our flex-passes) just like you would for a regular class. Each week’s class is considered a single class.

EMail
If you prefer to register via email, please send an email to Mary Wall (mary@w2wdance.com) and include the following information:
1 – Which class or classes you wish to take (Level 1, Level 2.2, or Level 3)
2 – Which weeks you would like (or the entire session)
3 – Best phone number and time to call should I have questions or if you do not have enough classes to cover your registration. This way, I can sell you a pass over the phone (credit card required).

Each Monday, I will email you your weekly lesson(s). Week 1 will be emailed out tomorrow, followed by Week 2 on March 30, etc. Your lesson will come in an attached PDF and includes step by step instructions for your class. There are links to videos for the warm-up and everything that is covered in the lesson. The PDF also includes choreography notes. If you miss registering for a week, I can retroactively add you to the class and send you the lesson. Just drop me an email. I have also opted to start at Week 1, even though we held classes that week. I thought that since we’ve been off for a awhile and there are probably people who missed that week, we’d just start the video lessons from the beginning.

If you sign up for these lessons, you need to agree to not share the PDF or information about the videos with ANYONE. If you know anyone who wants access to them, please have them email me or register. I cannot afford to have my hard work passed around without receiving payment for it.

Also, please note that I am videoing these lessons on my own using my cell phone. They are not the most professional videos, but this was the most practical way for me to do this and still practice social distancing. Should we reach a point where we are on a complete lock-down and I can no longer go to the studio, I am also set up to video from home so lesson will continue.

I may look to create similar lessons for the other levels once I feel caught up and/or a little bit ahead for the three levels I’m currently doing.

Learning to Tap Dance at Home

I know learning to tap dance by video is not the most ideal way to learn. But it’s better than nothing. I’ve received a lot of questions regarding tap boards and floors for home. There are some wonderful boards out there, but they tend to be a little bit expensive. My favorite is O’Mara Sprung Floors. This is the company that built the floor in the studio. I have also heard good things about Fasfoot, but I have never used one of their boards myself.

Cindy Neverez and her husband recently built a practice floor for her to use at home. She said the whole thing cost about $80, which is a lot cheaper than any of the commercial floors available for sale. Here are her instructions for how they did it:

We went to Lowes, and had them cut a finished piece of 3/4″ (a thinner one will be too light) Maple plywood to 6′. They come like 48.5″ X 96.5″, originally. We had them cut off 2 feet down to 6′. Then we got one pack of the sectional 4-color kids’ play mat. It comes in a 4 pack. And the foam is 1/2″ thick. We also got 1 bottle of Titebond III Ultimate Wood Glue. It’s the waterproof one with the green label. 16 oz. 

Then we got it home, and put it face side down on sawhorses with a clean tarp underneath. He wiped down both the wood and the foam pieces with alcohol, and let that dry. He then cut the foam into 6″ X 6″ squares. Make sure you use new box cutter blades…makes it a lot easier to cut. He spaced them about 3.3″ all around the board. He put the glue on the smooth side of the foam. The rough side rests on the floor, and gives needed traction. He pressed each of the pieces down until it set. He also put glue all around the rough edges of the board, so it won’t splinter, or cut my hands when I put it up and down. He let all that dry for 24 hours. Then he used two thin 3.5″ long pieces of some of leftover foam to put on the edge that I push along the floor to get it back up on the wall. We were worried that the constant rubbing on the tile floor would tear it up. He attached those with shoe glue. That stuff’s pretty tough. Then he used 2 pieces of the foam trim…attached to the wall with Command picture hanging tape, to rest the board on. He attached 2 Command hooks on either side of that to string a twine across the board…in case we have an earthquake, or something, and the board wants to fall down.

Other Resources

In addition to our lessons, there are a lot of other tap dance resources out there to help you practice and learn from home. These include Operation TapTap Academy OnlineTap Dance U, and Rusty Frank. And keep an eye on Instagram and Facebook. Many wonderful tap teachers are offering free classes online during this time.

How Long Will We Be Closed?

I have no idea how long this will last. None of us do. I have heard through some of my business resources that the State of Arizona is recommending that non-essential businesses stay closed through April 19 at least. It is very likely that I will cancel the remainder of this session for in-person classes. Based on the information out there, it is also possible that the May-June Session will also be cancelled for in person classes. PLEASE STAY HOME! The sooner everyone complies with this, the sooner we can end this pandemic.

How Can You Help?

I’ve had a lot of people asking how they can help keep me in business. The best way is to purchase Flex-Passes now for use later. The 120 days on your Flex-Passes don’t start until you take a class. So you can buy Flex-Passes now and save them up for when we do resume classes or use them for the video classes. If you’re not comfortable buying your Flex-Passes online, drop me an email with the best number, day, and time to call and I can handle your transaction over the phone (credit card only).

Dorrance Dance Cancelled

The Mesa Arts Center has now cancelled Dorrance Dance, which is no surprise. I have been told they will be issuing refunds in the next 2-3 business days. Once I receive the refund for the 50 tickets I purchased, I will be prepared to issue refunds for those of you who purchased tickets through me and will contact you each individually to find out how you would like to receive your refund. If you paid by credit card, I can issue a refund to the credit card you used to purchase the tickets. Banking regulations prohibited me from refunding your money to a different credit card. In addition to receiving a refund, I can also credit your studio account so that you can use the money for future purchases (class passes or merchandise).social distancingtap dancetap dance at home

Post navigation

3/17/2020 UpdateUpdate: March 27, 2020

6 thoughts on “3/22/2020 Update”

  1.  Cindy Nevarez says:I’m assuming we can we stream these classes at any time, once we purchase them?Reply
    1.  Mary Wall says:Yes! You will have links to the videos that you can access at any time.Reply
  2.  Julie says: Thank you very much for all you’re doing to keep us dancing.
    That is quite an undertaking. On-line instructions will work for me…even with a broken knee cap.Reply
  3.  Lynne says:Yeah!! Thank you, Mary for making the extra effort. You are appreciated. 😍💃🏼Reply
  4.  Amy K. Zupke says: Are you not doing the Never too Late series? Reply
    1.  Mary Wall says: Putting together these virtual lessons is very time consuming. We hope to add the Never2Late classes sometime in the near future. Reply

News