And so the first question, how has that been? How has it been? How have you adapted to COVID-19.
Um, so, as a dance club, it was definitely an adjustment to transition from being in person to zoom, especially because dance is such a physical thing. But we've come up with certain techniques that work with zoom and getting music to play for everyone properly and to avoid as much lag as possible and strategies like recording dances so that people can go back to refer to them. Because learning, like learning choreography on zoom is definitely more challenging than it is in person. So that's been a struggle. We also typically do a new person show at the Isabel Vader theater every year. But this year, we are still trying to have a show at the end of the academic year. But it's going to obviously be a virtual performance. So figuring out the best way to do that was also quite the journey.
Yeah, like this particular virtual show Sounds Sounds exciting. Maybe there could be a place to spotlight later in the article for sure. Do you have like a gift of planning for or long enough they have potential dates or like more information in terms of like a financial hardship?
Uh, yeah, it's actually not gonna be a live stream, it's gonna be a pre recorded show, we figured that would be the best way to get the performance out. We don't have an exact set date because I have to speak with the person who's editing our performance together. But it's probably going to be the weekend of April 9 to 10th.
That sounds excellent. And yeah, and in terms of next year, like I guess, how does Vic denso Norton normally work out? You mentioned the Isabel beta. Peter for the performance. What do you normally practice.
So we typically practice in the music room at gold gold ring, or somewhere that is available in gold ring. Typically in a year, most members return I've been in the club since my first year, it's my second year as co president. So basically, we hold auditions and typically lead in a few new first year members. And we start getting to work right away on choreographing for our show, which usually happens. end of March, we are very lucky to receive the arts endowment almost every year, which helps fund this performance. It's the dance has been such a great community to have at U of T. Since my first year, it was for the first club I joined. And it's such a tight knit community of very supportive people. And so for next year, we're like, I'll be graduating. So I'm hoping that even though this year was virtual, some of the members who are in lower years, will take on the leadership positions in the club and bring the club back to its usual agenda of holding rehearsals weekly, and having social events and workshops that are open to people who are not part of the club and collaborating with the only human dance collective every year for the last. Well, for all the years that I've been a part of the club. We've been guest performances with htcs sport dancing with the Varsity Blues, which is a charity event. So hopefully those things can continue to occur next year with the new executive. I will definitely be talking to them once we hold elections to make sure that the club can keep going and be a welcoming space and Vic.
Excellent. Yeah. And do you have any? You think things will turn completely back to how it was before COVID-19? Or do you think you'll be bringing in some virtual adaptations for next year?
Um,
I mean, obviously, we don't know what next year is going to look like at all I'm sure that there will be certain adjustments that have to be made because we're still far away from being at the end of this pandemic. But once things go back to normal, I feel like learning on zoom was quite challenging. So both in person rehearsals will be coming back. And as fun as I hope this virtual show is going to be I think, returning to the Isabel Bader to have our in person shows certainly
The hoped for the club.
It's just such a physical thing to be a dance team. So as the pandemic has been quite challenging, and I have been concerned that the club isn't going to make it, but I think that we all love this small community so much that it's going to be able to make it through and existing continue to exist.
Definitely. Yeah. Like, I think I'm, I'm optimistic. And would you like to add anything? That's if anyone's reading the article, and they might be interested in joining anything you'd like them to know.
Sure, I mean, we're, we're a very small community at MC. It's for people who have for dancing before they came to U of T and just want to continue to be involved in dance, but not in a super intense or high commitment way. It's fun for performance opportunities, and to choreograph, which I think is unique to our club. Because having first years to have the opportunity to take leadership positions, I think is what's really great about our club. It's not like mandatory, but if people want to, we're always very open to that. And yeah, I think that even though the pandemic did hit our club quite hard, we still managed to get new members, which I was really happy about. And I think they are intending to return next year and to keep the club alive. And not even the pandemic could stop us from dancing.
Amazing. Yeah. And when just as a bit of bit of information, when do you normally accept auditions throughout the years, that sort of, like period of time that looters might want to look over? Yeah, I
mean, every year we're at the clubs fair. And typically the people, the CO presidents are there to answer questions and just the exact date changes, but typically, it's a one or two days of auditions. But this year, we adapted that there was a two week window we, we published a video that people could learn from and they've submitted themselves dancing that so we gave a bit more time, but in a normal year, we host auditions that are published at clubs fair and people pop in. Yeah.
Excellent. And anything else you wish to add that you didn't have a chance to? know? I don't know. I
hope I was helpful.
Very much. Yeah, this was really, really interesting and like, a very interesting perspective for sure. Yeah, that should be it. But thank you very much for much for your time, and I'll let you know when the article is released.
