Two professional Rondebosch dancers are giving free online dance classes during the Covid-19 lockdown.
Grant van Ster, 35, and Shaun Oelf, 33, have their own dance company, Figure of 8 Dance Collective, and have been involved in many theatre productions.
In November last year, they produced Wag / Waiting at the Baxter and they have done choreography for Aunty Merle – It’s a Girl and David Kramer’s Danger in the Dark, among others.
Grant and Shaun, like many artists right now, can’t perform or offer their usual dance classes, but they have found a way to keep people dancing during lockdown.
“We are so used to being active while working on multiple projects and teaching classes,” Grant says. “However, we are making the most of this time to just reflect, recharge and to plan creatively for the next few months.”
During lockdown, they’ve been running free contemporary dance classes from the living room of their Rondebosch home, using Zoom, a video-conferencing app.
Shaun says they aren’t charging for the classes – which are open to all – because they know a lot of people aren’t getting an income right now.
“We are, however, accepting donations, but they are in no way obligated to make the donation.”
Grant says they want to maintain a sense of community during this time of isolation. Shaun adds: “We welcome all ages, shapes and sizes. We have mommies taking the class with their kids, we have dancers and their dogs joining and it’s a fun way for the whole family to move together and also a way to strengthen family bonds.”
The two dancers say they are connecting with people all over the world through the online classes.
“Attendance is increasing as the word is spreading, and from the feedback that we’ve received, people want to continue being active during this time,” Grant says.
Email fo8dance@gmail.com to join the class.
