Virtual/Hybrid Undergraduate Embodied Learning in the Performing Arts

This article explores the virtual and hybrid learning of the undergraduate dance courses I taught at American Musical and Dramatic Academy (AMDA) in New York City during the fall semesters of 2020 and 2021, and at AMDA College of the Performing Arts in Los Angeles in during the spring semester of 2021. These dance courses were Jazz, Hip Hop, Commercial Jazz, Modern, and Ballet. This article examines the impact of virtual and hybrid embodied learning towards evolved pedagogical frameworks that involved collaborative student engagement and inclusive methodologies. As institutions grappled with in- person learning and quarantines, my role as a dance educator called for a reimagination of traditional approaches that integrated a communal digital and physical space to facilitate healing, positive environment of learning, and sincere connection. Through interviews with students and reflective analysis, this study investigates how virtual and hybrid modalities expanded access, enhanced interdisciplinary collaboration, and addressed challenges such as physical space limitations. The findings highlight innovations in dance education for future of training of aspiring performers in an increasingly digitized and hybrid world.