A retrospective look at SDA through year 2020!

2020 - What a year it has been! Unexpected, unprecedented, challenging and yet unimaginably memorable.  

When the whole world turned topsy turvy in March 2020, SDA was also thrown into the deep end. We persevered with the support of our teachers, community, and SDA families. We adapted our in-person classes into virtual sessions to allow our students some normalcy.

We are brimming with pride for our students and teachers who jumped onto the virtual bandwagon so seamlessly. It was no small task, nor was it easy. For our kids and adult students who have been so used to personal interactions, this was a massive change. We would like to thank each and every one of you for taking the leap of faith and supporting us through Zoom classes, virtual recitals, technical glitches and a whole lot more. We couldn’t have asked for a better dance family!

Taking things in stride, we ensured that the learning never ceased. We continued to adapt and incorporate different ways to engage and teach. Our sessions created fun avenues for our students to dance, get some activity in and perform their hearts out.

Following our summer session, we had hoped to return in Fall for in-person classes. However, safety concerns for our students and staff caused us to opt for the virtual format.  In our Fall 2020 Virtual semester, our little dancers went Road Trippin’ through India. The theme gave students an opportunity to learn different dance styles from across India. From the snow capped peaks of Kashmir through the vibrant state of Gujarat all the way to the heartland of Kolkata, our students learnt a beautiful choreography echoing the dance forms of India. We are so proud of their achievements and the proof is the beautiful dance medleys performed by them in their final classes (Medleys displayed above for your viewing pleasure). 

We were happy to host in-person sessions for our adults and families while the weather cooperated this Fall. Our socially distanced outdoor sessions at the Exchange Place waterfront were well attended and lifted our spirits. We hosted Diwali and Navratri sessions outdoor as well to spread the joy of these wonderful festivals.

SDA continued to be involved in the JC & surrounding community.  We participated in Jersey City Free Public Library’s Virtual Programming offering live sessions, weekly tutorials, as well as videos for the library patrons encouraging people to keep the love of dance alive. 

During the height of the pandemic, SDA fundraised to provide meals for nurses and healthcare workers at Memorial Sloan Kettering and at the Jersey City Medical Center who have worked tirelessly to serve those affected by the pandemic. For the Holidays, SDA and its families raised funds to provide Christmas presents to the kids at the York Street Project this Holiday Season.

MEALS FOR HEALTHCARE WORKERS AT mEMORIAL SLOAN KETTERING

cHRISTMAS PRESENTS FOR KIDS AT YORK STREET PROJECT

MEALS FOR HEALTHCARE WORKERS AT JERSEY CITY MEDICAL CENTER

We could not have done this without the help, love and support of the SDA families and community.  Here’s to a 2021 that is full of hope. Hope that we will see our little dancers in-person soon. Hope that we will set foot on stage soon. Hope that our SDA family will dance together very soon!