online to onstage

Online to Onstage runs for 10 weeks of online classes, plus a 3-day in-person show experience, and a final virtual closing call. Classes for Fall term run from October to January, and classes for Spring term run from April to June. You also receive a 1-hour check-in call the Thursday before your cast's show day. If you miss a live class, you can catch up via the recording (within 2 weeks of the class).

While this course is taught at a beginner level and will feature beginner choreography, we recommend that all participants have a general understanding of dance and/or comfortability with movement, to prevent injuries and make learning from home and performing onstage a safe experience. Placement is not required, so students self-assess, but should we have major concerns about anyone's safety, we reserve the right to remove someone from the course or performance with a full refund.

While this course is designed to be taken live and you'll get much more out of it if you attend each week, the classes are all recorded and are available to re-watch for up to 2 weeks after each class. So don't stress if you can't make it on time or if you have to skip a week or two. In addition to the live call recordings, you'll also receive an end-to-end breakdown video of the show choreography you can download and keep for practicing.

Participation in the "stage-cation" show experience is completely optional, but a highly encouraged part of this program. When you register for the class, you'll have the opportunity to specify which cast/location/date you'd like to perform in, or to opt out of the performance. You may also initially sign up with the intention to perform, and then change your mind later and decide not to for whatever reason. There will be a time after the holiday break that you will need to officially confirm one way or the other, but you do not need to decide until well after you've learned the dance. You may also decide to travel to your cast's city to meet your class and watch the opening night show for free, and not perform on closing night. The cost of participation is the same whether you choose to perform or not.

Online to Onstage is hosted on Zoom for the live calls, and is supported by a WhatsApp group chat + private online student portal. You may choose to participate with your camera on or off during the calls, however we recommend having your camera on as much as possible to take full advantage of the classmate connection and our instructor's ability to offer modifications or (kind, helpful, compassionate, private) feedback on your dancing.

You just need a small space with a flat floor where you can comfortably move your body. The training and choreography are both created with small spaces in mind. It is however designed to be done in heels, so if you have a space where you can move/practice in heels (i.e. a kitchen, garage, hardwood floor livingroom) you'll be much safer/more comfortable.

Everyone in all casts will learn the same dance, and be divided into groups per cast, and further into sub-groups for spacing. Transitions and spacing will be predetermined and explained, so you can practice without others in a way that will transition easily to dancing alongside your classmates. When you meet up in person on show day, you will have the opportunity to block (space out your transitions), walk through the show, run through the dance, and run through the show on film - all before the live performance. Our instructors specialize in online learning and are excited to create dynamic, effective, wow-worthy choreography for the audience, that is simple and easy for the dancers to execute on show day.

Heels are required for the final performance (as it is Heels Dance after all!) but you're welcome to wear heels of any height under 4" that feel comfortable to you. Your costume is curated and designed by you, so you can express yourself however you please, we only ask that you follow our general guidelines around nudity (no genitals, no nipples) and your class' colour scheme so you all look cohesive with the show and the lighting. As always, we ask that you be mindful of not appropriating any styles (costuming, makeup, or hairstyles) that are not your own culture. We may provide some optional accessories on show day to spruce up your "base" costume, but they are not required.

Registration does NOT cover the cost of travel or accommodations, so you're welcome to stay anywhere you like. We do occasionally offer exclusive hotel group rates to help save on travel expenses. You will have a group chat of everyone in your cast, that you may use to arrange shared accommodations if you wish. You also have access to our Luminesque Facebook group, and other local dancers may be open to hosting you, if you ask (we cannot promise this). The show venues are located in downtown, so we recommend finding accommodations close to the venues, or allocating time to travel by transit, rideshare, or taxi to/from on show days.

Absolutely! You don't have to be from afar to partake in this offering, in fact it's a great opportunity to perform more in your current cast or perform a different number in another cast. Once you're registered, please let your Instructors know that you're currently in the PROGRESS program, and they can make arrangements for a smooth set list. Please note this course is taught at a beginner ("Kitten Heels") level.

While we have minimum run numbers required to have a cohort perform in a given cast, we also have a backup plan in place in case of last-minute drop-outs, that would allow anyone who had already confirmed at the start of term and booked a trip to perform to still do so. In the case where a student registers and right away we know their desired cast does not have the minimum required to run, they will receive a full refund if they cannot accommodate another cast.

Each week, you'll have a 2-hour zoom experience, led by our Founder, Vanessa Lalonde, and guest choreographers Bronwynn Joy & Nikki Rei. You'll receive 90 minutes of online Heels Dance instruction, and then 30 minutes of a class connection circle, which will either be a full class group discussion, or more intimate small group discussions in breakout rooms. There will also be a live chat during Zoom calls, and the WhatsApp group chats by cast for connecting between classes.