Dance instructors drum up business as they pivot online

"The attendance rate of our online classes currently stands at 70 percent. This has exceeded my expectations," she says.

Online dance lessons come with their own set of challenges. Tian notes that it can be more difficult to control a class of children in an online setting compared to a physical space. Keeping the students engaged is another challenge.

"No one had believed that ballet lessons could be taught online, including us. We had no idea about the effect our online courses would have," Tian says.

"But we have been forced to make it work. This experience has shown that we need to prepare for unexpected situations. When a crisis occurs, we need to respond quickly and seize the opportunity."

While Shanghai started to fully restore its normal production and life this month, offline dance classes can be resumed in the near future, both Wang and Tian consider the online teaching experience as an asset, which will help them prepare for future crisis if any. These online offerings, coupled with the rental reductions provided by the local government, have given Tian reason to be optimistic.

"We are confident that we can tide over this difficult period," she adds.

HE QI in Shanghai