Coronavirus Remote Education 

and Dancing 

Day Seven and Eight March 27 and 28, 2020 

Friday and Saturday

So as this is officially my day off, I have combined Friday with Saturday.

As I stated yesterday, I was off to a surreal start to the day and it just remained that way all day.The highlights were checking in with my classes and seeing the work that students have posted for the assignment I gave them for this first week. I didn’t ask for this but in addition to doing the worksheet some of my students have sent photos and/or videos of them doing our class warm-up. Made my Day!!

Now on to the other things that make this situation more and more surreal.

The City and particularly my neighborhood, Little Italy, is eerily quiet. Yesterday, after working at home all day, remotely,(which means sitting at the computer for the majority of the time) until  4 pm, I went out for an extended period of time and attempted to film a class for my adult  learners in the local park/playground. I live in a 320 square foot apartment and I have no room to move, so getting out for an extended period of time to go to a basically empty outdoor space felt really good.

There were 5 people there approximately 30 - 50 feet apart, having lunch, working out, listening to music, shooting hoops, being very respectful and overly aware of space. About half way into my filming, the police came by and kicked us all out because we did not have any  children with us and supposedly you are not allowed in the park/playground without a child. Really!! In an almost empty playground that has no children in it. Mind you there are no signs that say that anywhere, only that pets are not allowed. But all of the adults were very respectful and left. As we were leaving a man showed up with his child and pet dog and was allowed to come in and sit and have lunch. Go figure. Surreal? Or Not? You can’t make this up.

So I packed up my computer and exercise mat and went wandering around aimlessly, scouting out locations so that on the next sunny day I might be able to get out to make a video for my classes. I was basically from Nolita to around NYU. Since most places are fairly deserted I am not afraid to be out and about. It seems quite easy to practice social distancing. It was just creepy how quiet it was. The only people on the street were young professionals exercising (if, they haven’t already left the city for less surreal locations), homelessness people, seniors (I guess, of which I am one now), delivery people, and people who have to go to work. I must have seen only one or two people on every block I walked down. The only stores open were the super markets, the pharmacies and the bread store. Even my laundromat closed down. So now I have to find another one, close enough so I can carry my clothes, or wash them in the tub, or wear dirty clothes for the next month. Thank god, I have enough underwear to last a month😆Surreal? Or Not?

Then today I got all kinds of e-mails from admins at the DOE who have put extremely unreal expectations on us to do things as if everything was normal. I can’t find a laundromat within 6 blocks so I can have clean underwear and you want me to write a WHAT by WHEN?? You must be kidding!!!

And so the surreality continues… More to come….

By the way Next week on Friday (after school hours) I am participating in a Webinar sponsored by the National Dance Education Organization  about online learning and our youngest dancers: Pre-K thru Kindergarten. Looking forward to it

Peace Out, Mr. Jannetti (The Dancing Jedi)