Curriculum Development, Implementation, and Evaluation During the COVID-19 Confinement Period in France

Since March 2020 Europe has faced the COVID-19 epidemic. General confinement measures imposed by governments have had a strong impact on cultural practices, including within dance schools. This article describes the actions implemented by the Dance Department of the Lyon National Conservatory of Music and Dance (CNSMDL, France) in order to ensure pedagogical continuity during the confinement period. The study focused on the 12 preparatory-year students in contemporary dance. Despite numerous constraints—primarily small workspaces, unstable Internet connections, and the difficulty of correcting technical dance moves at a distance—all students and teachers were able to maintain pedagogical follow-up through a series of constructed activities. Students appreciated the social aspect (the relationship with their teachers and fellow students) and day-structuring component of the scheduling. The online activities helped to avoid student isolation, and motivation seemed unaffected. While online exercises can never replace "in the flesh" dance classes, this crisis provided an opportunity to develop pedagogical innovations and tools that could be reused in face-to-face dance instruction in other contexts such as injuries and intermittent work conditions.