Mother and son team up to move dance school online during lockdown

A local dance teacher has joined forces with her son to move her dance school online during lockdown.

Angela Watson is now offering a timetable of classes online delivered through Zoom while the Angela Watson School of Dance premises in Colinton and Fairmilehead are closed.

She has enlisted the help of son Luke, a professional dancer whose most recent contract in Macedonia was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Angela Watson and son Luke have teamed up to give classes online. | Other 3rd Party

Mr Watson, 21, has moved home for the first time since he started boarding school at the Dance School of Scotland at the age of 12.

He has helped his mother to move her classes online, with a slightly reduced timetable, and keeping classes limited to those who had already signed up for safety reasons.

Mr Watson has also taken on teaching some classes including ballet and yoga, to give the students some variety.

Angela Watson teaching nursery ballet. Picture: Helen Pugh. | Other 3rd Party

The school also hosts a guest Friday class, employing dancers who are out of work during the crisis.

The online classes have had the added effect of getting more boys involved than ever before, as many have been joining in with their sisters who are regular students.

Other family members have been getting involved as well, and a number of dads volunteered to take part in a toilet roll video challenge created by the school.

Mr Watson said the school had received positive feedback from pupils about the new online system.

Luke Watson is a professional dancer. Picture: Tim Cross. | Other 3rd Party

He has found the teaching a positive experience himself as well.

“I’ve never taught before, but I’ve grown up my whole life watching my mum teach,” he said.

“It wasn’t something I had thought about as I had just been focusing on performing, but I realised that through my training and experience there’s so much I’ve learned that I can give.

“It’s really nice to see the kids taking it on board, they’re really enjoying it.”