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Date: 10/28/2020
EAST LONGMEADOW – The Artistic Dance Conservatory (ADC) has been in East Longmeadow for 17 years teaching students of all ages ballet, contemporary, jazz, tap, acrobatics and hip-hop style dance. Due to the pandemic, ADC had to close their studio down temporarily.
“I didn’t expect for this to happen, for us to have to close,” said Director Jennifer Dubilo. “It was really sad for us and all the kids and we knew they were going to be disappointed.”
Nonetheless, one week after they closed down Dubilo and staff started virtual classes via Zoom for students during quarantine.
All of the competitions and festivals were canceled. ADC usually performs in Boston at Dance for World Community, as well as Longmeadow’s Long Meddowe Days. They had to cancel their student choreography series they host. Their national competition in New York City was canceled as well. In addition, they were scheduled to perform in schools, nursing homes and the Academy of Music in Northampton this December and that has all been canceled as well.
ADC connected with the community through social media, sending handwritten cards to each dancer with personalized motivational words and supported each ADC senior who were graduating from different high schools in their surrounding communities.
“With the virtual classes, we wanted to keep the kids engaged and knowing that we were thinking of them,” Dubilo responded. “We sent them videos and cards with stickers to remind them they’re doing a good job.”
ADC gave their students an end-of-the-year performance that followed CDC guidelines and was filled with each child’s award presented to them. There was also professional photography and videography for their virtual recital.
At the end of the summer, ADC opened their studio and began having dancers back in person. The dance studio put into place social distances practices, class size limits and separate entrances to reduce cross traffic.
“It was really important for the kids to get back doing what they love,” Dubilo replied. “For many of the dancers, this is their happiest place and their second home. It’s what gets them through tough times. It’s important for us to open and stay open even with the restriction.”
Parent of ADC student Isabella, Amy Kloss explained her daughter has been dancing at the school for seven years. The school has been a special place for Isabella, she said, because of how much her daughter has grown – not only with her skill and artistry, but as an independent person who knows how to give back to the community.
“Isabella thinks of ADC as her family. She calls it her home away from home,” Kloss said. “As a parent, it’s always hard to see your child struggle. Throughout the pandemic not knowing what the next day was to bring, there’s always dance, and having them give her that consistency was really important for me.”
Lisa Horan is another parent whose daughter, Maeve, has been dancing with ADC for nine years.
“It’s the highlight of her day going to ADC between the friends she has made there and the amazing teachers,” said Horan. “Jenn and her colleagues made the best of it, keeping everyone safe and healthy. You can’t ask for anything more than that.”
Maeve is a senior and this will be her last year at the school. Horan said she prays ADC will have a final production so she can see her daughter perform one last time.
For mother Danielle Maurice, this will be her daughter Isadora’s third year at ADC. Last year Isadora auditioned for the dance team and made the squad. Unfortunately, by the time competition season approached, COVID hit. Maurice said she hopes Isadora will be able to participate again this year.
“She loves being at ADC,” Maurice added. “Jenn and the rest of the teachers are doing everything they possibly can. The circumstances were not good for anybody, but they kept those classes going and made sure they had an opportunity to see the kids. They didn’t let their technique suffer providing them direction and encouragement.”
Tina Dora’'s daughter Briana attended ADC for 11 years. She is now a freshman at Marymount Manhattan College as a B.F.A dance major. Doran came from a dance background and wanted to give her daughter the tools to take her love for dance as far as she wanted to go. “Briana made the decision that dancing was a part of her life that she couldn’t live without,” Doran responded. “Jenn has been a mentor and a friend to my daughter and I cannot express how much appreciation and respect I have for her.”
As she continued, “I have seen her put her students first time and time again. Jenn not only teaches her students technique and choreography; she develops their inner personalities and gives them confidence.”
This fall, ADC is working on their ballet performance and they are raising money to be able to film it and share it with the community.
Dance teacher Angela Gauthier started a GoFund Me page on Facebook to raise money to support the studio’s efforts.
Student Isabella saw the page and wanted to do something as well. She and student Isadora collaborated and raised money by selling dance themed notebooks to family and friends.
Within two weeks, the girls reached their goal of $500. They presented the money to Dubilo along with her own notebook and a bottle of hand sanitizer.
"It was amazing that they were able to think of this and be generous enough to give back to the studio,” Dubilo expressed. "That they think of us as a family and a community. It was really touching."
Hopefully, Dubilo said, the school is getting back to some of their educational workshops they attend, which will be done virtually.
“We’re trying find as many opportunities as we can,” Dubilo said. “It’s tough right now because our numbers are limited. We can’t have the same amount of people. As all businesses are suffering, we’re also feeling the constraint of that. We do have people making generous donations and we’re very appreciative of everyone's help and support.”
ACD is offering live and virtual classes. Enrollment is open year-round. For more information go to dancewithadc.com or call 525–8810.