he core of a ballet dancer’s life is daily class. Whether it’s a child just starting out or a prima ballerina, a dancer’s day begins with pliés and tendus at the barre. Now in this strange new reality prompted by coronavirus, dancers are stuck at home like the rest of us. But they have to keep their pointes on pointe, as it were, and some are sharing their daily routines with the public, encouraging you to dance along with the pros. Last week, English National Ballet livestreamed a class from the company’s new studios in east London (still available on YouTube, with more being added). It’s more than 20 years since I took a regular ballet class, but who could turn down the opportunity of dancing with the one and only Tamara Rojo, ENB’s artistic director and one of the world’s finest dancers? I pulled on some leggings, pushed back the table and repurposed the kitchen counter as a barre. Rojo explains each exercise while a few dancers are spread out in the background. The sound and lighting in the studio aren’t great, but that doesn’t impinge on the pleasure of spying the latest dancer fashions, the many incomprehensible layers they wear to keep warm – puffy boots, shorty dungarees and Rojo rocking one full-legwarmer in red and black stripes. All of these are gradually shed as the class goes on, to reveal a ballet butterfly underneath. The pianist strikes up and it’s straight into some tendus (pushing the foot along the floor into a point), then lifting the leg to make tiny circles in the air – if you’ve done a barre fitness class, you’ll know this special kind of torture. A great sweeping port de bras, bending forward and (supposedly) doubling over at the waist, sees my hamstrings yelp into action. Inevitably, as the dancers’ quicksilver feet pick up speed, and out of nowhere Rojo’s leg whooshes effortlessly up to her ear, they leave me far behind. I stop to marvel at a backbend. It’s in the very fabric of a dancer’s art to make it look easy, and after you’ve watched a lot of ballet you can become a bit blase about this crazy level of athleticism. But to dance along with a class is to physically feel how exceptional their ability is, and to observe the details of their technique undistracted. Apart from hitting my knee on the dining table doing a pirouette, this was a welcome interlude to the day. When you’re cooped up inside (or usually hunched over a laptop), even just standing up straight, lifting your chin and majestically sweeping an arm above your head fills your lungs with air and your heart with peace. At which point the reality of current circumstances intrudes and my two-year-old bowls in demanding, “I want a biscuit, mummy! I want telly!” and all that zen calm crumbles. Ballet’s spell is broken. Five more online dances classes to try Tiler Peck The New York City Ballet principal is streaming a daily class on Instagram from the kitchen of her family home, dancing to Taylor Swift and showing she’s an absolute natural as a teacher. (“No soft knees!” she brightly scolds her virtual pupils.) Claudia Dean The upbeat Aussie enthusiasm of former Royal Ballet dancer Claudia Dean has made her a social media star for bunheads. Her first attempt at a livestream crashed because it was so popular. More are in the offing, but in the meantime there’s a whole YouTube channel of tips and tutorials for all levels to explore. Andrey Klemm Andrey Klemm is the central casting version of a ballet master, a terse, straight-backed Russian, dressed in black. But he’s the real deal, and you can see him teaching Paris Opera Ballet étoile Amandine Albisson on his YouTube channel. The camera sometimes lovingly lingers on Albisson’s face and forgets the feet, so perhaps you’re not entirely expected to follow along. McOnie Company It’s not just ballet out there, of course. Musical theatre choreographer Drew McOnie has moved the popular classes he usually runs at Pineapple Dance Studios online to Instagram Live, every Thursday at 7pm. Steezy Even before the coronavirus outbreak there were plenty of places to learn to dance online. Steezy is one of the most comprehensive for street styles (popping, breaking, waacking, house, krump, dancehall) and has nifty controls so you can slow down the speed or see yourself in split screen with the instructor. It’s a subscription site but there’s a seven-day free trial, and, until Thursday, a free class every day.