New Session: May 21st! & New Weeks; New Tweaks

New session begins this week, May 21st. Registration is open now, and we can't wait to see you in class!

What will the new tweaks be? Who knows? In the last few weeks we jazzed up the live studio to add a little pizzazz. We really take your feedback into account to help improve what we bring to you each week, so thanks for everything you share with us over on the Deep Roots Live! Facebook Page, guys. And if you haven't joined us over there yet, we hope you will. It's just for you livestreamers!

What tweaks have we seen over the last 6 weeks? Take a look at our first week photo vs. now...peek at the tweaks:

We didn't know how things would look to students on the other end, so we of course started with what we had. We figured neutral would be best and least distracting. Week 1: Intro Night, Eugenia thoughtfully chose cheerful, high-contrast leggings and dark dance shoes so make sure you could see her legs and feet. So this was our first official class night:

Lighting was very spare as well, as you can see. The string lights that are soft and lovely in person end up very hot and glaring on video. They had to go. The room also felt very bare, stark compared to the warm, luxe environment that it really is in person when you are there looking around. So by Week 3: Zills Night, we had this:

Sari stash to the rescue! Add some drums, a velvet bench and carpet in the background and we are feeling a little bit more like ourselves on video.We also added more light and a better video camera. So the video in general is looking clearer. But still, things are a little more beige than we'd like, and students have commented that our pale bodies against a pale curtain=hard to read. And you can see we are blocking ourselves in the mirror as well, so the whole point of a full-body framing in the mirror is being lost here. So by Week 5: Ribcage and Arabic we had...

Progress! The curtain provides warmth, personality, and contrast. The new position of the instructor provides a closer look at the body from the back view, and an unobstructed front view in the mirror. This has been our best set-up yet, and the results have been well-received.

But we're not done yet! A new camera is being tested this week,  which we are hoping may improve the stream, as well as allow us to simultaneously record on the same device. Right now we have to set up and remember to hit record on a separate recording device every week. Two in one will streamline the in-studio processes for our instructors going forward. This new set-up may also improve our sound quality, both in the Zoom feed for students and in the finished recordings. Win-win!

And those orange curtains? Well, they were temporary loaners from my home. New curtains are on a slow boat from an online store as we speak. If the color works out, we'll have a fresh look on screen in a couple of weeks.

​Are you gonna join the fun? It's time to sign up for class y'all. Head on over and register now, and let's dance. See you in class!

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