One recent day, a group of students, both girls and boys, stood in rows wearing their ballet dancewear and got ready for their ballet class as usual, except that this time their ballet instructor was teaching them online from home. 

On a big TV screen placed in one corner of the classroom appeared Zhang Wei, Professor at the Center for Arts Education at Tsinghua, standing far back in the room clad in a yellow t-shirt and black pants. And with that, the ballet class began.

The students followed him as they practiced ballet moves to the famous ballet music of Swan Lake.

Thanks to the adoption of hybrid learning, Tsinghua students have been able to continue with their not just theoretical but also practical courses, such as “Basic Ballet Training and Skill,” even though the latest surge in Covid-19 infections in Beijing has forced many faculty members to teach from home.

Professor Zhang says that he is delighted that his students can continue to feel the joy of ballet through hybrid learning while keeping themselves safe.  

One of his students said that the ballet learning experience through hybrid learning has been even more interesting as the teacher comes up with creative ways to help the students improve their dancing skills.

After Tsinghua implemented epidemic prevention and control measures, there have been some adjustments to campus life. But learning at Tsinghua continues with the same rigor and spirit as before.

By Guo Lili, Sangeet