I went to Dance Church, a live-stream movement class where thousands of people dance alone together, and it was the most liberating hour of my life during the coronavirus social-distancing

• Dance Church Go is the virtual version of Dance Church — an open-format dance class designed to be inclusive that is typically available in New York, Seattle, Portland, Indianapolis, Salt Lake City, and Los Angeles.
• In light of the coronavirus pandemic, Dance Church Go is a live-streaming donation-based dance class that takes place on the Dance Church website on Sundays and Wednesdays.
• Kate Wallich, the founder of Dance Church, told Business Insider that Dance Chuch Go has had an average of almost 4,000 participants in each class.
• I love dancing, but I've never been good at it. While I took this class with the hopes of brushing up my skills, it instead boosted my confidence as an awkward dancer and made me feel less alone while social distancing.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

When I hear music I have to dance.

Whether I'm walking down the street, working in the office, or hanging out with friends, when I hear music, I can't help but move.

Equally true — I'm a terrible dancer. I'm awkward and I move to the beat in ways that don't look cool to others, so they tell me.

While I thought this remote Dance Church class would be helpful in teaching me to dance like a pro the next time I'm out at a club, whenever that may be, it instead helped me embrace my roots as an awkward dancer and feel less alone during this time when I can't dance with my friends, or at least in front of them.

Kate Wallich, the founder of Dance Church, told Business Insider that when in-person classes were canceled, instructors formalized a small quarantine group. The group consists of all the people involved in making the class happen, and they isolate from everyone else outside the group.

"We have been following the governmental guidance from Washington State," Wallich said. "Artists streaming to their communities are classified as essential."

They have been staying six feet apart by marking the dance floor with spots for each person.

Here's how Dance Church liberated me amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Going into it, I knew I'd have fun because I love dancing, but I didn't realize how connected it would make me feel.

I picked up a couple of new moves.      Joey Hadden/Business Insider

"Dance is how I've gotten to know myself," House told Business Insider. "It's inspiring to me now more than ever as a tool to process emotion, thoughts, and the unknown."

House guiding the class.      Joey Hadden/Business Insider

Towards the end of class, the vibe shifted from the club to a dream, and the music shifted from high-energy to softer, melodic dance music. This was a relaxing way to end class.

The class in a relaxed state.      Joey Hadden/Business Insider

Jams from Usher to Beyoncé brought the club vibe straight to my bedroom.

I danced to Usher and Beyoncé.      Joey Hadden/Business Insider

The music in Dance Church was popping, to say the least.

I enjoyed the music.      Joey Hadden/Business Insider

One thing you can only do in the virtual version of Dance Church is dance like no one is watching, literally.

I danced alone in my bedroom.      Joey Hadden/Business Insider

During class, I thought about my favorite memories of singing and dancing with my friends and family at bars and concerts. Revisiting these gave me a warm feeling and made me feel less alone.

I danced in my bedroom.      Joey Hadden/Business Insider

I could feel it in my room too. Perhaps the most liberating thing about Dance Church is the thought that thousands of other people around the world are jamming to the same tunes as you at this very moment.

I danced alone.      Joey Hadden/Business Insider

"Thousands of people are on the other side of the camera dancing with me live," House continued. "They are choosing dance during this time. I can feel that energetically in the room."

I looked to House for inspiration for new moves.      Joey Hadden/Business Insider

Except everyone is not in the room. Classes were moved online in light of the pandemic. House told Business Insider that he misses people. "Teaching Dance Church to a camera is unlike anything else," House said.

House instructing and motivating the class.      Joey Hadden/Business Insider

"Everyone in the room processes in their own way and as the teacher I get excited by our differences," House told Business Insider of the class.

I looked to House for inspiration when my dancing became repetitive.      Joey Hadden/Business Insider

Rather than performing a series of specific moves to imitate, House guided the class audibly by calling out specific parts of our bodies to dance with, from our hands to our toes.

I followed along with House.      Joey Hadden/Business Insider

In terms of actual dancing, House felt more like a guide than an instructor.

House guided the class.      Joey Hadden/Business Insider

There is no front of the class. There is no talking, but singing is encouraged.

I danced in all different directions.      Joey Hadden/Business Insider

Then, it was time to begin. The live-stream started at 12 p.m. with instructor Thomas House, who let us know some of the class rules.

Thomas House instructed the class.      Joey Hadden/Business Insider

I went with an outfit I knew could keep me feeling limber and confident — a comfy T-shirt, shorts, and sneakers — all in orange, my favorite color.

I wore all orange.      Joey Hadden/Business Insider

If I were in a shared space, I would have used headphones, but I wanted to recreate the club experience as much as possible.

I used a speaker to blast music.      Joey Hadden/Business Insider

Then, I hooked up my laptop to a speaker via Bluetooth so that I could blast the music.

The class was streaming live.      Joey Hadden/Business Insider

To prepare my room for Dance Church, I pushed all my furniture to the walls for as much dance space as possible.

I danced in my bedroom.      Joey Hadden/Business Insider