2 minute read
The Show Must Go On! Lessons Learned When the Lights Go Dim
by Expert Contributor Sheila Turner, Owner of From the Top Dance
From drive-by birthday parties, mock graduation ceremonies and virtual happy hours, communities across the globe are proving that as time goes by, they’re not letting this pandemic rain on their parades. When folks were initially told to stay home for two weeks, that seemed feasible because it wouldn’t have too much of an impact on our lives. So everything shut down. But as two weeks turned into three then four, with no end in sight, administrators, students, parents, business owners and employees began searching for ways to move forward while hunkered down.
The dance community has certainly suffered tremendously, not just in the loss of revenue but also in the loss of the personal connections that makes a dance studio come alive. In an effort to keep those relationships strong, classes moved to the virtual world and we all started dancing at home. Teachers had to completely change the format of their classes and get super-creative amid household distractions. Parents have had to manage logins and technical difficulties. And students have had to connect with their classmates through only a small computer screen.
While it certainly doesn’t look the same and it doesn’t feel quite the same, digital dance classes do offer a sense of normalcy, familiarity and connection that students desperately need. Much talk these days is centered around both physical and mental health during a crisis, and for good reason. Christina Donaldson, a clinical psychologist who serves on the advisory board of Youth Protection Advocates in Dance, says that “Dance classes in any form are about more than learning technique– they offer community. Kids are actually getting more from these virtual classes on a mental and emotional level.”
Furthermore, by showing dancers that we can switch things up and adapt to our new normal, we’re teaching them a valuable lesson on how to be resilient. According to Merriam-Webster, resilience is “an ability to recover from or adjust easily to misfortune or change.” Kids notice how their teachers and mentors handle adversity, and if change is modeled for them with compassion and understanding, such behavior will become a lasting memory and valuable resource for them in the future.
There is hope that soon will come a day when we will again turn on the lights, raise the curtain and perform for a packed house. Until then, we stay safe, healthy and connected the best we possibly can!
610-353-2623
www.FromTheTopDance.com
3603 Chapel Road, Newtown Square
Ages: Junior High & High School
Dance Style: Urban, Commercial. Street Audition is required.
Interested dancers email: dance@fromthetoponline.com with the Subject Line: “Dance Crew”
