Never would I have thought I’d be writing a post about this. With the world on lockdown due to the quickly spreading Coronavirus, it has been one of the strangest and scariest times any of us have experienced and it doesn’t seem to be changing any time soon.

❝The entertainment and theatre industry is taking a huge hit❞

It is causing us all to go through our own difficult times and creating a worrisome atmosphere of what is to come and the possible effects it will have on us all. We have all been advised to say indoors and avoid contact with others, not to mention the unfortunate people that are having to actually deal with the illness and lives being turned upside down because of it.

The entertainment and theatre industry is taking a huge hit, with performances being cancelled for weeks due to the crowds and dancers all over the world not being able to work for the foreseeable future.

As a dancer myself, who is writing to share my dance experiences and seeing as we are all at home needing to find our own source of entertainment to fill the days, I wanted to share with you, if you can find the time, what I and fellow dancers are doing to get through this time and to come out the other side as healthy as possible.

❝Something pretty amazing is happening within the dance community❞

It was at the end of last week when we were informed that our theatre in Salzburg would be closing for at least two weeks due to the virus. It was not long after that the government announced the city itself would be going into shutdown; taking the necessary precautions to keep us all as safe and healthy as possible.

And just like that, we could not work any more. We were not allowed to train in the studio or even be in the theatre. All shows were cancelled and the only option was to go home, leaving the dancers deflated and heavy-hearted. You may know that as a group, dancers are not the kind of people to give up and go home, we are constantly striving to keep the shows going so this was a situation where we literally didn’t know what to do with ourselves. And with is happening all over the world we are all now at home trying to find solutions to be able to stay in shape and motivated, not knowing when we can be back on stage working. It’s not like we can do home office…. or is it.

Something pretty amazing is happening within the dance community; something unique and could only have happened in a situation like this. Teachers and dancers are offering live video classes from their studios and homes for other dancers to take part and be able to feel like they can train and not be alone while doing it. Giving us all the motivation and discipline we might lack when home alone.

I find it amazing that we have all come together to help each other stay fit and entertained. We are all in the same boat so why not join together and do something we all love and are eager to keep up with. I think it is bringing a lot of joy to whoever takes part and is a great way to connect with people.

This whole experience is surreal but it can be a time we use wisely by doing the things we can never find the time to do, or trying out something new, like an online ballet class. I am a person who loves being at home so, for now, I am filling my days with things I love and getting in touch with people I love. I want to focus on some studying and maybe also try out a few online classes.

I am also trying to put life into perspective. Now that we have all been forced into a state of isolation I hope we realise how much we have and should want to treasure the little joys in life more. Right now we all wish life would go back to normal, wish we could get back to work. And yeah, maybe work is not too bad after all. Maybe we shouldn’t complain too much about the silly things while we have them.

We should also be kind and helpful in these times. Share and spread love in any way you can and don’t let the fear and the unknown create greed and loneliness. Do as us dancers are trying to do, share the things you love and keep each other smiling and dancing.

Stay safe and healthy,

Harriet