Dance: Moving Through the Pandemic

What did this pandemic take away from us? For me, it did not just take away my freedom to travel, see loved ones, and go out shopping or to the store. The pandemic took away my beloved passion and bond that I have been building for 13 years. It stole my ability to dance.

It took me a while to realize what that truly meant until my studio had its first dance class on Zoom. We had just finished a dance competition, Beyond The Stars, on March 7 and were preparing for another competition that was going to take place during the last week of March. However, the studio was forced to shut down due to the rising cases to spread safety and protection among all the dancers.

The transition was harder than you would think. I had minimal space to do the dance routines for the recital that was supposed to be in June of 2020. Staying inside the house for a longer period of time increased the temptation to eat unhealthy food and be lazy. My studio created fun and different challenges on social media platforms for the students to honor those who were and still are working hard in the medical field.

However, there was still something missing that could not be filled – the connection with my friends. As the months went on with minimal movement, wishing to return to our normal lives, and wishing to see our friends and loved ones, my studio was finally able to open its doors, even though it would not be the same way as before. It was weird but exciting to be back in the studio, even with the constant aroma of hand sanitizer, Lysol, and other cleaning products. We were still going to have our end of the year recital even if it became a Fall Festival. Gaining the ability to dance and have my passion back sparked that old fire within me to continue improving my skills through these hard times.

Currently, we are still up and running with all of my beloved teachers and classmates. I am grateful to have this opportunity to do what I love while remaining completely safe. Not everyone has had the chance to get something back that they have love and passion for. I wish everyone could. I hope that everyone can get up and move to not succumb to the laziness served with this pandemic. I also hope that everyone remains safe and healthy. Find something new to entice your boredom and it could become your new passion. Moving through the pandemic had a rough start, but as of now, it’s not as dreadful as it may seem.