How the dance community is….

As dancers, we all know one of the biggest bonuses of starting your dancing journey is gaining a whole new family you didn’t know existed. The relationships that exist within the dance community have some of the strongest bonds out there and we’ve found this beautiful connection we have has only been strengthened during these tough times.

First, we of course have to send our biggest thank-you’s and virtual applause to all the dance teachers out there who have made the tricky and sudden jump to online teaching; we can only sympathise with just how difficult such a strange change must be for them. The classes our beloved teachers are continuing to provide really emphasise the perseverance and tenacity of the dancing community, as even when facing a pandemic we come together to practice and keep our passion alive. There are even some teachers that have truly gone above and beyond by setting up competitions for their students to keep them entertained, active and to keep their ambition thriving. There’s nothing that warms your heart quite like seeing your feed filled with students performing their own choreography and clearly enjoying every minute of having a reason to keep their enthusiasm for dance alive during this lockdown.

There are even some dancers out there who are using their personality and talents to provide invigorating Instagram-live dance sessions free of charge and open to everyone. If you’re looking for an account to follow to help you have fun and get active in your evenings @sitdownaj on instagram is a Pineapple Dance Studios instructor who is providing the positive dance energy a lot of us are missing right now in abundance. There are definitely some members of the Diva team who have been very grateful for this inspiration and companionship in letting loose in their daily lives.

It’s been clear to see that social media is playing a big part of how the dance community is surviving and thriving throughout these isolated times and we have to admit we’re infinitely grateful for how it’s helping our dance family stay connected. Ranging from insta-story bingo to something as simple as our class group chats, every dance-based interaction we have strengthens our bonds and proves that our connection runs deeper than some people might expect. The sense of community we create through making our personalised bingo grids with our class inside jokes and the memes we send to our group chats is truly one to be envied by those who aren’t lucky enough to be a part of our wonderful dance community. 

The message we’re choosing to take form this pandemic is that the dance community is more genuine and strong than even we dancers truly realised before, but it’s certainly something we’ll never take for granted again.