Dance Studios Endure In Spite of Pandemic
COVID-19 has affected small businesses and fitness centers across the world. Private dance studios, falling under the category of both a small business and a fitness center, have been forced to change the way they do things during the whirlwind of the pandemic.
The CDC, along with the state of Massachusetts has given guidance and put restrictions on what businesses and fitness centers are allowed to do, and what they need to implement to keep visitors to their facilities safe. This includes using face coverings at most times, implementing physical barriers, 6ft of distance between patrons, and disinfecting between classes. Dance studios will be required to implement these safety measures for the foreseeable future.
The International Association for Dance Medicine and Science (IADMS) encourages dancers to look at this time as an opportunity to connect as a community of dancers and promote safe and healthy dance environments.
“Few of us were prepared for the rapid changes, technological demands, and adaptability required to shift our teaching and business models,” said IADMS member Karen Sudds in a recent post on the subject. “However, as artists and innovators, the dance community has risen to the challenge with creative and collaborative solutions.”
The use of masks in all physical activities have become required recently in many places, and this is no different for dance studios. What is different is the use of an indoor rehearsal space, rather than the outdoor practice space that many other sports utilize.
The Dance USA Task Force on Dancer Health gave some information regarding the use of masks in the studio on their website, saying it may be more difficult for dancers to breathe while dancing with a mask on and they should self-monitor for “light-headedness, dizziness, numbness or tingling, and shortness of breath.” The task force also says that dancers will adapt to wearing a mask over a few weeks of exercising with it on and any difficulties experienced should lessen with time.
It can be difficult to keep a positive outlook when the changes being made to the dance environment are so distinct from the environment before the pandemic hit last spring. Those in the dance community have been vocal about the difficult changes being made and how this may affect dancers while participating in the sport and art they love.
“Things are definitely more difficult since we’ve had to make quite a few changes to the way we do things while rehearsing,”said Kaylee Roy, ELHS junior and dancer at Academy of Dance in East Longmeadow. “It’s like you have to be cautious about everything, and I think everyone is dealing with that in some way. Some things are just not the same and can’t be right now.”
It’s clear that dancers are noticing that things have changed and some changes can be upsetting, or even inhibit the true joy of being in the studio and dancing with friends. However, many dancers have taken the advice of the IADMS and have stayed positive.
“Yes, it’s difficult, and things are changing, but I still get to be in the studio, moving with other people that love to dance… so that’s good,” said ELHS junior and Hampden Performing Arts Center dancer, Abigail Devenitch. “As long as we’re staying positive, I think we’ll be fine.”
