I think I can safely say for everyone that this year is not going well in fact I think we should all just call it a write off and skip ahead to 2021. I’m just kidding of course but it’s an interesting thought, what if we could put the world in fast forward and press stop when COVID-19 has put itself to bed. But since we aren’t able to do that what are we going to do instead?
If you’re like me you probably had a lot of goals for 2020, and I do mean A Lot. You’re probably feeling pretty crushed about this whole thing, I know that I am. All we can do now is deal with the hand that we’ve been dealt, and speaking of hands, have you washed yours recently? This is an unprecedented time that we are in now so it’s okay for us to change the way we look at our days. Some people are going to be super productive and on the ball getting things done and others will want nothing more than to just lie at home. Both sides are valid; everybody will cope differently with change and being in lockdown in the middle of a pandemic. You have to deal with things one day at a time and take it at your own pace.
But maybe if you’re one of those people who had a lot of goals and still want to get things done but not sure where to start or what to do. Look at the goals that you did have planned for this year, some of them might still be achievable from home.
For the ballet dancers in the room it gets a little tricky since we definitely aren’t able to work from home in the sense of rehearsing for performances or anything, but you can still do a daily class or workout. I am lucky enough that my company are able to do Zoom online classes so that we all still see each other and have a set class. It’s difficult because most people don’t have a home studio so you have to make do in the space you can find or modify some exercises if the floor is too hard. If you don’t have this option available with the people you normally train with most of the major ballet companies are also offering online classes as way to help support them during these times. Do class in socks or pyjamas, whatever makes you happy, because it’s not about having the flashiest technique, the most important thing is to still be doing some form of ballet to keep your muscles working the way they should be.
In saying that you can also take this time to work on skills you’ve always wanted to learn or improve. Maybe you’ve always wanted to be able to do a handstand or you bought a guitar four years ago but never actually learned to play, or maybe you want to learn a new language. Maybe there’s a video game you really want to beat or a book you really want to read, it’s up to you. Whatever you want to do that makes you happy; the world is your oyster. Just so long as it’s from the comfort of your own home that is. And hey, if you ever wanted to do something crazy to your hair but always worried it would look bad now is the time to do it, because let’s face it, only the people who live with you will see it!
And during these difficult times let’s all put a little more love out there
Elizabeth Renee xx