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  0000-04-24

  Finding Inspiration in Community While Apart

  At the beginning of March 2020, everything was going wonderfully for me personally, but also within my dance community. I grew up training intensely in several different styles of dance. But after three years of focusing my training specifically on Hip Hop, I had grown tremendously, developed stronger confidence in myself and a trust in my body, was engaging more actively in the overall Arizona Hip Hop community, and was on track to become President of my team for the upcoming school year. I had also organized a trip out of town with my team and a showcase to be held at the end of the year at a beautiful venue. However, as COVID-19 struck, all off those plans for the team, as well as all our weekly classes, practices and rehearsals were cancelled. Suddenly my most effective social, physical, and mental outlets were no longer available. I was going through my own significant struggles because of the pandemic, but I also became worried about what these changes would mean for the relationships and dance lives of everyone on my team. However, as true athletes and artists do, we found a way to reinvigorate ourselves and be there for each other. We decided to meet over zoom at least once a week to check in, talk about our experiences, and most importantly, find a way to dance together, remotely. . I was given the unique opportunity to listen and understand how collective times of crisis had affected my friends of various faiths and identities. The zoom call pictured is one where several of us met virtually to learn choreography from one of our teammates. This choreography would later be filmed in our individual locations and cut together to create a cohesive video. Throughout the pandemic, I have heard countless stories of creative people who lost their drive and inspiration in stress and defeat. However, I have also read and lived the stories of adjustment and perseverance. Being part of a community, whether it be rooted in art, academia, or religion, drives individuals to contribute. The dance community specifically has been devastated through lack of space to gather, learn, and perform. But it has also learned to utilize technology and been reminded of what we had taken for granted.