It's been 2 months and 11 days since our last West Coast Swing class in Norwalk, CT. I have great compassion for friends who have lost their jobs or lost loved ones. For some, these past months have been traumatic. I feel very fortunate to have known a few people who recovered from COVID-19, and I feel lucky to have avoided any major possibilities for infection. I am looking forward to the day that we can all dance together again.
Reframing
During this time, I have attempted to reframe many challenges surrounding the coronavirus quarantine. During the first days of the quarantine, I had the opportunity (and the time) to watch all 15 hours of Wagner's 4-opera Ring Cycle. Recently, I have watched all the James Bond movies with Daniel Craig; and, now have started watching all the Bond films from the beginning of the series in 1962. I have also rediscovered my love for wrestling—my high school sport. Although I was an undefeated state champion in 1991, wrestling has been a difficult sport to find on television. Even in the Olympics, this original sport barely receives any televised moments. However, YouTube has been a trove of excellent footage. This top-level athleticism inspires me to stay in shape.
I have also spent a great deal of time shredding old files and revisiting past documents. I have spent excellent quality time with my daughter. I have found that I enjoy homeschooling a great deal, and I have truly appreciated the opportunities to help my daughter master her bike riding skills. Many of these moments with her would not have been possible if her school had been in regular session.
Connecting with the Dance Community
The quarantine has also given me an opportunity to connect with my dance community in a different way. I have really enjoyed the video socials that we have attended every Thursday night in lieu of our regular classes. I've been able to have engaging conversations using Zoom's multi-user platform. It has been especially fun to play West Coast Swing Bingo, too. Watching everyone familiarize themselves with names of moves while forgetting about the outside world has made it very rewarding.
The SwingShoes Task Force
During the last few weeks, I have realized that the country is starting to prepare for businesses to reopen. Although it may take a while before we are able to partner dance, there are many ways that we could re-enter the studio—especially if we start with solo dancing or West Coast Swing independent drills. In the spirit of being ahead of the curve, I have created The SwingShoes Task Force to help spearhead things to come. One of our highest priority tasks is creating safety measures for the dancers by ordering hand sanitizer and facemarks. We are also focused on creating social activities that help create social bonds off the dance floor. The coronavirus has been helpful in creating new ideas that will keep us dancing.
Wasting Away in Coronaville
The video posted above was an idea by Janice Frank. As we discussed our frustrations with staying at home, Janice was inspired to express some of the common feelings in the revised "Margaritaville" lyric, which became: "wasting away again in Coronaville." Within a few days, Janice had rewritten the entire song. We both thought that the song would be a moment of levity to the sacrifices that we have all made to reduce the effects of COVID-19.
