A Pandemic Applause

A Pandemic Applause, 

Starting 2020 there was so much ambition and excitement for what was ahead, I was 6 months into a UK and International tour. 

The 17th of March 2020 was the “point of no return” having the tour completely canceled and my contract terminated was inevitable. I felt such a mix of emotions but mostly “panic”. 

Being a female dancer in your late twenties, time is never on your side!

With no date or plan of how or when we could return, I took a journey to Eastern Europe.

I commenced work in Poland on the 13th of September 2020. I felt so fortunate to be moving in a big studio and to be physically exhausted from rehearsals. At this point we were rehearsing in a Covid secure environment. Masks on, social distancing and hand sanitiser stations all over the building. 

We were rehearsing an Operetta which was due to open in 2 weeks! The rehearsals were intense because of the new joiners to the company it needed to be completely restaged. It was a beautiful piece to perform, Die Fledermaus composed by Johann Strauss II. We had 2 weeks to get it on stage, I was so excited to be physically on stage again, the lights, the adrenaline the sense of live theater it was this moment that kept me going throughout lockdown and that moment was two weeks away and I was so ready for a positive out of 2020.   

As we all learnt in 2020 things don't go to plan! Sadly the day before opening night we had a confirmed Covid case amongst us and the shows got canceled.   

This cycle continued for weeks “rehearsing excitement then confirmed cases”. 

I have to be honest and say I still can't believe it actually happened but I performed to a live audience in October 2020. 

25th of October we made it on stage. The excitement amongst the company was incredible to actually think we made this possible, but the sad reality that no one really mentally prepared us for was the sound of the applause at the end. From fully packed theaters in Sadler's Wells to less than 20 people in a 1000 seat theater is a noise that actually is haunting and so unsatisfying. 

An applause is an approval or praise expressed by clapping. As a performer the applause is what you crave, its the gratification of all the hours in the studio, the recognition of the hard work and sacrifice that goes into the Performing Arts. 

As I stepped off stage from the final bows I was overcome with such awareness of the impact this global pandemic has had on live theater. I know I am in such a fortunate position to have made it onstage in 2020 but there is so much meaning and importance in the art of live theater. 

Theater gives people hope and a way to escape from their daily lives to be transported to a different time, to be lost in a story or to be amazed at the talent that is standing before them. 

This echoing sound of less than 20 people clapping bouncing off the empty seats in the auditorium is something I will never forget. 

Later that week all theaters in the country were banned from performing to live audiences for the rest of the year. 

We continued to work rehearsing the scheduled shows so we could still be paid. Rehearsing hard and getting pieces show ready and never actually taking them to the stage was mentally really draining. To keep motivated and not get caught up in the “but we are not actually doing it” mentality was a job in itself.   

Im am writing my first blog post today with the news that in two weeks theaters are opening for a trial with 50% attendance and the beautiful operetta is due to be our first piece back on stage. 

I have everything crossed and hope that it will actually go ahead. 

I know 50% is still so little compared to pre pandemic but it's a step closer to a world with sold out shows and people on their feet applauding loud and proud! To all the live theater performers out there, never lose hope, what we do is so special and it makes us who we are!