NPR: It's pretty obvious by now what it takes for workplaces to open safely - obvious, even if it's hard. Can desks be spread out, surfaces kept clean? Can you avoid big crowds at the elevator? How's the ventilation? Well, if you work as a dancer, the questions get harder. WFPL's Stephanie Wolf reports on how Louisville Ballet is preparing for the fall.
2 comments:
Being human means that you have the ability to adapt to new situations. I believe that this return to work is, unfortunately, undetermined. Although they have made changes to their program, it seems as if there is merely anecdotal evidence that their changes can prevent the spread of COVID-19 and no hard proof.
The article also mentions that some black dancers are scared to go back as they are afraid that their industry has not changed enough. They also specifically point out that the ballet studio Louisville only has one black ballet dancer which they are working to change through standard diversity hiring practices. I personally believe that there could be more radical and new ideas to promote diversity in dance and in the fine arts community as a whole. One that I might prepose is for these professional studios to donate money to schools serving underprivileged neighborhoods and offer reduced price or free workshops and shows in their area.
There is a certain element of trial and error involved with adapting to the pandemic. For many people, including dancers however, the error involved can be deadly dangerous. I feel that it is important to weigh the pros and cons of returning to work and to optimize it in the best way possible to ensure the safety of dancers. The article quoted a dancer who stated that they were scared that they would be taken advantage of just because they were grateful they were still employed. There is a deeper underlying issue of lack of diversity in ballet, especially with Black dancers. The program mentioned in the article had one Black dancer, who had started an initiative to address the many inequalities. However, this shouldn't be the dancer's responsibility, it should be the institutions. I believe that if institutions can adapt to a global pandemic they should be able and willing to adapt to create a more diverse and accepting dance environment.
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