The only news topic in the world right now is COVID-19 and its effects on our daily life. It has hit the population extremely hard and the ballet industry is no exception. With companies and schools canceling performances and closing their doors for the next few weeks, the physical, mental and financial repercussions for everyone are eminent. We are confident that you know the safety precautions for helping minimize the spread of infection. But as dancers there are more things we can do to stay happy and healthy. Here are some tips on how to stay positive and proactive during this dire time.
1) No Better Time To Take Your Vitamins & Continue Your Healthy Habits.
Though it might be tempting to sleep half the day away and sit on the sofa with a carton of ice cream while not having any set schedule, you want to try to stick to as normal as a routine as possible. This will help ease the transition when everything starts up again, as well as keep you more physically healthy against fighting disease. So make sure to get enough rest (8-9 hours of sleep) eat your vegetables, and take your supplements, especially immune-boosting vitamins like zinc, vitamin C & D and magnesium. And don’t forget to stay well hydrated.
2) Keep Your Stamina Up With Cross-Training.
Coming back to dance after an extended period of time off is always difficult, so when possible it’s a great idea to cross-train to keep muscles and lungs strong. Netflix and YouTube offer tons of prerecorded Pilates and Yoga classes, as well as other high-intensity workouts. You don’t need a gym to get your cardio in either; take a walk or jog, ride your bike or even a series of jumping jacks in your living room will keep your heart moving and endorphins flowing.
3) Try Not To Let The Outside Stress Affect Your Mental Health.
We know it’s easy to get sucked into all the news and social media surrounding the virus. Though it is important to stay up to date and informed on the situation, try not to let it become a 24/7 stress fest. Use this free time wisely to explore other healthy interests or learn a new skill. There are a wealth of online classes that can teach you to cook, draw, knit, etc, or catch up on that reading list or the journaling you’ve been putting off. Keeping your mind active with other things will help to keep the stress at bay. Also, check out a guided meditation app to help find peace from within. If all the anxiety and stress has really got you down, there are even online therapists and sessions you can schedule to talk through it with a professional. We know the thoughts of not dancing for an extended period of time and how this will affect your summer intensive, company, and competitions are daunting. But please know we are all in this together and can use our art form as a way to help bring some beauty and inspiration into this world when it is most needed!
4) Stay Active With VVBS
We will be offering a variety of digital ballet classes to keep the dance community active throughout the course of this pandemic. We have individual classes, small group classes, mentoring sessions, and even FREE live classes through Instagram. To learn more about what VVBS is doing to help the ballet community through this time, CLICK HERE or contact us by clicking the link below.
We are here to help. Stay safe ballet friends!