Dance in the Age of Corona
With social distancing and self-quarantining in full effect in New York City, we are all discovering and rediscovering ways to keep ourselves sane and healthy while cooped up with roommates, partners, and children we never anticipated spending every waking moment with.
With everything in disruption, one of the biggest challenges is maintaining quality physical health. No chance of going to the gym right now, and even a walk around the neighborhood can bring more stress than it’s meant to relieve. All these hours of sitting in on Zoom meetings can take a toll on the body and mind. Yet, it’s not all doom and gloom. We can always dance!
Dance, and the music that accompanies it, has brought heightened pleasure, creaky floorboards notwithstanding, and is quickly becoming an important part of people’s quarantined lives. But what makes dance so significant?
Well, for one, you can dance just about anywhere. The kitchen, your bathroom sink, even the seat of your desk can become the hottest dance floor. There’s no need for a gym membership or class packs to boogie, which is encouraging in these uncertain economic times.
Studios and clubs are adapting, with 200+ person web calls filled with people jamming out to a living room DJ, no cover charge needed. Bars are livestreaming their dance playlists for people to enjoy in the privacy of their own homes. Now, people can finally wear their comfy sweatpants and have the whole dance floor to themselves.
Dance is also a great unifier. Dance is one of the most accessible forms of movement, and it is enjoyed, in some form, by most of the globe’s cultures. With the world entirely online, you can attend a party or a class in any time zone and still have a good time. There’s no need to worry about language barriers because the rhythm of a tempo transcends boundaries. And as for the perceived need to be a good dancer, New York City houses organizations such as Daybreaker, The Get Down, and Ecstatic Dance, which encourage movement without judgment. In our current collective isolation, dance is another reminder that humanity is in this pandemic together, getting through it one dance track at a time.
Which brings us to the music. Dance music, at its core, invites the body to move. (The science behind this can lead you on a deep wormhole, as it did for me while researching). The sonic patterns within music support synchronistic movement within the body and activate our brains. The neurotransmitters (endorphins, serotonin, oxytocin, dopamine) released through dance are important for stress and anxiety management, as well as keeping your muscles and organs functioning optimally. Moving to music is good, down to a neurological level, for your body and your mind. This might explain why humans have gathered throughout history to sing and to dance.
Song and dance have been intertwined ever since humanity developed the first drums. Rituals and ceremonies — from celebrating the harvest to commemorating a marriage — have always had singing, chanting, and dancing. Our bodies are hardwired to move to music, and we have come together time and again to do so. And it’s not just in times of celebration.
Whether in crisis or celebration, an answer has always been found in dance. Disco was a voice of the marginalized and of individual expression — bringing together people of all ages, races, genders, and backgrounds to get down together on the dance floor. African American dance has grown and evolved, often in response and resistance to the parameters placed upon the black community by the white culture of its time. The LGBTQ community has always had a connection to self-expression in dance, from the bar culture, to training professionally, to now virtually. Various Caribbean and Latin American dance forms are linked to certain musical genres, some of which emerged in reaction to political instability and colonization. Dance, and the music that inspires it, has often been a form of resistance and resilience.
Creators of music and dance constantly evolve and adapt to the times. If flamenco as a dance and musical form has seen civilizations rise and fall, dynasties change rule, industrialization, globalization, and the internet and still remains popular across the globe from El Salvador to Japan, then we have a shot to get through COVID-19 and whatever else might be thrown at us. Even today, viral TikTok videos are offering new dance moves to the latest top 40 pop hits. Tomorrow will surely look different, but there is nothing more human than expressing one’s self through sound and movement. No matter what happens in the world around us, we can find a way to keep moving at our own pace, even if it’s in our own apartments where no one is watching.
So, if you’re inspired to move, now’s your chance! Here are a list of resources for you to explore and get your dance on, in over a dozen styles, every day of the week. Have fun!
Some Places to Find Your Dance
Free, Donation-Based, or Reduced-Price Dance Classes
Dancing Alone Together: Dozens of dance classes in over 13 styles. Classes hosted on Instagram are mostly free or donation-based. Also hosts dance choreography challenges and prompts and has access to livestreamed dance events performed all over the globe.
Dances for a Variable Population: Modern Dance, Basic Fitness and MOVEMENT SPEAKS® classes for older adults of all ages and abilities
Gaga to the People/Gaga for Dancers: Open to all levels
Virtual Dance Parties
The Get Down: Come early for pre-party movement classes, stay for the live DJ sets and the closing meditation. Thursdays and Saturdays.
Daybreaker: Morning dance party to start the day with energy and intention.
FriYAY dance series: A quick 30-minute energizing jumpstart to the day.
— Brandon Rumaker
Brandon Rumaker is a writer, actor, and musician currently developing their first full-length stage comedy, “The Designer.” They facilitate the Artist Circle, a monthly gathering of artists and other creative professionals over good food and even better conversation. Upcoming events and random thoughts can be found on Instagram, @brandotheoriginal.
