Dancing through lockdown
ONLINE: JOBURG BALLET STUDIOS MEMBERS GOING THROUGH THEIR ROUTINES AT HOME
Company has enhanced presence on its social media platforms.
Senior Soloist ballet dancer Revil Yon seems to be one of those people who is always happy, greeting you enthusiastically at the door. As we met, he for a moment forgot that we are in the period of a pandemic and extended his hand, but quickly took it back remembering our new norm.
As he takes me through his home, a place where he now has to rehearse, you can tell that the weeks of lockdown have affected his spirit. Although still upbeat, one can tell that he is not his usual larger than life on-stage persona.
Far from the mirrored walls and sprawling space of the Joburg Ballet Studios, Yon now practices ballet in his bedroom. The space is very limited and his regular teacher Chase Bosch is teaching the daily class via video communication.
He uses his phone propped up on one of his trinkets on his bookshelf to watch his daily class.
Other dancers from the company are also in attendance on the small screen.
“It’s not the same,” he says. “There’s no opportunity for small talk anymore, we just get on with the class”.
The space is cramped and stretching can be a challenge, but Yon is a natural creative. He uses the burglar bars to hold on to, as you would the ballet “barre”. His desk, bed and bookshelf all serve as props to assist in his routine.
Every now and then the Wi-Fi cuts out and he misses a step, only to join back a few minutes later.
Yon started dancing at 14, late for a dancer, but has made up for it by achieving a senior soloist position in the company.
Far from his early dreams of being a lawyer, Yon now wants to travel as much as he can, firstly to his family who he hasn’t seen in ages, as being a full-time dancer comes “with a lot of sacrifices” .
He looks forward to returning to the studio, although unsure of how the new lifestyle changes will affect him, as his particular form of dance is always with a partner.
“I like sharing the moment with someone, but going back to the different rules may be a nightmare,” he says.
The new norm in lifestyle changes due to the pandemic has left him feeling uncertain but he does admit to new hope for the future.
As the country paddles through a variety of changes, the focus of Joburg Ballet’s activities has moved from the stage to online with an enhanced presence for the company on its social media platforms.
The projects they currently have in development include a choreographed response to the coronavirus, a series of soirées in the ballet studios later in the year, a ballet summer school at the end of the year and a season of The Nutcracker at a venue on a date to be announced. Guests are invited to participate in classes every Wednesday at a participation fee of R100 per class which goes towards helping support Joburg Ballet at a time when dancers are not earning an income from the box office.
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There’s no opportunity for small talk anymore. We just get on with the class.