Emergency help ‘vital’ for dancers during pandemic
DOZENS of professional dancers, dance teachers and dance companies in Devon and Cornwall had to receive emergency help during the coronavirus lockdown, a study has found.
A 29-page evaluation of the region’s dance scene, by Peninsula Dance Partnership (PDP), found that 154 freelance dance practitioners and 23 companies had much of their work curtailed or cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic when restrictions prevented dance schools and studios from opening.
Many had to apply for grants and other forms of assistance to keep operating, but a further survey, by Plymouth Dance, revealed that many professionals had been able to “pivot” their business and offer classes and tuition online, while dance continued as an important way of supporting wellbeing, despite anti-Covid restrictions.
The Peninsula Dance Partnership Evaluation revealed 77 individuals and 10 dance companies received support, with about £35,000 paid out in 124 “opportunities” including Dance Card bursaries, business coaching, event support, online events, and Kickstarter Choreographic bursaries.
More than 100 bursaries were paid, with only 17 applications unsuccessful and help also went to five private dance school teachers and 22 practitioners who were not known to PDP or included in its original list of 154.
Peninsula Dance Partnership is made up of partners from Hall for Cornwall, Dance in Devon and Plymouth Dance, which was set up in 2007 as the dance development organisation for Plymouth and works with Plymouth City Council, Plymouth Theatre Royal and the University of Plymouth.
June Gamble, coordinating producer at Plymouth Dance, said: “We have supported professional dance practitioners through the PDP. It has emergency funds from Arts Council England so we have been able to support 77 dance practitioners across Devon, Cornwall and Plymouth, including offering bursaries to convert to digital. And we are offering business coaching.”
She said many practitioners and teachers had been able to shift to an online offer, or a “new normal” of “blended” digital sessions with live sessions.
“You can now take a class, as a dancer, anywhere in the world, you couldn’t do that pre-Covid,” she said.
Kaitlin Howlett, who co-collated the PDP Evaluation, said: “We saw a flurry of activity online. There were thousands of people using dance in different ways.”
The evaluation found there had been “great value” in the support they received – and it needs to continue .