The COVID-19 pandemic upended the lives of all people across the world. As everything shut down, people lost the ability to do social activities and keep up with their physical health in the same way they once did. Dancers were no exception. But was it all bad? What did it teach us?

The Challenges
I remember the eerie, uncertain feeling I got when we first got the shelter-in-place order in Dallas County, Texas. As scary as it seemed, it was just for two weeks, right? Well, we all know how that went! I was, as many dancers probably were, unsure if I would be able to continue taking dance classes or when I would perform again. Luckily, I was still able to take my kathak classes via zoom, though there were no performances in the foreseeable future. I had a day job, but many dancers and dance teachers I know did not. They were totally out of work from the beginning. I held onto my job until I was finally laid off a few months after that initial lockdown.

The Good
With all the free time, I decided to practice dancing a lot more (among other hobbies, such as gardening and bird watching, which I had always wished for more time to do). I took some private raqs sharqi lessons with Vanessa of Cairo, which were phenomenal! As time went on, many dance teachers from around the world started holding online workshops and ongoing classes. Some even offered scholarships for those who had lost their jobs, making it possible for me to keep learning even after being laid off. I am forever grateful to these teachers for their generosity. Many of those who began teaching online were teachers I had always dreamt of learning from, but I hadn’t had a chance to go to Egypt, Turkey, Tahiti, South Africa, or various parts of Europe to learn from them (not to mention California, where many amazing ‘ori Tahiti teachers reside). Of course I was going to take as many of these classes as I could! For a while, it seemed like I was in a special workshop at least once per week. It was amazing! I learned so much more in a few months than I could have ever learned before the pandemic, all thanks to everyone’s need to find a way to stay afloat financially and mentally during one of the most challenging times in all of our lives. I would say that the extensive use of Zoom to reach students like me all across the world was a great outcome.
It was, in fact, almost too good. I started to experience a bit of burn-out after several months of taking ALL of the classes. While I did continue to take some, I did start to slow down a bit a few months into 2021. Luckily, that’s when things started changing. Once restrictions started lifting and gatherings were allowed, many teachers returned to teaching exclusively in person. Events started coming back to life as well, meaning many dancers could get back to performing. That was right when I started my dance business, and it was an interesting start! I continue to take online workshops even now, though definitely not as often. The one good residual effect of the pandemic, for me, is that I can still learn from someone all the way in Tahiti from my living room in Rhode Island, USA. Of course, I will travel there and to many other places when I’m able. Nothing compares to learning in-person! Until then, however, I am grateful to have another way to learn.
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What Did the Pandemic Teach Us as Dancers?
In the end, aside from dance moves, life during the pandemic either sharpened or taught us several skills.

1. How easy it can be to connect with people across borders
2. New ways to keep ourselves physically and mentally active
3. How to better listen to and support each other
4. That bonds we build and the sharing of the arts we love are more important that financial gain
5. Resourcefulness
6. Self-reflection and self-awareness
7. Our limits (and how too much of a good thing too fast can lead to burn-out)
8. How to use Zoom! :)

What would you add to this list? How did the pandemic affect your journey in dance (or any line of work)? I would love to know if you were able to find “the good” like I was!

Teoana Performing Arts LLC was founded by me in May of 2021. It has been a little over a year, and this summer (2022) was my first real dive into working for myself. I had quite the busy luau season, which makes the months of hard work and learning how to run a business from-scratch all worth it.

Why Did I Start My Business?
In short, I started Teaona Performing Arts because I missed dancing. I have been dancing for 17 years now. I started taking my first hula and first raqs sharqi (belly dance) class as a teen in 2005, and I was hooked from the first day. Just a couple of years later, I started learning Tahitian dance and a little bit of Indian dance as well (Bollywood). I have moved several times since then, and wherever I went, I was able to find dance communities in which I would find many people with similar interests. I found Kathak (a classical form of Indian dance), which was so amazing to learn. I even was able to join dance troupes, which showed me what it’s like to work as a professional dancer. I loved it!
It wasn’t until I moved to Rhode Island that I found myself feeling more lonely in that regard. It is a small state, and there isn’t an abundance of interest in cultural dance. There is a bit of interest, and I have met a few belly dancers, but it hasn’t been the same as Texas or Florida (granted, I did move here during a pandemic). There weren’t really many offerings as far as trying to join a troupe. I decided, therefore, to try to get back to dancing as a soloist. I want to make sure, most importantly, that I honor the cultures whose dances I am presenting. If I am in charge of what I do, it is a lot easier to do that. With that thought in mind, I got to work!

Why Focus on Polynesian Dance?
At first, I thought my main focus would be raqs sharqi. However, I suppose the universe had different plans. It was a lot more difficult than I anticipated to be hired as a belly dancer. I did get hired a few times, but not nearly as much as my peers. I like to think it’s not because I’m a terrible dancer, but it did take a toll on my confidence and even my love for the dance for a while. However, that’s a story for another time.

I didn’t have the same problem when it came to Polynesian dance. In fact, I never have. As of now, about 80% of gigs for which I’ve been hired have been hula shows. I took that as a sign of what should be my focus as I continue to grow my business. I am loving the decision! I am very passionate about Polynesian dance, and I believe my audiences and my students can see that. Ever since shifting my focus, I have been so much happier.

What’s Next?
Now that I have really been put to the test with such a busy season, I plan to stay the course! I am actively practicing and still taking workshops from very knowledgeable teachers straight from Tahiti. Learning from teachers from the source is so important, especially for a teacher who originates so far from that source. I plan to continue learning as much as I can, teaching my students as correctly as I can, and providing entertainment that is as authentic and true to the culture as I can make it. I will still practice raqs sharqi as well, and I will be glad to perform or teach it again, but my focus will remain on Polynesian dance.

For more information, please see the brief interview I did with GoSolo Magazine, here: https://gosolo.subkit.com/teaona-performing-arts/


Have you had a desire to start a business? What is holding you back? If you already have one, what urged you to get started? I would love to hear from you!