As we are all very aware, we are living in uncertain times. COVID-19 has changed our day to day life. Among so many things that we’ve had to modify, sports is a big one. For a lot of us this is a crucial part of our lives. 

We wanted to understand how this would affect dance and the dance team. We reached out to Coach Pope (Mrs. Pope) to learn first hand what changes will be taking place to make sure our students/ athletes feel as safe as possible.

What precautions are you doing to prevent COVID 19?

“Dance Team will be wearing Masks during practices as will all the coaching staff.  All dancers will be required to bring their own water bottle and all water fountains will be closed. The room will be cleaned after every practice and dancers will be socially spaced out accordingly.”

What can we look forward to seeing from our dance team?

“New faces! We have 8 new members joining the team this year and they are all so excited to perform for the Green Level Community. Our dance team will continue to perform high energy dances that engage the audience and student sections (even if they are watching the games from home).”

Are you excited for the upcoming season?

“Yes, I am very excited for the upcoming season. I am excited to meet in person my new members and reconnect with the returners. We have had virtual hangouts, but there is just something about being in a room dancing together that builds community. While I am extremely excited, I will always be cautious and my first priority will be maintaining everyone’s safety.” 

How has COVID 19 affected dance?

“I think a lot of people have clung to dance as an outlet through this time. The main thing that COVID 19 has changed is how we dance. We currently can’t partner or have any physical lifting/touching right now. We also are all much better about learning via video. During my classes and many studio’s classes we have multiple cameras set up to differentiate between right and left and we as teachers use the grid view to see as many students at once.” 

Do you plan on competing this year?

“We do not plan on competing this year, however our original plan has us competing next year. We are still growing as a school and I would like a full team of Freshmen-Seniors before entering competition. Dance competitions are all about connections between the dancers and I want to foster that as long as I can before competing.”

We are very appreciative of the massive effort that our school staff has put into making sure that all the students can participate as much and as safe as possible during this troubling times. It might not be back to normal yet but at least we have the opportunity to start our sports even if this means we have to do it in a new way and see it as our new normal.