How the arts are surviving during COVID-19
Courtesy of Indie Gone Viral
When stay-home orders were put into effect across the country, the arts community was almost immediately shut down. Theaters closed, companies stopped performing and talk shows delayed taping. Almost everyone in the arts was not only out of a job, but unable to do what fulfills them and what fulfills the world.
However, artists soon discovered that with plenty of time on their hands and social media and other digitalization tools at their fingertips, they can share and create in a new way. Social media can get a bad reputation for cultivating negativity, but in the hands of the nation’s artists, it has become a platform of positivity, wellness and hope.
Almost immediately after the first few states went into lockdown, dance classes began appearing on Instagram Live. Many professional ballet dancers from multiple different companies, including American Ballet Theatre and New York City Ballet, continue to give free ballet classes every day on Instagram. Others in the dance community are doing the same. Modern dancers from Alvin Ailey and Hubbard Street dance companies are giving free classes on Instagram and on their websites. All different styles of dance like hip-hop, jazz and swing are being offered on multiple different social media and digital platforms.
Dancers aren’t the only ones taking this opportunity to provide education for others. Actors and singers, from television to Broadway, are offering masterclasses through Zoom and other video conferencing tools. Aspiring artists have the unique opportunity to take classes and even train privately with people that they wouldn’t normally be able to.
Talk shows and late-night shows have also been able to make a comeback. Many different shows like “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” and “The Ellen Show” have continued, some taping their show on set to an empty audience and others streaming from their own homes. Hosts continue to do interviews and performances through different video conferencing platforms. Actor John Krasinski even took it upon himself to create his own talk show, starting a YouTube channel titled “Some Good News” where he shares hopeful and uplifting stories or messages. He also conducts interviews with other well-known actors and citizens trying to bring good to the world.
Many companies are also finding ways for people to view art through different digital platforms. The Paul Taylor Dance Foundation is streaming different pre-recorded performances by the Paul Taylor Dance Company for people to view for free. Broadway HD is also granting people a seven-day trial to watch high quality Broadway shows for free before subscribing.
Artists all over the country are using social media to look out not only for each other, but for all of society. The arts are necessary during crises and artists are stepping up to the challenge. For some the arts may only bring entertainment, but for many it is much more – people need inspiration and hope to stay sane in this fearful time of monotony and containment. Artists are needed right now, and as always they are doing all they can to inspire and bring hope to the world.
