2020 - a year of learning
Performing our covid spoof, Splendour - High Kix Productions Cabaret Soiree
December 31st.... It’s a time when I like to reflect on the year passed and set goals for the future - I must admit I feel quite emotional as I take a moment to review 2020; the highs and lows, the challenges and achievements and the fact that so much of 2020 was out of anyone's control. Mother Nature sent us a clear message demonstrating her power and pain with fires and heat, hail, and then the invisible threat no one was prepared for...
I started January with high hopes for our most successful year in business yet - it was the most organised I'd ever been (and that’s saying something cause I like being organised!). I had an incredible team lined up, dates all the way to December were locked in (& paid for), and our Squad teams were looking really strong. It felt like, after 6 years in business, all the pieces and long-term goals were taking shape.
In actual fact, 2020 was a reality check and a wake-up call - a reminder that nothing is forever - a reminder to make the most of every opportunity and not take things for granted. While some businesses thrived, mine was not one of them. As overheads continued regardless, we were lucky to even reopen & had we been based in Melbourne, I doubt we would have.
Many Dance studios didn't survive this year. The Arts/Dance community took a big hit - with no regulatory body to speak for us - not only did covid hit us hard, but the Government passed a bill to increase Arts and Communications degree fees by 113%. While you could look at it as flattering that these degrees will now cost as much as a medical degree (if we were seen as that important to society), the reality is, it was a low blow when the Industry was already hurting.
I continued to volunteer and support the dance community as Vice President of Ausdance ACT, my 7th year on the board. Thanks to covid19, Ausdance was brought back into the spotlight this year and I think in many ways the dance community has come together more than ever (a common enemy can do that I guess). I'm excited to see where things with Ausdance across Australia will go from here - I think the dance community is heading in the right direction; a positive, more supportive, inclusive path forward.
By midyear, the exhaustion from watching daily press conferences, then interpreting the regulations, applying them to my business, training staff, informing dance families, was real and draining. Just when we started to get a flow for things online (after creating a new website and learning how to code and upload over 500 videos that my staff recorded, and setting up zoom class schedules) we were thrust into a new direction again. Grateful to re-open and teach face-to-face once more (teaching dance via zoom, while possible, is less than ideal & zoom headaches are a real thing!), we pivoted and maneuvered over and over to follow the ever-changing rules so that we could continue to provide dance safely back in the classroom.
Filming our Dance movie - Tap Kix Cadettes on the NGA peninsula
Ironically, I had decided to scrap our midyear showcase and make a full studio dance Movie - ‘what a novelty this would be,’ I thought, excited to be trying something 'new' working in the film genre with our dancers. Little did I know my plan for something different was going to become the norm almost over night! Filming dance did lose some sparkle once we were all forced to rely so heavily on this medium, but in the end, we learnt a bunch of new skills, had fun and created our Bom Funk Dance Movie, Kaleidoscope of Colour. We even got to view it on the big screen at a cinema for something special and different. There were some definite pros in how smoothly filming days went but nothing compared to the magic of performing to a live audience.
Splendour - High Kix Productions Cabaret Soiree
With events being a part of my heart and soul - it’s no wonder that my 2020 highlight was producing and performing in our Cabaret Soiree, Splendour. The evening was magical and everything came together so well. Our new venue, The Abbey, was perfect for our dinner-show vision and working alongside colleague Amy Orman was inspiring, fun and refreshing. For context - Amy moved back from USA in 2019 after working as an actor, singer and dancer in New York and Chicago for 13 years. Most recently she was a singer in the Radio City Christmas Spectacular.) Our combined experiences in the professional world and teaching styles complimented each other and our cabaret vision for Canberra started to really take shape. The sell-out audience (filled to covid venue capacity) were excited to dress up and be entertained as much as we were excited to don fishnets & eye lashes once more. At the end of the day, nothing can beat feathers and fireworks!
To add to my highlight, the cabaret show I created for my Frou Frou to Fruition book launch with High Kix Productions was shortlisted as a finalist for the Australian Dance Awards in Outstanding Achievement in Commercial Dance, Musicals or Physical Theatre. For our little pro/am cabaret show with no funding or government support to be short-listed alongside the incredible Opera Australia for West Side Story, STRUT Dance for SUNSET (a Perth Festival co-commission) & The Farm for Throttle (commissioned by Bleach Festival, funded by Arts QLD) was such an unexpected honour.
Overall, in 2020 I enjoyed having entire weekends off from work, not realising until everything was cancelled just how many weekends I would usually 'give up' and spend at events. I am pleased that I also managed to catch up more regularly with old friends which I thoroughly enjoyed and spoke with family (often via zoom) more than I usually would have. As the world moved online, we were able to connect more and more. Live-streaming provided opportunities for my family to see performances that they would usually miss out on and I was able to watch students at dance competitions without having to spend my entire weekend at the venue. QR Codes (something I have used for several years) finally took off and people now not only know what I’ve been talking about but know how to use them!
Professional development continued to play an important role in my year. I completed my Youth Protection Advocates in Dance safety & wellness certification, updated my First aid/CPR and finally completed my Cert IV in Training and Assessment (my third attempt at finding time/energy to complete this dry course). I also completed a time management course, 'Guilt be Gone' determined to find a better work/life balance moving forward. I had an incredible opportunity to deliver a presentation to USA studio owners from the Gold Alliance, about running events during and after covid19. Having such different experiences to them, I found this a challenge to put together in a way that would be useful and informative.
Despite the challenges, we all learnt a new level of resilience and there’s much to be grateful for:
Bom Funk Faculty during shut-down
I'm grateful for those who supported Bom Funk this year especially those who remained with us during shut-down,
I'm grateful for those dancers who are passionate about dance; you inspired me & all your teachers everyday to keep going,
I'm grateful for my faculty ‘dream team’ who kept rolling with the constant changes, never complaining, always getting the job done with a smile & working so hard,
I'm grateful for those whose expectations of what my business could provide in 2020 remained realistic,
I'm grateful that my studio was still able to access Canberra's venues and more relaxed regulations for events and competitions,
I'm grateful for Netflix/Disney+ etc for providing me with far too many hours of entertainment, distraction, relaxation & inspiration this year,
I'm grateful for decent (by Australian standards) internet providing a means to connect us near and far,
I'm grateful for living in Australia during this pandemic in a house & yard with lots of space & with my husband & ‘fur kids’ who are always the best of company (sorry to those who had to suffer through home schooling),
I'm grateful for being able to take leave from my school teaching position. I don't know if I could have kept my business going this year as well as continue my school teaching duties,
I'm grateful for Job Keeper - while it pains me to say it, it did help. It provided numerous challenges but it gave me a guaranteed wage and that took away 1 less stress this year.
I’m grateful for my friends and confidants who supported me every step of the way through this year - you know who who you are - you each made a huge impact in my life this year and for this I am truly thankful.
Being 1km over the border into NSW was detrimental for my business this year - having to follow NSW directives when the closest city to us is Canberra. We take for granted the regional bubble and invisible border crossing we make regularly along with 25,000 people living in surrounding communities commuting into Canberra every day. Only in our last week of operation in 2020 were we allowed to have more than 20 students in our classrooms again in NSW dance studios and as I write this, one of my hard-working Squad teams who were heading to Adelaide in 10 days time for their first Nationals dance competition (giving them one big thing to look forward to and work towards this year) will likely have to cancel, because all NSW residents have just been banned from entering SA - living 1km away comes back into play yet again despite our region having no positive cases for months and despite sharing our postcode with some Canberra suburbs...
How far our studio is from the ACT/NSW border
I've learnt a lot this year. I've implemented change. I've refined processes. I've grown. I look overseas to the pain and suffering and my experiences this year seem trivial in comparison.
I hope the world will learn from this year and not just return to how things were. I think there’s opportunity here for us all to be better and do better.
Covid19 made me realise how essential our “non-essential” service is to so many children and families. Never again will we take for granted the chance to Dance!
When the clock strikes midnight tonight, 2021 holds no instant fix for the world. Covid19 and all the other things troubling us will not magically disappear overnight. My hope is that we can all find a way forward towards peace, tolerance, selflessness and better education & health.
Splendour cast - High Kix Productions 2020.