Dear friends,
I hope you are keeping well and
adapting to the strange world we find ourselves in. I wanted
to provide you with an update regarding DanceEast. I am sorry this
has taken me so long - however, as I am sure you can imagine, it has been
an incredibly hectic period trying to reorientate the organisation to
adapt to these extraordinary circumstances.
Firstly, I have to say, I have been
overwhelmed by the many kind messages and practical support we have received
and on behalf of the entire DanceEast team, I'd like to thank you for
your kindness and generosity. Whilst it is undoubtedly going to be a long and
hard road to recovery for us, I am confident that with your continued
support, we will emerge from this situation with a new level of confidence and
determination.
Your health and wellbeing, along
with that of our staff and volunteers, is paramount and
so regrettably the doors to the Jerwood DanceHouse will remain closed
for the time being. Consequently, as many of you are aware, we are embracing
this new virtual dance world.
We've created a programme of free
online dance classes, Home is Where the Dance is, which in the first week of going live
received more than 2,500 views. Do have a look if you haven''t
already, there is a range of classes for all ages and abilities - so why
not pick up again with your favourite class, or use the opportunity for you and
your family to try something new?
Our online dance activities also
extend to the DanceEast Centre for Advanced training (CAT) programme (offering
pre-vocational dance training for those aged 10-18 years) - we are
delighted to
be able to share that all our students are still dancing!
Auditions for new entrants to this programme will take place virtually
during the summer, enabling young people from across the East of England safe
access and support in developing their talent.
Whilst the current situation is
undoubtedly challenging, it is also helping us to think creatively and
find new ways to support artists to develop and share their work. We have
created a new blog series Ten Minutes with.... In addition, we are using our social media
platforms to share and signpost you to some great initiatives broadcasting
digital dance content. There are also new plans in gestation - so
please watch this space for some exciting announcements!
As you can imagine, finance is a
key concern, the loss of nearly all our earned income is significant and will
have a profound impact on the organisation going forward. We have however,
honoured contracts and are continuing to pay our freelance dance artists. To
achieve this, we have furloughed many staff and made a number of savings across
the organisation. Unfortunately, more help will be required to see us through
and there has never been a time when we have needed and appreciated your
support more. I do understand that this is a difficult moment for
everybody, however, please if you can, support us by donating today
to Dance in Perpetuity to ensure that the
investment we have all made in this fantastic enterprise is not lost for future
generations.
We will keep you informed as our
situation changes, but for now please keep a close eye on our website and
social media channels for more exciting dance opportunities.
Thank you again for your generosity
and overwhelming kindness. I very much look forward to the time
when we can welcome you back into the Jerwood DanceHouse.
In the meantime - please take
care and stay well,