Dancers’ Paradise: Dancers get creative for income amid COVID-19 restrictions

Across the world, a ‘coronavirus attitude’ to find other means of stable income is emerging spontaneously and creatively, say some of Jamaica’s popular dance practitioners.

“With the limiting of gatherings in public spaces to 20 persons or less, we have to find other ways to host dance classes,” said Energy, a member of Chi Ching Ching’s Get There Squad.

Yesterday, he should have boarded a flight to Colombia, where the Rock Di World deejay would perform at the Jamming Festival.

“Instead, we jammed here in Jamaica and looking to online platforms to earn some cash,” Energy said.

Likewise, professional dancer Kimiko Miller, director of Versatile Ones, says she has already started discussions with persons overseas to find the best possible way to start a class online and manage it, payment included.

“It is going to be difficult. In Jamaica, we don’t necessarily use the payment platforms like PayPal, and for persons living overseas, especially in Europe where a large support comes from, to transfer money to an account here usually requires them to go into the banks,” Miller said.

CLIENTS ARE FROM OVERSEAS

She arrived home to Jamaica last Tuesday after her European tour came to a halt, but tourists are already requesting the date of the next class.

Miller, who is in self-quarantine, noted that the majority of her clients are from overseas.

“If they can’t come, I won’t be able to even pay the rent for my studio. But I do not plan to put anyone at risk … what I made in Europe will have to go to the bills until I figure something out,” she said.

Jevaughn ‘Pancho’ Williams said that the pandemic has affected dancers in many ways, but is adamant that they can’t host big workshops.

The Team Cautiion dancer said the gradual slowdown of the entertainment industry is forcing him to find innovative ways to earn money online, but he is not necessarily rejecting the opportunity to have a class.

“I don’t teach many classes but was to be part of a commercial – as a dancer and choreographer – which was postponed and will potentially not happen because the marketing campaign will change by time this blows over,” he said. “Now is the time for us to get familiarised with the payment platforms like PayPal and Cash App, so we can then create websites that people have to pay to access and effectively do our work and stay relevant,” he said.