Katie Ging
As we weather the many challenges of 2020, re-affirming why we are passionate about dance has been our silver lining, especially here at the Berks Ballet Theatre Conservatory of Dance. Our ability to move, share space and listen to music with one another is precious, unique and should never be taken for granted. Dance is our human language and a gift to be celebrated, treasured and shared.
This devastating pandemic has brought many disheartening cancellations and an absence of familiar connections and routines. Paired with transitioning to safer, yet more sedentary lifestyles, our bodies crave exercise and expression to maintain both physical and mental health. Dance training offers a solution -- building strength, endurance, cardiovascular health, coordination, flexibility and a mind-body connection. Diving into dance develops full-body and sensory awareness, requiring a level of focus that instills an ability to be present in the moment so that we may better understand the world around us. Either safely in-person or through our screens, we breathe together, move together, connect to the same rhythms and melodies together, and meet challenges and achieve our goals together. We become more empowered as dancers and in our lives beyond the steps we perform. This is the nature of learning and growing through the physical art form of dance and why the tools it gives us will help us build a better future.
The importance of art in our lives could not be more apparent. Authenticity, entertainment and connection are needed now more than ever. Where there is division, the arts can unite us through our shared humanity. Beauty, joy, excitement, inspiration, humor, wonder and shared stories represented through art can help bridge the gap between our differences by pointing to our common threads. At Berks Ballet Theatre Conservatory of Dance, we are proud to nurture this generation of budding artists.
With more than 50 years of offering professional dance training in Berks County, we are passionate about sharing our love of dance and are proud of the ways we have amended our training opportunities to meet the present moment. In the spring, our Virtual Studio allowed us to stay connected and committed to making dance a part of our daily lives amidst shut-downs and uncertainty. Dancing safely in our homes, we learned how perseverance, dedication, flexibility, and creativity apply not just to dance-related principles, but to our mindsets as well. Now that we are back in our beautiful GoggleWorks Center for the Arts facility in Reading with our “Safer-Studio Practices” in place and offering both small group, private in-person and virtual training, we are able to meet students and parents at their personal comfort level while continuing to help dancers grow in both craft and artistry -- offering all bodies a creative outlet and space for the joy of moving. We invite you to join us.
Visit berksballettheatre.com and follow us on social media @berksballettheatre to discover the ways you can invite dance into yours or your child’s life in the 2020-2021 school year.
