By: Maya Swanson

I don’t think any of us could have imagined how much Covid-19 would be affecting our lives. We are missing our friends, teachers, and our normal lives, as it all gone so quickly. The Coronavirus has taught me how fast everything can change and how nothing is guaranteed. 

Many people are missing out on some of the best moments of their lives due to being stuck at home and isolated from others. Everything has been put on hold and most likely our summers will be too. I am missing out on my annual Spring Gala, a performance we work all spring towards, at my ballet studio. I miss training with my friends every day after school and the weekend rehearsals, spending hours in the studio perfecting our routines for our performance. Not only did my spring season get canceled, my summer plans did too. This year I was going to be attending the Boston Ballet summer intensive for five weeks. I am no longer attending of course, due to the Coronavirus. Those five weeks would have included meeting new people from around the country, touring the city of Boston, and intense ballet classes every day that would help me improve. We work all year for these moments and having them be taken away is something I never thought would happen.

However, I have learned new ways to continue dancing and improving at home and keeping in shape for when we can return to normal. I follow along to YouTube videos from ballet instructors, self-taught classes, and virtual classes provided from my studio. All of these methods are new to us, but they keep us in shape and active.

All of us being stuck at home and separated from one another is often viewed as a negative thing, but it could also be positive. We have so much more time to focus on ourselves and do activities we never would have if we were busy with our everyday lives. You can learn a new hobby, such as baking or painting, and perfect it over quarantine. If you are missing your friends, you can FaceTime them. Personally, I have been keeping busy and staying positive by continuing to dance, even if that is in my living room. I think the best way to keep a positive mindset is to continue to do the things you enjoy most, even if you have to figure out a different way to do it.