Today is the first day of our course...or at least it should have been.
Course number 9. Welcoming a new, energised, nervous, excited and ready-to-go group of performers. Alas, it is not to be and in spite of the disappointment and heartbreak this year, we have against all odds come together even more.
From chatting to friends and scrolling through a boundless amount of social media over the last few months, I have sensed an abundance of clarity, heart, passion and determination surfacing more than ever. I'd say that's pretty special and a sign that those rainbows really have made us stop and 'check in'.
It has been a turbulent year for all of us, with our own physical and mental hurdles to overcome. Some days the white flag has been propped up, yet when a glimmer of motivation shimmers through, that glimmer has kept us battling on. We like to think it's the latter where we have truly shown resilience, strength and the determination to not take 'no' for an answer which I do believe is true, but the others have in some way perhaps been more significant. Allowing us to ponder on our thoughts, reflect and work through challenges in a way we often wouldn't allow ourselves time for. It's these times that can and maybe have been the scariest, most revealing and hardest to face, but in the long run will help create that clarity and direction we need.
We are all sailing on the same sea, yet on our own little boats going at very different speeds.
As we move forward, there is an evident imbalance in people's situations. Some are back at work, many are not and we have to be incredibly appreciative, mindful and understanding of this. The next few months will continue to be unpredictable and the only way we can get through this is by standing side by side and helping each other out.
Have the courage to push forward, but the heart to look behind.
At this time, it is important to focus on you. Do what you need to do, but also reach out to check in with those who may be feeling left behind. With different responsibilities, commitments and living situations, non of us can compare (yes, we all know we still do) and need to keep reminding ourselves of this.
Where we're at now is not a testament of our talent, it's what we've done to survive.
If you've been motivated for months and starting to feel that momentum flatten out, that's to be expected. Give yourself a break. If you're only now gaining momentum, don't feel guilty about that couch time. It was needed (and seriously, next time you get that might be when you retire).
If you've stayed motivated and still going strong....you deserve a holiday. If you've had to temporarily step away from your craft and the industry, then that's been 100% the right decision for you. Come back when you're ready. You never know there might be a stronger fire in your belly and a drive like you've never known after shifting focus for a while.
Yes it's been pretty rubbish for most of us. Heartbreaking for many and a real challenge.
But I think we can all agree there's a bucketful of goodness that has come from this that we need to carry with us and trust it will help us find a new and improved 'normal'.
Let's not forget, we wouldn't have the Hollywood we know and love today if it wasn't for the last pandemic.
The cameras stopped rolling. There were no new 'movies'. Studios were shut down and headlines read 'The beginning of the end' for Hollywood.
Yes, thanks to the 1918 Spanish Flu, Hollywood was hit hard. However, this resulted in the consolidation of multiple smaller film companies, making the big companies, BIG and giving us the Hollywood we know today. If it wasn't for this, I'm not sure some of those magical movie moments we all know and love would even exist. And, I don't think life would be quite the same without 'There's no place like home' and other one liners that make us all warm and fuzzy inside.
So, if we're going to learn anything from the past, it's that we will get through it, we are getting through it and we're doing it together, because together, 'we got this'.
Let's look forward to when the industry is thriving once more and we can indulge in that moment in the theatre when you get all goosebumpy and emotional. Jeez, it's gonna be something else.
No, we're not in Kansas any more, but at the end of this long road we might just end up somewhere kind of magical.
Sending a whole lotta CBS love to the 2020 team who couldn't finish the course and everyone
who has been joining our online classes during the last few months. You rock.
CBS Dance
Courses classes and workshops for actors and singers
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