The Show Must Go On: Dancing to a different tune in Peterborough for some time to come

During the last decade we have had many ups and downs. We have seen integral staff leave, struggled to compete in an every changing market but throughout we have continued to grow.

At the beginning of 2020 we negotiated a further space allowing us to expand and offer other services from our facility in Newark Road.

What none of us had anticipated at that time was a global pandemic and the effect it would have.

Initially, somewhat naively, when we were told to close our doors on March 20, I honestly thought it would be for two or three weeks. We run the same terms as schools, so I predicted that if we were to be closed a couple of weeks…we may have to cancel our Easter workshops…and add a couple of weeks onto our term to make things rights with anyone that had already paid term fees.

Well I certainly got that one wrong.

As the situation intensified, we were locked down and it became very apparent this was not a two week hiccup. My mind went into overdrive. I am sure all business persons were in the same situation, frantically working out financially what impact it would have on the business, how to sustain overheads with no income and how to keep staff motivated and customers interested.

As with so many others, I turned to social media for information, support and contact with the outside world, eventually deciding on a strategy that I hoped would work for us.

Many schools took the Zoom class option. I did consider it initially but after researching and talking to other dance studio owners and teachers I decided that it wasn’t an option for us .

I posted on social media daily, classes from professional dance companies, challenges and activities for our students and their families. Also sending postcards and newsletters to keep in touch with students.

I have posted little gifts to the staff and tried to keep in contact with them all in various ways and in and amongst all of this constantly monitoring the situation, planning and preparing for our return to classes.

I have to admit I am totally exhausted both mentally and physically. The last four months have been a constant rollercoaster of emotion. I have gone from losing night upon night of sleep, crying buckets of tears, to elation at the smallest piece of good news or kind gesture .

But all of this is a massive learning curve and without doubt will affect the way we do things moving forward.

As a dance school we were one of the last to be given the OK to open. We opened our doors on Monday 27 July and are currently running a summer programme of classes for our younger students in the studios alongside an eight-week online programme for our Performing Arts Classes.

We are not sure how long it will be before we are back to 88 classes a week . We will not be able to offer Afternoon Tea Dances to ballroom dancing couples for some time. We will not be able to sing in our performing arts classes and our birthday parties and workshops will be in a very different format.

Whilst the business has been dramatically affected, we are still very grateful that we can now offer small groups of children dance classes, couples private lessons and maybe over time will be able to increase in numbers and offerings.

As a business owner this pandemic has had a major impact on my business, as a mother it has also had an impact on my family.

My sons, James and Jason, are both musical theatre performers.

James is currently in the West End cast of Dear Evan Hansen and Jason should have started rehearsing for Frozen the Musical due at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane in November.

At the time of writing this, it has been suggested to James that it will be February 2021 before they are back in the theatre and at this time he has no idea in what format that will be.

Frozen has been postponed and they will be opening in April 2021, six months later than expected. The impact on the theatre industry and the loves of those involved with it,has been catastrophic .

Just by the very nature of the beast, it is impossible for performers onstage to socially distance and it is also impossible to have a musical when under the current restrictions you are not allowed to sing.

And it isn’t just the onstage performers that are affected of course. There are the backstage crew, production staff and the front of house staff all currently in limbo waiting for that smallest hint of when they, too, can return to work.

For all it is going to be a very slow process.

For us, we will take each day as it comes, do what we can to keep our staff and students safe and hope that with their support we can rebuild what we have lost. For many, sadly, that may not be an option.

Anita Winter opened Tu Danse Studios in Newark Road in 2007, teaching classes in ballet, tap, modern, commercial, contemporary, jazz and performing arts. Find out more at www.tudanse.co.uk