Jerry’s Message to the Scene: Plan for the Long Term
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Herrang Dance Camp , 2016
Jerry Almonte, a long time lindy hop commentator, organizer and photographer, shared on Facebook today an important message for all lindy hoppers, particularly those that rely on this dance for their primary income. Read on…
An Open Letter to the Lindy Hop community
TL;DR The International Lindy Hop community and every social dance community needs to take a longer view of the future, which is entirely uncertain at this point.
I understand the need to keep a positive attitude, especially on social media, and especially from community leaders. However, I am concerned that many people may be taking a short term view of what is happening.
Because of the way events are currently playing out, I think it is very important that people working at the national/international level of Lindy Hop to stop working under the expectation that what we are experiencing a temporary inconvenience, or that everything will return to the way it was in 2019.
The good news is that I think local dances and smaller regional events will be in a better position to recover in a shorter amount of time and weather future disruptions, but I want to address the national/international scene.
a lot of people who are deeply invested in this scene need to take a very cold, hard look at the way they are living right now with their significantly reduced incomes from the dance, and figure out if they can do this for another year. Maybe two years? More?
I will confess that I am not an expert about anything of true import, but the general consensus that I get from people who are, is that no one knows for sure what's going to happen next. Because of that, a lot of people who are deeply invested in this scene need to take a very cold, hard look at the way they are living right now with their significantly reduced incomes from the dance, and figure out if they can do this for another year. Maybe two years? More?
I'm not here to start a debate about whose facts are better, but to emphasize that we are all facing an unprecedented amount uncertainty. The one thing we can be certain of is that this will not end like a movie with a specific end point. Different countries are being affected at different rates and in different ways. Scientifically. Politically. Financially. All of these things are completely beyond the control of dancers no matter how enthusiastic they are about the dance.
Even if we find a vaccine tomorrow, then how long will it be for us to be able to gather in a large enough crowd that would justify staging a large event? When will all the travel restrictions be lifted? How many people are going to be willing or able to prioritize travel for dance? How long will it be until enough of them are able to support an event at the same level as they did last year?
We don't know, and that's my point.
Yes, we will get through this, but there are going to be very long books written about how the entire world changed in 2020. Those changes will have profound effects on the Lindy Hop community. We are getting past the point of figuring out how to resume the scene at large, and instead should shift to planning on how to rebuild it.
I don't have a whole lot of answers for this, but I'm available to help you talk through your situation, or just comment with your concerns. I can't say that we'll be able to help you solve your problems, but I'll be more than happy to provide some feedback on what you're thinking or maybe connect you to other people who are going through the same thing.
REMINDER: If you are a lindy hop professional, the Frankie Manning Foundation has created a fund to support you. Head here for more info and to apply: http://frankiemanningfoundation.org/apply .
