Dancing at Home with Blanca Huertas Agnew: Exploring COVID-19's Impact on Dancers

As the world is forced to adapt in order to stay healthy and safe due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it's important for dancers to find a way to keep dancing and to stay strong. Emily Brunner talks with Blanca Huertas Agnew, teacher at the School of Pennsylvania Ballet about how dancers can safely continue to exercise and work on technique at home. 

Transcript

Emily:   0:01
It's been over a week since the Philadelphia region learned what social distancing meant. Over the past couple of weeks, we've seen most of our daily routine be set aside to do what we can to slow the spread of COVID-19. Schools have closed both in the academic world and in the dance world. It's unusual for dancers to take time off from their training. It's unheard of for them to take months off, and currently every dancer in our area is facing the real possibility that they won't be returning to class for many more weeks. Recently, I was able to talk with Blanca Huertas Agnew, ballet instructor at the School of Pennsylvania Ballet, about why it's important for dancers to stay in shape both physically and mentally and how they can do that from home. Thank you so much for talking with me today. I, um I've been lonely here at home a little bit over the last few days with not seeing very many people other than my family, and I think a lot of people can relate, So I'm so happy that we can talk today.

Blanca:   1:13
I am super excited to have the opportunity to talk again with you just again to have some interaction with other people. Besides our immediate, you know, families. Definitely. It is a joy.

Emily:   1:26
Yes. Yet is so. How are you doing? And how is your family?

Blanca:   1:31
Well, my family is doing great. And we I think at the beginning, um, off the first days of staying home, it was a little bit, kind of like a surprise, But we were really embracing and enjoying that little bit of a rest. And I think now, after that first week, I think things are starting to settle. And now we realize in that this might be like a new way of doing things for a while. And so I think everybody's just trying to find what is the best way to do that? How to stay active, how to respect everyone's space in a small place again, you know? So there's a lot of challenges in their happening, but a lot of positive on those things as well.

Emily:   2:16
Yeah, definitely. So when when did you start to kind of suspect that things were gonna change for all of us? Were you playing close attention to everything in the news for a while or did it kind of sneak up on you?

Blanca:   2:31
Well, I I kind of knew because I tried to watch the news once a day. I try not to put them on too much so that the kids didn't get everything that was happening and overwhelmed them. So at the beginning, I waited to the end of the day to see what what's going on and see how fast everything was moving. But I think by the weekend I realized maybe the times that they're giving us is going to be have to be extended just because of the things that we were seeing on the news, 

Emily:   3:10
Right. And I know that we're already seeing some some of these closures extended, I mean, for us, you know, personally with, um, School of Pennsylvania Ballet. We now have seen them extend the closure, and I'm expecting to see the same thing with some of my with my younger kids school as well. 

Blanca:   3:29
Yeah, I I agree. And I think, um, I'm surprised with different dates that everybody's given. But I think when I look at what happened in Europe, I understand that the initial dates that they were giving to us. I knew immediately that those days would have to be extended. Um, and again, we all want to make sure that our kids, you know, are healthy and our families are healthy. So it's one of those things where even though used at the beginning, you're like, Is it really necessary when you really see and read everything you're like? OK, this is what we need to do. We need to stay home. We need to just find new ways of doing things. 

Emily:   4:14
Yeah, Yeah, it became pretty clear. I think just recently that it's it's really necessary to make sure that we all are gonna be able to have the health health care that we need when we need it. And we're very lucky, though, that this is happening now. And it would have been very different 20 years ago or 30 years ago, you know, But we've got all this great technology now that lets us like, lets you and I talked together right now from from the safety of our own homes and, um, you know, and I see all of these wonderful classes that people are putting online, Um, both for academic reasons and classes for cooking and dancing and all kinds of things that all of our social media and technology lets us do. It's really exciting to see that, and heartwarming to know that we're still able to be connected.

Blanca:   6:28
Yes, I see it from the professional side. I see it even from the social aspect for the young kids. Imagine something like this like you mentioned happening 20 years ago. The kids have been completely isolated and at the fact that they can continue to have relationships with each other. Like my daughter's birthday was St Patty's Day, and it was a big birthday for her. But she was able to continue to receive, like, you know, congratulations and happy birthdays. And they put stories about things that some of her friends did with her during this year to be made. This whole thing that is happening much easier, and I'm pretty sure that for different reasons, you know, elderly people that might be home, but they already taught them how to use Alexa or how to use different technology. You know, people are doing different things to make sure that their start they keep communicating with each other for the mental health of of the population as well. 

Emily:   0:00
Right? Yeah. The mental health is really just a CZ. Important as the physical health, that's for sure.      

Blanca:   0:00
Exactly. Yes.    

Emily:   0:00
So have you. I'm wondering. I'm curious. Have you ever had an experience like when you were a younger dancer where you had to take a significant amount of time off?

Blanca:   6:30
I did, but nothing like this long, But yes, Like in Puerto Rico. I lived through Hugo. That was back then. That was a really big, hurricane that happened to us. Um and everything was, you know, we had no communication and all of the places were down. So it was a little bit of a period, I would say 3 to 4 weeks that took us to go back to normal. But that has been the longest that I ever had to go in not training or dancing or just changing my routine.

Emily:   7:06
So 3 to 4 weeks, that that actually kind of sounds like a long a long time. How did how did you deal with that? When you when you had that When you were dealing with the hurricane, What did you do to cope?

Blanca:   7:18
Well, I think the first week we all do the basic needs, you know, make sure that we are, you know, we have enough food that we can sleep well that you know, all those basic things that we do checking when our family is things like that. Then after that, you know, I have the opportunity because my mother also was a ballet teacher. So I did have access within my home to continue to do some exercises, and I had some guidance. Well, some of the things that I can continue to do during that time. So I tried to stay active by doing what we call a maintenance exercises and just different things. Um, walking outside, you know, when it was possible. Once everything was clear, we were able to walk and just keep that cardio. We did a little the things that I needed for what's happening right now, you know, we you know, even though we do know want to we can't go to the gym or we can go to a specific place. There's there's ways at home that you can continue to stay active, even just go for a walk. Or, like, you know, my youngest. I said right. A bike, you know. you're not having contact with anyone. It's something fun for them. But at the same time, you're you're keeping those muscles. My three children, they are dancers as well. So they they have to have certain muscles that will need for them to stay healthy. They come back because that's the thing. Once they come back, you don't want them to have lost all that, you know, muscle activity. Um, because then another injury can happens is how to keep them active for their mental health. Keep them active for their physicality. And just for them to help pass through all this time that they're going to be having this near routines.

Emily:   9:21
All right, So do you think that just sort of doing, I guess I'll call it cross training, like you were saying with going out and riding a bike or taking a hike. Do you feel like doing those sorts of things is helpful to dancers?

Blanca:   9:33
It's definitely helpful because again, it's going to give you a clear mind Is also going to keep your cardiovascular activity going. Is going to continue some of those muscles going, you know, even just jumping rope outside with good sneakers. You know, it's gonna give you that impact you need. You need impact and also in order to create muscle development. And if you don't want to lose that, so you want to make sure that either you're, you know, jumping rope writing. But I think you know, walking, jogging, making sure you're stretching, making sure you're using your thera bands. Like all the exercise that through your years of training, you have been given, This is the time to take, make a little journal, take a journal and create your own calendar. Monday, Wednesday, Fridays I'll be working in upper body and lower legs, you know, like trying to start making your old own routine because some of our students and some of our you know, kids already had very specific routines. That sometimes happens, you know, spending hours. Not only dancers, but let's say somebody that is played football or swimming or, you know, if you view at all the hours that they were having activity compared to what they have now. You want to create a simulated schedule for them so that muscle continue to have that activity and it's going to keep them also those endorphins up to make them happy and content and stay in a good mood and environment to pass through these times.

Emily:   11:14
Yeah. So do you think that a lot of these dancers and kids do you think that they have such a good foundation from taking all of the classes that they've taken, that they can put together their own routine and their own schedule? Do you think that they're you know, that they I already have the resource is in their knowledge to be able to do that?

Blanca:   11:37
Well, I would think you're older students, meaning your kids attempting probably a pre professional program that day, in a weekly basis. They're receiving conditioning classes. They have in acknowledged that in a safe way, they can emulate and, you know, put us some type of exercise routine together where they don't need to. We don't want those kids to be now from work on tile floor or high wood floor. We don't want kids now to do center work in your living room because you may not have the facility to do that, so you're basically opening the door for your injury. But there's an exercise like a floor exercises. You're strengthening exercises some of your bar work you can definitely do, and some of us are already having some programs out there where you can follow. There are other programs says we're putting together. Where you going to have a Zoom room access, where the teacher will be able to see you and give you feedback so you can you can start by keeping yourself healthy and active, trying to remember and putting together an order of exercise instead. You know your instructor, your teacher said. This is an area that you need to strengthen, and you can start with that and then before try to see a place it where you can follow if you need to. But always cautious that make sure that you follow a class that is for your level that is being put on Facebook and YouTube on instagram. It might be for your level or they may not be, um, you know, an instructor that has the quality of teaching that you might be used to or that your parents have already chosen for you because you know their backgrounds. So I always say that be very careful of what you see online. Not everything that is put out there has good quality. So I always say, be, cautious? Yes.

Emily:   13:59
Yeah, that's a really good point. I hadn't thought about that. It's probably a good idea for dancers to reach out to their their schools and their teachers to find out. You know, if the school and the teacher are doing anything themselves that the kids could access from home, and if not, maybe the teachers could make a safe good recommendation for exactly.

Blanca:   14:21
I agree with that 100% because I sometimes see some of my students calm and said, Oh, I learned a new stretching, and then you see it student hanging from one chair to another chair, and I'm, my eyes are like, Oh my goodness, you don't even know how deep is your hip socket! You can actually pull an entire hip out of place, you know, but because they saw it on YouTube, they think all this is said this is a great stretch for me. So, you know, So just having that precaution, that saying not everything that we see it out there. Going to the school and teachers and instructor for guidance is definitely the safest way because we're all trying at this going to keep our kids active and healthy. So your teacher, your instructor is not going to feel upset or anything like that that you're looking for a resource is because we definitely want them to keep active. 

Emily:   0:00
Right. So what? Can dancers do it home? Um, when they don't have a sprung floor. You know, or Marley surfaced to dance on What's the safest thing that you can reccomend in terms of which room they should. They should work in and on what kind of floor?  

Blanca:   15:39
So the first thing that they need to do I would start a rug, If you are on your demi shoes in your soft shoes on your socks, the rug is always a good  safe place to do it, A hardwood floor if you have a good sock, You can also put a little bit of sock that traction it helps you a little bit. That is also a good place. I wouldn't recommend a tile score. Um I mean, if you're not jumping, it would not be a big deal, as you can have socks to do that. So because I wouldn't recommend any of us jumping in any of the surfaces. I would say to put a bar section, make sure that the area it's completely clear around you, so you're not gonna hurt yourself, so you could be if it's the kitchen or use the living room, you can use a chair that is a good height about, like belly button level where your arm has a good rest. You could use, you know, like your if you have, like a staircase that you can hold onto it as soon as you have the same our position that you would have at the regular bar. You could do that. You will start always with your floor exercise to make your body warm. Then you will continue with your your basic bar exercises, then you can do your your your heavier stretches. You could do right after that bar section. You will not do any jumping at this point in this surface. At that point, I would suggest you go and put your sneakers on and then in order to get some cardiovascular and muscle, you know, impact activity to get you know, not to lose any of that muscle, that you already have buildup. Then you can do jumping jacks with your sneakers. You can do jumping rope. You can jog in place. You can ride bikes, you know, So I wouldn't any of what you would do center wise at home, even if it's like turning and things like that we don't have the space is to do that. And I have seen many head concussions of because students might try to do pirouettes and turns and different things maybe in a place that is  not the studio. Uh, but there's a lot of things that you can continue to do.

Emily:   18:06
That's really encouraging. It's nice to know that that people can keep working and exercising at home safely, even though most of us don't have a dance studio in our own homes.

Blanca:   18:20
Exactly yet. There's definitely options. Um, and then I would I would also recommend for them, like you mentioned at the beginning, Cross training, you know, Doing some yoga to continue your flexibility. You know, it also helps you with your breathing. It also is going to give you with any stressful situation that all these changes are costing, you know. So the cross training party is also very important. And if you can get out of the house at least once or twice a day, you know, make sure that that we're doing that as well. You know, even if it is, If you have pet, take them to walk the pets. If you just ride a bike or just go around and, you know, take the trash out and then send them to do something else like, um so something that requires them to leave the house. Um, And I also you know, like even some of us work from home. They used to say to us, make sure that you do change your clothing, you know, like don't stay in PJ's the entire day. Once or twice is a good thing. You know at the beginning, our first week, it was great to stay in PJs for an entire weekend. because we don't do that in a regular basis is good. Just creating a routine is going to keep them motivated to continue to do all this activity that we should have,

Emily:   19:40
Right. You know, I've I've noticed I've always believed this, and I really noticed over the last few days that, like if we're inactive, so being inactive tends to make us want to be more inactive. It's like a self fulfilling thing. But then when we take action and do something, even if we don't feel like doing it, like if we make ourselves get up, you know, stop being lazy and sluggish. If we make ourselves do something, it often makes us feel so much better.

Blanca:   20:09
It is is those endorphins are released and they get all through our bodies. Is there happy movement and create a lot of that during the day? And we want to make sure that you know, they they're like you mentioned before. There's a lot of things happening online, like there's, there's some museums are allowing to do virtual tours. There's people teaching, writing courses. There's cooking courses there, exercised courses. You know that there's a lot of activity, you know, like those are most both passive. But you can have a balance between how much are you doing online on how much activity we're doing? So it's it's balance, especially with our kids that are used to dancing probably 20 plus hours a week. And now all of the sudden, you know, they feel like there's nothing. So create multiple times during the day where they can be active. I think it's going to be a great a great action, you know, like decision to keep up halfway.

Emily:   21:06
And I think we can try to look for some silver linings here in that we have some time that we have not had before a lot of free time and every time that that we won't have necessarily in the future also. So it's a good chance to go and try to learn something new.

Blanca:   21:25
Yes, I agree 100% because I don't remember the last time that we were kind of like, you know, having breakfast and dinner and lunch together. We have an opportunity to talk and learn more about, You know how they're feeling and then things that they're interested in. We can slow down a little bit, you know, like even we were thinking maybe we should start we in the past when they were younger, we would do gardening. And we haven't done that in a while after they hit their teenage years, because their schedule is so busy. So we were thinking of starting gardening again. You know, so finding those activities that because our regular schedules don't allow it, just enjoy some time. I was looking,  I can have tomatoes, and I can have cucumbers in my garden. You know, like, um, it's just allowing my enjoying those moments that sometimes we don't get a chance to do any more like you mentioned.

Emily:   22:21
Yeah, you know, this is a good time a year to do some gardening. So I think that sounds like a pretty good plan.

Blanca:   22:26
Yes, Hopefully they will grow,

Emily:   22:29
Right, right. And I guess you have to think about where you'll go and, get the plants. 

Blanca:   22:37
Yes, but I think I might ordered them. 

Emily:   22:39
That's a good idea. That's a good I did you could also you could experiment with some seeds. Maybe from some from some of the produce that you guys are, you know, eating for dinner save a couple of seeds and see what happens?

Blanca:   22:51
Definitely, definitely. So that I mean the way of exploring new things and doing things. I think I just saw that in in Venice, in Vienna. Um, the swans and some dolphins are back in place. So now we're going to see how how nature also is going to be handling our stepping back a little bit and then taking over again. So if that's a great opportunity for us to look at our environment and see how can we improve in different areas? So definitely it's an opportunity for us to reassess how we're doing things.

Emily:   23:29
Yeah, Yeah, it really is. I was watching a documentary about some hikers in the Grand Canyon two nights ago and seeing all the beautiful landscapes out there and just how there's so much nature, you know, and there are places in the world where there's not too much of a human footprint. It made me realize that even when things get really bad for us as humans that the world keeps going on. You know, Mother Nature's still out there. We're still a part of Mother Nature, and she's still a part of us and that it really brought me comfort. I realized that things will be okay. They are changing and they'll be different for a while. And you know what? They'll change again in the future. Nothing stays the same. But I do think that things will be okay and we'll get to a point where we're kind of back into our usual routines,

Blanca:   24:18
Right? Correct. And I and I believe in that. And I think we already see it of finding ways of communicating. Ways of continued to do some work because we want our economic to continue to move forward, even though right now it seems it's a little bit strange. Everyone is finding new ways of continue with that. And I think another thing that I really enjoy is taking time to call people that maybe we haven't talked to them in a while, you know, face timing, calling people, having a little bit more relationship, that because we move so fast, we don't get a chance to do that. So, you know, I'm like, you know, I haven't talked to that friend in a while. Let me see how are they doing? How is everything on their end? Um, so just just basic things that that sometimes we forget. And I think this is all for a reason. And I think everything is going to turn out to be a positive outcome.

Emily:   25:11
Yeah, I think so, too. So Blanca, thank you again for taking some time to talk. And I hope that you guys have some really nice moments together as a family and that you and your dancers an stay shape through all of this. And, um, I'm looking forward to sharing this with everybody so that people can get ideas about how they can stay in shape, both both physically and also just mentally and emotionally during the next few weeks.

Blanca:   25:40
Thank you. Emily is always a pleasure. Um, is always great to be able to share, you know, our thoughts and how positive is your podcasts. I really love being invited to this and the same. All the best for your family as well.

Emily:   25:55
Thank you.