'Just because guys in the Dáil don’t do yoga': Cork dance and yoga teachers call for action
Cork School of Dance in a production of the Snow Queen. Indoor ballet classes have yet to resume at the school. Picture Clare Keogh
As Ireland continues to ease Covid restrictions and sectors reopen, teachers of dance, drama, and yoga claim they are being "forgotten about", with no clear roadmap in place for the return of indoor classes.
The Performing Arts Educators of Ireland will be holding a national silent protest on Monday outside Cork Opera House and Leinster House in Dublin City at 11am in bid to get the government to immediately "address the resumption of indoor classes (dance, drama, music) for the performing arts sector including all studios, stage schools and academies".
While for some of these activities, individual training can continue which Dance Ireland describes as “physically distanced, non-contact activity, can go ahead in a pre-defined area, within a controlled environment and without the sharing of equipment,” there is no return in sight for conventional classes. The practitioners say their businesses continue to suffer, and the mental health of their students is being impacted.
Sinéad Murphy, the Artistic Director and Principal of the Cork School of Dance in Firkin Crane, has said there is a lot of ambiguity and confusion out there for the business owners in the performing arts.
“Since June 7, dance has been on par with sport and schools have been able to open following individual training guidelines as stated by Sport Ireland.
“This doesn't suit every teacher as those who rent independent indoor venues such as theatres and community halls have to go by government guidelines of no indoor training,” she said.
“We have written to relevant ministers who say dance can continue to take place in pods, but not indoor classes.”
Following the change of restrictions in July, indoor classes for these activities remained postponed, and teachers and instructors have been petitioning for a September return.
“Teachers have retrained in different areas, they are young people who want to work, they need to save for things like cars and houses.
“We are businesses, we’re responsible for employees and tax repayments on the wage subsidy scheme,” Ms Murphy said.
Ms Murphy also said they have a responsibility to their students, who have as much right to express themselves as a child with a hurley does.
“I’m so pro-sport, I'm delighted, thousands of kids are able to continue playing sport - we are just asking the same for our kids.
“For some children, their Olympic dream is to be on West End.
“Children’s social skills will need rebuilding after all this and mental health is an even greater part of the recovery from the pandemic.
“We are aware social interaction needs to be minimised to keep numbers down, we understand the need to comply with public health guidelines, but out of fairness, we need to be offered some form of reopening,” she said.
Councillor Sinéad Sheppard, who owns a dance school in the East Cork area, says teachers in the performing arts are more than capable to ensure the safety of children from the virus while in these controlled spaces, and it is vital children can return to their activities.
“When I told my boys they could go back to hurling and soccer training, the excitement they had was unbelievable, it meant so much to them.
“I want the same thing for my students who are waiting for the phone call that their dance class is back to normal,” she said.
The Performing Arts Educators of Ireland will be holding a national silent protest on Monday outside Cork Opera House and Leinster House in Dublin City.
“We are trying to get recognition for our sector not just for our jobs but also our children that come to us and for their mental health and feel as accepted of their art as another child is of their sport.
“As a councillor, it is just frustrating because while the government in some areas have handled things extremely well, there's other things like this where they haven't thought about us at all.
During the pandemic, 68 yoga studios were forced to close as they were unable to sustain their business, according to Lisa Wilkinson of the Wicklow Escape.
“The issue has been brought to the Dáil twice and still nothing.
“We have scrambled and hustled in finding ways to keep money coming in, but also we are conscious of keeping our staff and teachers in work rather than becoming isolated by being out of work, so it’s important we try to help keep everybody busy with something to do.
“Totally and utterly, we have been completely forgotten about,” Lisa said.
Lisa said that it is essential for those who practice yoga to return to studios, as it’s their main form of stress relief and benefits mental health positively.
“Just because guys in the Dáil don’t do yoga, doesn’t mean no one else does!”
“There is no doubt that yoga has a positive effect on people’s mental health, it’s been very difficult and upsetting for people that would come to my classes to not have that outlet anymore,” she said.
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