Dear Dance Divine Community,

My initial reaction when I heard about the vaccine passport was one of concern for the further division this would cause for people. My first emotional response was, ‘this feel invasive’, and I struggled with the thought of having to enforce it.

Then I spoke with the venue owners and we shared our concerns around liability and safety. They told me that they would be requiring all of their renters to comply with the mandates for the sake of their elderly community and for the sake of the hall. Respecting their wishes felt natural and obvious, so the decision to respect the mandate was made, even though I knew it would be a difficult one for our community.

When that announcement went out, I received a flurry of ‘unsubscribe’ messages, but I also received a large number of  heart-felt, supportive letters from people, and I thank you sincerely for your understanding and endorsement. I trust that these measure are temporary, as they have been in other countries. I trust that they will serve their purpose and I trust that we will get through this. My goal is to keep these doors open. If anything, these kinds of community-gathering, healing spaces have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic.

I hope that these new measures will serve to dispel the fears that may have held you back from attending.

Much love always,

Jelena