2019-2020 PMA 5th Grade BLOG: CONNECTION AT A DISTANCE

By Luzviminda “Lulu” Carpenter, Performance and Media Arts Teacher

During social distancing and Washington's “stay at home” order, art, performance, and music has brought people together to alleviate isolation, sadness, and disconnection.. 

The UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) noted:

“Bringing people together, inspiring, soothing and sharing: these are the powers of art, the importance of which has been made emphatically obvious during the COVID-19 pandemic”, Audrey Azoulay said in her message. 

Throughout self-isolation, art has nonetheless been flourishing. Pointing to performers tapping into their creativity to relay health guidelines and share messages of hope - as well as neighbors singing to each other on balconies, and concerts online - Ms. Azoulay maintained that creativity abounds. 

With the closing of concerts, tours, performances, museums, and other art institutions and events, COVID-19 forced virtual “doors” to open to the world.  When things got hard, people utilized art to tap into deep emotions and show the power of resilience in the human spirit with DJ sets, sing-alongs, musical parodies, and more.

Recently,  the Juilliard School shared a video created by current students and alumni that visually and musically showed with body and voice the feelings of isolation, connection, and eventually of “freedom.”  Benjamin Sosland, in an article called Creating Bolero Julliard, stated that their president stated, “What can we do together even while we are alone?”  He went on to mention:

“Bolero Juilliard showcases the talents and creativity of the Juilliard community “in a portrait of art-making and shared experience amid physical isolation and uncertainty,” Keigwin says. In addition to the collaborative possibilities this endeavor provides for the community, it also speaks to this moment in global history, to the range of emotions and experiences brought on by the COVID-19 crisis, and to the power of art-making to bring us together.”

I was moved by the way their bodies flowed on the screen and how they demonstrated the basics of stage presence and using “zoom space” in different ways. I wanted students to highlight “creativity, flexibility, and resilience.” I was excited to show students that even fancy schools asked their students to “take up space,” show a range of emotions with their faces, and use their bodies to express the ups and downs of this present moment from sadness to joy. We recreated some of these shapes by first pushing against the boxes and explored the space in front of our computers in new ways.

In everyday society, people can see art thrive in the pandemic and tap into human creativity!  Within popular culture, there have been visual messages of hope.  One example is this Mother’s Day commercial by Target called “We Heart Mom.”  I was moved by this connection, especially during this important day when I would normally be hugging my mother.  I cried a lot when I saw this video and wanted to carry on this message of “at home together” and “connection at a distance.”  Art, media, and performance have always been about resilience and power for me, but also joy, happiness, and fun. We recreated these images by creating hearts, giving high-fives, and what I call the “ET phone home” finger where we touch fingertips!  These images express the joy of the moment and the possibility of being connected at a distance.  It took effort to create the illusion, but in the end, we hope you enjoy these images and feel a connection to each other and us!