BROOKFILED, Wis.— The Nova Linea Dance Company is getting ready to perform their upcoming show “The Great Pause.”
The performance is using dance as a vehicle to show what lessons people can learn from the pandemic.
Jared Baker is the show’s artistic director. He led the last rehearsal of their production.
Baker said he wants to take the audience back on to the early stages of the pandemic. That time brought feelings of hopelessness, fear and isolation for many.
While Baker had similar emotions, he said quarantining allowed him to take a step back.
“I found a lot of joy, spending time at home. It helped my relationship. I really got to simplify and reflect on what I really needed,” said Baker.
Baker said “The Great Pause” also examines whether the hustle and bustle of life before the pandemic was in society’s best interest.
He said he thinks the show’s message will be easy to understand through dance.
“My goal is to leave people with the idea that they have the opportunity to make a change in their life,” said Baker.
Sebastian Martinez is a dancer in the show. He said being a part of the performance takes him back to the moment when he saw everything change.
“I was in the middle of my college experience, so to have one day [to] pack up my dorm and move home was very traumatic for myself and obviously for myself and people around me, fellow classmates,” said Martinez. “For me, it symbolizes a moment in time where I felt like I was feeling something the world collectively was feeling.”
For Baker and his dance company, the message they want the audience to take away is very simple.
“We still have time, even though we are back to normal. We still have time to implement things that we learned from that time,” said Baker.
He hopes it reminds others it’s okay to slow down when they need clarity in life.
The show will be performed at Sharon Lynne Wilson Center for the Arts in Brookfield, Wisconsin on Friday at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday at 1:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. For more information, click here.