She calls out to the man in the street
“Sir, can you help me?
It’s gettin’ cold and there’s nowhere to sleep
Is there somewhere you can tell me?”

Oh, think twice
‘Cause there’s another day for you and me in paradise
Oh, think twice
Cause there’s another day for you
You and me in paradise

This song, which is a Grammy Award-winning song performed by English singer and songwriter Phil Collins has been constantly on the radio for the past few days, and its lyrics have been stuck in my mind. It makes me think, how a small virus, SARS-CoV-2, has brought the world on its knees. It pains my heart to see how our lives have been so upturned that we will never live and see the world in the same way. People are being infected, some are losing their lives, the economy is on a downturn, robbers and criminals are getting out, many are without a job, and the homeless are worrying about their families’ daily meal.

At this time, it feels not proper to talk about dance and the world’s arts.

But what if the world’s artistes could bring a minute of smile and joy in our life?- I wondered. 

It has been 19 days since our island has been on lockdown, and I have never seen such a unity in the world of arts.

It began with a stop to dance and music lessons, concerts and workshops being canceled, no studio recordings. We are all locked within the four walls of our home. But it didn’t bring a halt to our abilities.

 Just like liquids take the shape of any container they are in, our creative minds fitted themselves into the situation. Song recordings were being done from singers’ homes and merged through the greatness of technology. Dancers started to record their talent, adopting social media as their stage. Comedians continued to brighten our day through their frequent short videos.

The goodwill of our artistes has influenced the common public to such an extent, that the artiste in every individual has taken surface through acting apps like TikTok, or by simply making videos of themselves singing and dancing.

More than sharing their talent, some have taken the commitment to teach either live on social media, and other online platforms and to make videos for students on websites.

“What a wonderful world!” indeed Mr. Louis Armstrong.

To conclude, are we on the verge of a trendsetting? Will technology be an even stronger tool for us artistes? But on the sunny side, it will leave no excuse for making our arts seen and heard.

From all artistes, I wish to express my gratitude to all front liners for stepping out of your homes for us, and dance to the tunes of your skill to bring the world to a melodious tune

‘Cause there’s another day for you
You and me in paradise‘