A COMPETITION SEASON THAT ALMOST WAS...

Updated: Apr 7, 2020

From performing on stage to recording a virtual showcase.

Photograph by: Jasmine Lim Tung

Ravens Dance Pak is Carleton University's competitive dance team. Organized and run by four dedicated student athletes, our team works incredibly hard all year to compete at two regional competitions. This year, with the strength of our choreography and dancers we would surely achieve our personal bests.

March 12th, the night before our first competition we received an email from The Knockout Dance Challenge Directors...

“Hi all, We are sorry and sad to hear of the suspension of travel and team activities at the University Level. At this time, we regret to inform you we have no other option other than to postpone until further notice.”

Being university students from various parts of the country we knew postponing would not be possible. We instead reached out to an alternate competition that was still running, in hopes to get our team on stage, at least once this year. It was only in the morning, one hour before we were supposed to leave that we received an email from the Carleton Athletics Department...

"Good morning, The department of rRecreations and Athletics is suspending all travel to Varsity and Competitive Club teams to large gathering activities, coaches and support staff we trust you will comply with this request."

This meant that our team was travel banned due to Covid-19, and would be unable to compete at all this season. With efforts to create something positive out of the heartbreaking situation, our executive team hired a professional videographer, Ian Holmes, to record our routines. Ultimately, creating a virtual album of our hard work, that could at least be shared through social media.

This demonstrated how dedicated our team is, and how positive mindsets can turn negative situations into positive ones. Beyond our team, the greater university dance community was extremely kind, creating the #strongertogether movement to offer support to each other during the difficult time.

Our team understands the severity of the health crisis, and realize that the preventative measures put in place were necessary. We are grateful to have each other, and to have had the opportunity to film our routines to display our hard work.