‘Is it difficult to run events?’ - ‘No, not at all. It's like riding a highway motorcycle, except the motorcycle is on fire. Everything is on fire, and you're in hell …’, this is how the event organizers had joked before March 12, 2020.
Since then more than 500 social dance festivals and other events all over the world, including Ukraine, have been canceled or postponed to an unknown date ... It’s affected our friends, colleagues, dancers, and instructors who were being held hostage by the situation. And the decision to continue was a tough call! After all, that was suspense; nobody knew what to expect and on the burning road (remember the motorcycle on fire?:)) burning fences are about to grow. May our dear guests forgive us; I have not smoked anything.
Back in March, we faced obstacles on our way, such as canceled flights throughout Europe, fear, and sometimes even panic in front of the unknown. Even then, our artists were allowed to come to Kyiv with apprehension. And we remember one of the instructors wore a mask and protective gloves all the time and did not want to dance with the guests under any pretext. Let alone the fact when all the guests from Italy started calling in an instant and unanimously asked to postpone their passes and accommodation to 2021. Almost one in two dancers asked if the festival takes place. Only 1000 messages in three days :) There were no cases of diseases in Ukraine yet, but even then we felt the first wave of the future hurricane.
We overcame the first effects of the storm and then fell altogether into lockdown and the unknown. But the Russian roulette was expecting us in sight. We could not afford to drink mojitos while lying on the beach, so we were working hard on preparing for the Sensual Festival. But then suddenly international artists reported one by one that they could not come to Ukraine due to their restrictions and the worsening situation. Despite that, we decided to hold the festival. And, lo and behold, we were still able to declare the TOP bachateros, which arrived in Kyiv a month before the festival. (They probably knew something). And our instructor from Sweden, amazingly, overcame the border barrier, risking to become an inadmissible passenger for Ukraine (Thank God everything was fine).
But no such luck! While we were examining new standards and requirements in a pandemic (we bought hundreds of protective masks, sanitizers, developed a route map, trained staff, imposed all necessary restrictions), our government closed the borders in an instant. And you know what? The government opened it on the last day of the festival! “Good God! It is over!” we thought at that moment. But life went on, and we launched a flash mob for the guys #KSfunnychallenge. Due to this action, perhaps our female partners almost did not notice the lack of foreign guests. By the end of the summer, we completely shifted our focus from advertising to anti-crisis communication. After all, what could be better than friendship and warm relationships, that can give strength to get through difficult times?!
Because of you, our flexibility and responsibility, we held the festival! When most people did not believe that this was possible, your safety became our main mission. Maximum safety in the arms of care and love. And, of course, the high level of professionalism of our instructors, DJs, the whole team, and the support of each of you - all this became the key to success. Having taken this way together, we move on, and we are confident of a positive result and our bright future. And we can safely say that Kyiv Dance Festival 2021 will take place💚
The organizer Dennis Nedelko
