Pro Dancer Molly Givney’s Tribute to All the Dancers Forced Into Isolation
Out of Work But Still Inspired
Interview and article by Heather Clements
After training all her life, Molly Givney, 20, was about to head to Miami to start her first professional job as a dancer with Royal Caribbean Cruises when COVID19 hit and her life was put on hold indefinitely. So, with little to do and knowing her wide circle of friends were also either stuck at home or on cruise ships, Molly decided to put together a video to give her now-unemployed friends some hope.
The pass-along video is set to two feel-good songs – ‘Send Me On My Way’ by Rusted Root and ‘Slice of Heaven’ by Dave Dobbyn, and features 52 dancers who have now found themselves unemployed and in limbo due to the pandemic. It was published live on YouTube on May 12 2020. The link to the video is below, or can be accessed here: https://youtu.be/ZtvnumyvX-8
Molly said she was compelled to create the collaborative video because wanted to help inspire all the unemployed dancers at the moment.
“Obviously there was literally nothing to do for performers except open Zoom classes, but it’s very different, and making this video helped everyone have a larger audience again. And it has gone sort of viral, which helped build our confidence up again and motivate them to keep dancing,” said Molly.
“There are so many performers in Australia who have worked so hard to get professional work. To say that we are all shattered would be an understatement. Entire shows have been cancelled not only in Australia but around the world. Local theatre and gigs have also all be put on hold and of course, overseas contacts, dancing on cruise ships, in Disney shows and other opportunities have been halted… temporarily we all hope.”
The response to Molly’s request to put together her video collaboration was incredible from both the dance world and the community in general.
“I’ve had such amazing feedback from the dancers who were involved – they really loved getting the motivation to choreograph a short piece for this collaboration. I really wanted to do something for all the dancers who have had their professional lives put on hold. The response from the dancers who wanted to be involved was overwhelming. I wanted to make it flow from each dancer so I had to send the previous video to the next dancer so they knew how to start their choreography. It was an exciting creative process for me.”
“All these dancers have professional contracts or jobs that are put on hold, and are currently all around Australia, overseas and even on cruise ships trying to get home. I think this is amazing and I’m trying to get it out there… they all deserve to be seen!
“And it has gone sort of viral, which helped build our confidence up again and motivate them to keep dancing.” Molly was even interviewed on Channel 7s ‘Sunrise’ morning program about her video.
Brisbane-based Molly got her grass roots training at Allenby Dance School before heading to Transit Dance in Melbourne where she completed two years full time training. She was supposed to leave for Miami in May for rehearsals and would have now been starting her eight month on Spectrum of the Seas if it were not for COVID19.
“It’s super difficult. I know all dancers are struggling right now. We are all unemployed and have little to do. But we are still being positive and now getting back into classes either online or in the studio with limited numbers, especially here in Queensland things are opening up again. I am trying to keep busy and active to keep inspired,” said Molly.
She recently received news that the cruise company will be back in operation in April 2021 and she will resume her contract. “It’s obviously a year after I was meant to leave, but honestly, it’s sooner than I thought which is amazing.”
You can follow Molly Givney on:
Instagram @molly_givney
Facebook @molly.givney
