In 2019 I came across a friend’s Instagram story of her dancing. This was regular, however, a “19/365” note at the bottom of the video was peculiar. I thought little of it until, some time later, I saw her story again with a “95/365.” I hit her up, “what is this?”
As she explained the Dance-a-Day Challenge– record yourself dancing every day for the entire year– I remember feeling an overwhelming sense of admiration. To that point in my life I struggled to synchronize my desire to be a dancer with my discipline (or lack thereof) to work on the craft intentionally and consistently when nobody was watching. For the rest of 2019 I fueled my fire by witnessing my friend lay one video down at a time; building a mural of movement that inspired me to do the same in 2020.
Little did I know that the practice would serve as a foundation for my growth and mental health throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. Below is my own mural of movement– a collage of monthly, 150-180 second, videos– from January to December of 2020. I hope it serves someone like my friend served me.
Quilan 'Cue' Arnold 