The Rising

When I wake up, each day is different. Ever since the beginning of March, it seems that the American life has spiraled down. I’ve opened my eyes and had to face losing countless things— some of those which are still hard to comprehend. Family members have passed due to a bewildering virus. I’ve lost my job and practice as a ballerina. I’m an extrovert, but also immunocompromised, so I no longer have the ability to connect and breathe the same air with friends as I once did on a daily routine. These routines that I once took for granted are so distant now. Ongoing systemic issues are now pressing matters as people can’t wait for change any longer. Progressive citizens are trying to understand the depths of vast corruption that our country shouldn’t have to face. It’s been said that America is the “land of the free, home of the brave.” Can that whole statement be true, especially when so much uncertainty and unrest is present in our society?

Have Faith

For me, hope will never lose. No matter how hard times become, you need to persevere. As the character Rocky Balboa says, “The world ain’t all sunshine and rainbows. It’s a very mean and nasty place and I don’t care how tough you are, it will beat you to your knees and keep you there if you let it... It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward.” Aside from movies and scripts, lyricists' influential poetry can be the voice of our thoughts and what helps us make it through on these hard days. And for me, that artist is Bruce Springsteen.

Grow Stronger

The Rising is the title track of his 2002 album. Bruce wrote this song after seeing an image he couldn’t quite get out of his head. The lyrics bear witness to the story behind a firefighter from the New York City Fire Department climbing one of the World Trade Center towers after the 9/11 attacks. The first responders had immense courage to save lives while completely engulfed in darkness. These heroes were covered in ashes from what once stood cloud grazing, prosperous buildings filled with businessmen and women.

Correspondingly, today our doctors and nurses are on the front lines of this pandemic, trying to rapidly cure and prevent disease. They swiftly adjusted to new procedures to meet the needs of the alarming amounts of incoming patients. And whether or not some of the current statistics are exaggerated, we must never justify suffering or deaths. This is also the underlying proclamation scattering protests in the nation. If the United States, nevertheless the world, seeks to discover their weaknesses, they can make positive change.

Voices of Hope

Bruce Springsteen’s The Rising may not be the type of anthem you would listen to when going for a jog or lifting weights, but it’s a song you can listen to that acts almost like a prayer. It allows for self-reflection and visuals of strength despite all the pain that tries to destroy your motivation to be something great. No matter who you are, where you live, and what you’ve been through, most humans deal with similar emotions. Other songs on the album, including Waitin’ on a Sunny Day, My City of Ruins, or Lonesome Day depict the optimism we can hold in our hearts in the hopes that one day things will be better. Anytime I listen to The Rising, as well as the rest of Springsteen's album, I will remember these disconcerting times and the persistence it took to envision a better future. Luckily, music is that shoulder we can lean on when we are alone and worried. Ingesting Bruce's liberating melodies will forever keep me strong and positive, especially during trying times.

As I mentioned previously, I am a professional ballerina. Right now, it's very much impossible to sweat and rehearse body to body in studios due to the social distancing measures. Because audiences are unable to attend performances, Broadway is closed until 2021, as well as many theaters dispersed across the country. This unsettling news has left dancers, actors, singers, stage crew, and many others in show business frustrated. But my motto always has been to try to find the beauty within the pain. Ballet is such a tedious, intricate art that requires much precision in making the body accustomed to unnatural positions. Training and rehearsals can be strenuous due to the long hours and intense pressure but the reward of giving that performance is beyond gratifying. Working from home pushes me to create a buoyant environment; I'm constantly discovering new talents that reside deep inside me. Sometimes this tunnel seems so long and dark, but always know that there is light on the other side. The surrounding controversies may feel claustrophobic, but continuing to work hard on morals and hidden capabilities will allow countries and its citizens to take a leap of faith: every step forward, is a step in the right direction.