As THON 2021 prepares to go completely virtual, brand new challenges are created for everyone involved. It will be particularly challenging for the organization’s dancers and the Dancer Relations committee, both of whom won’t be in the Bryce Jordan Center this time around.

This year, dancers will participate from the comfort of their own homes. That alone has its own benefits and drawbacks, but for some people, it’s just another unique experience to tackle in the unique year we have experienced.

“I kind of like [being at home],” Hannah Flanders, a sophomore dancer, said. “I can have the people I want with me at all times.”

The flexibility of location lets dancers have more interaction with friends, family, and clubs. It also allows for less stress, as dancers will get time off to rest from midnight to 6 a.m. each night.

“Gamma Sigma Sigma is going to have a Zoom room open for most of the time, so I think I will spend a lot of time there so I can interact with the families,” Flanders said. “I also want to spend time with my sisters, my own family, and friends.”

Dancer Relations is working through different changes and expectations due to the online nature of THON. There are still many issues that will need to be worked out, but committee volunteers are keeping their spirits up moving forward.

“We are focusing on finding ways of supporting dancers virtually,” Sarah Parks, a sophomore committee member, said. “We are focusing on trying to keep our dancers safe, have them follow the rules, and keep them engaged.”

Both dancers and committee members are on the same page about wanting THON to be the best experience it can possibly be. The answers may not be available to everyone just yet, and some may not have even been discovered at all, but each group has something it wants to takeaway from this uncharted experience.

“I am most excited to see how dancers interact with family who live far away,” Parks said. “In the BJC, you can’t FaceTime or Zoom people. This year, it is going to be easier for people to communicate with the dancer or for the dancer to communicate with friends. I am really excited to see how that plays out.”

Some dancers are also be thinking about the families they are about to dance for. Even though it is a different setup than in years past, the message is still the same.

“I am humbled [to be a dancer],” Flanders said. “Those kids go through so much, and this is only a small amount of what they go through that I can also go through. I think it’ll be an eye-opening experience that I’ll get to have.”

We dance in 15 days, folks!