As we self-isolate to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus, it’s more important than ever to find ways to connect.
Videos by InspireMore
Elsa Williams lives in the Chester neighborhood of Liverpool, England. She recently shared a video on Twitter that’s reminding everyone how much fun we can have at home, even when we’re practicing social distancing.
Twitter
“Our road hardly spoke to each other before this,” she shared online. In a clip, we see her mom, fitness instructor Janet Woodcock, leading their entire block in a dance to Tom Jones’ “It’s Not Unusual,” and it’s just delightful!
The tradition started a few weeks ago when Janet decided to reach out to their cooped-up elderly neighbors. She put a note through each of their mail slots to let them know she was available to deliver food or share a phone call if they got lonely.
Twitter
“I felt I needed to do a bit more to reach out as there are lots of elderly people on our street,” she said later. “So I put another note around inviting people to come out of their homes at 11 a.m. each morning so we could all send positive thoughts and love to each other. That’s all it was meant to be.”
But then someone told Janet they were having a hard time staying active, which gave her a great idea. The next day, she started playing music and dancing in her front lawn, and dozens of neighbors joined in!
Twitter
“I honestly thought it would just be a few of us, but more and more people kept coming out, and the response has been amazing,” she said. “It’s just escalated!”
Now, residents are saying her morning dance parties have become the “highlight” of their days.
“It’s giving people something to look forward to every day, some fresh air, seeing other people,” Janet said. “Last week it was brilliant when the sun was shining. It might be more of a challenge this week but we’ll keep going!”
Twitter
What a wonderful way to get people moving! We’re sure these neighbors will be much closer when this is over, and it’s all thanks to Janet’s daily dance parties.
Watch one of their workouts in the video below, and share this idea with your friends. For more stories of joy and hope, check out the Coronavirus Good News Dashboard.
Socially distant dancing happens every day on our road at 11am during #lockdown. This was day seven.#Covid19 #StayHomeSaveLives pic.twitter.com/yBw2Q230CA
– Elsa Williams (@elsalwilliams) March 31, 2020
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