Lagün Şengelen, a young Turkish ballerina, has continued her ballet practice by using her house as a dance studio during the curfew restriction imposed for those 20 years old and younger during the novel coronavirus pandemic.
In an interview with Anadolu Agency (AA), Şengelen stated that her ballet adventure started in western İzmir province at the age of 3 and that she has worked with many instructors from Turkey and abroad. She later studied at Hacettepe University’s Ankara State Conservatory.
She has performed in “Swan Lake,” “Harem” and “The Nutcracker” at Ankara State Opera and Ballet (DOB) since October. “DOB is a completely new page for me. Being a part of the State Opera and Ballet at a young age is quite exciting," she said.
Noting that she was forced to reprogram her daily routine in the wake of the curfew restriction, Şengelen said: “In this process, I continue my daily exercises without interruption to keep fit. After 40 minutes of cardio daily, I do body stretch exercises for about half an hour. I attend online ballet classes given by world-famous operas or dancers. Discipline is a very important factor in the continuity of my profession. For this reason, my daily work takes at least three hours.”
Şengelen stated that she has her family doing at least half an hour of exercise daily. “Since we are at home all day, we remain inactive unavoidably," she said. "I try to get through this process in the healthiest way possible by helping my family.”
Şengelen also noted that she has the opportunity to watch several works opened up for access by various theaters and operas due to the coronavirus outbreak. “Before the coronavirus outbreak, I was working at quite a high pace six days a week. Even though I cannot be that brisk now, I continue my studies at home," she said. "We can shorten this process by being sensitive to the health measures taken for all of us. I believe that good days will be waiting for us at the end of the challenging coronavirus process.”
