May 12, 2021
A Circus Performer Goes Through the Covid Hoops
Liza Cheharovska looks into one segment of non-essential workers in Nevada, the entertainers and show performers, who have had to pivot to other occupations while waiting for the bright lights to turn back on.
The COVID vaccine rollout has brought hope to businesses and patrons alike. A press release from the Nevada Health Response claims, “the state continues toward a full economic reopening by the goal of June 1”. Is it the end of the tunnel for those who went so many months without being able to work?
When pandemic restrictions began in 2020 workers got split into the categories of essential and nonessential. Some jobs simply switched to remote work, others created guidelines and provided gear, and the rest shut down. According to Forbes, over 50 million people filed for unemployment.
“All artists were told that we would temporarily close and resume work in the summer but this did not happen, quarantine measures were tightened and we continued to wait,” Jenna, a circus performer from Ukraine who wanted to go just by her first name for this article, to not jeopardize future job opportunities.
Nevada’s casinos and entertainment industries took a huge hit from the new restrictions. Thousands of workers got laid off and many of those were in entertainment on work visas from different countries.
“When the pandemic began, I did not know how to continue living, how to make money, whether I should stay in the states or return home, I was confused.”
Jenna came to the United States from Odessa, known to some as ‘the pearl of the Black Sea’ to pursue her career in acrobatic performance. She had been working at the Celestia Show in Las Vegas for two years before being let go with a vague promise of reopening. Luckily the company extended work visas for their performers.
Workers such as Jenna have had to search for other opportunities. Jenna and her boyfriend, a Celestia Show performer as well, have temporarily moved from Las Vegas to Reno where they have picked up jobs in doordashing, restaurant kitchens, photography, and even pole fitness.
While Jenna is able to work odd jobs to get through an uncertain time, others don’t have the same ability.
The Census Bureau has found that over the course of the last year, thousands of households are not meeting their basic needs, even with the three rounds of stimulus checks and enhanced unemployment benefits.
“The biggest challenge was the decision to stay and try to live without a permanent job,” Jenna said. “But looking back, I understand that everything worked out for me. I returned to my favorite business and taught dances in a studio, offers from various circuses are beginning to come in, it seems to me very soon everything should be the same, I believe in it.”
