Every now and then a commercial comes along and gets you right in the feels. The current commercial making the rounds from Amazon is one example. The commercial comes right at the beginning of the holiday season ( for maximum impact) and is titled The Show Must Go On.
The commercial starts out with a young dancer who was just named the star of the winter show. The pure joy on her face is unmistakable as she tries on the headpiece of her costume. She shares that joy with her family and she continues to practice faithfully.
Then the pandemic happens and everything shuts down.
This doesn’t slow the dancer down, however. She continues dance classes through Zoom and practices her dancing whenever and wherever she can.
When she gets the news that the show is cancelled, she is heartbroken.
But then...
Her family sees her disappointment and gets to work. They create announcements and send them around the neighborhood. Someone orders a a spotlight to shine on her while she dances in the street below. It’s not the big production she thought it would be but at the end when she is dancing in the street with snow falling all around her - it’s perfect.
This commercial is a reminder of all the disappointments we all have experienced this year. Of everything that has been cancelled or postponed. But it’s also a reminder of our loved ones who have done what they could to mitigate those disappointments.
I admit this hit me harder than usual because my daughter is a dancer. Just like the young woman in this commercial - my daughter did dance classes through Zoom, she practiced dance whenever and wherever. She was scheduled to attend one of her favorite conventions in March, but that was cancelled at the last minute. The rest of the competition season was cancelled as well.
In the middle of June, her dance studio was able to put on a smaller, simpler version of recital on an outdoor stage. The theme of the recital was: The Show Must Go On. My daughter has dealt with many disappointments, but she kept dancing.
My daughter has also been like this beautiful ballerina’s family and friends - she has done what she could to bring a smile to others. She has gone out of her way to deliver care packages to her friends, she’s bought coffee for her dance teachers, and she’s even picked up Red Vines from Target for her mom who is slightly obsessed with them.
We are all this dancer dealing with great disappointment. We are all her family and friends doing what we can to help others with their disappointments. We all need to be comforted and to comfort. Sometimes the spotlight is on us and sometimes we need to put that spotlight on others.
This commercial gives me hope in humanity. Hope in each other. And that’s something that is very much needed at this time.
- Amy Young
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