dance

The other day at the thrift store I saw a beautiful African American older man standing strong while searching thru a rack of clothes. He had on a jacket that said "(I cant remember the actual name of it) Ballet Academy" written on the back. Suddenly I stood up a little taller and found my center and remembered I too used to dance.

I wasnt training to perform professionally, and I probably wouldnt have been considered really great by the rest of the world's standards, but I loved to dance. Ive never been very learned in the history of the art, although there are some names every student should recognize, and Ive never taken a master class because I never reached that level of skill, but I loved to dance. There has always been something deep inside of me that found its fullfillment while dancing. Feeling my body learn to stretch and move in ways it couldnt before, feeling the subtle pain but emense satisfaction of going deeper, taller, higher, harder, more confidently than ever before. Moving to rhythms and beats, classical and modern, boom bap and jazz that force you to tell a story with strength and power or lithe, graceful subtlty. I loved to dance.

Ballet was beautiful and fulfilled the side of me that is orderly, perfectionistic, and controlled. I loved the barre work, the flexibility required, and the elegance of the dance. Jazz was like the flirty sister to ballet, incorporating similar skills with flair and pazzazz but allowing more freedom of movement. Modern was like a ballet of its own but didnt force the body to do impossible things. Instead it let the body reach its fullest potential with movements and shapes and rolls and flat backs and releases that required the same control but loved the body as it was. Hip-hop was my breath of fresh air, my sense of freedom and beauty. What I felt most at ease learning. African was hard, intense, rhythmic, and definitely a rewarding cultural experience. Tap was classic. A dance that does not get the credit it deserves. A precise yet free flowing, detailed yet whimsical art. And b-boying, or breakdancing as some still refer to it, an amazing combination of incredible strength, fascinating movement, and sheer skill. Of course there are many other styles of dance, and to be honest my favorites would have to be the Latin Dances, although Ive only had a tiny bit of experience with them.

The art of dance is a slow study, full of passion, grace, detail, love, sorrow, pain, and determination. It is a gathering of all peoples from all walks of life who desire to share their stories thru movement. I am privileged to have been a part of that art for a short time in my own life. I miss it. And hopefully I will someday dance again.