I asked 4dancers contributor Karen to share a few words with us today about what dance means to her…here’s her reply…
It’s funny….when I was a little girl, my mom wanted me in dance classes. However, I–being the rebel–wanted nothing to do with them. And yet, I was the girl who secretly danced for years in her bedroom (although, once I stole my mom’s black patent leather pumps and showed her my little routine to “What’s New Pussycat”).
It wasn’t until I was in my early 20’s that I really found dance. I realized then that dance was more than just ballet and jazz. And the more classes I took, the more I fell in love, even if I felt the class was challenging. Today, I still take classes as well as teach and perform and my love for dance has not weakened in the slightest.
As I grew as a dancer, dance began to have more meaning to me. Dance has become food for my soul. Yes, I know it sounds cliché, but it’s true. I feel lost when I can’t take a class, like something is missing. It has become my piece of mind. When I went through a very rough time of taking care of my mom, dance was the one thing that kept my stress down. When I danced, I felt free. My mind could relax and focus on something else for a moment and become recharged.
My mom knew and understood this and she made it a point to make sure that even though I needed to be there for her, I needed to be there for myself as well. So I still danced. Even after losing her, I can still hear her voice every now and then telling me to make sure I dance. Dance is therapy for the heart, soul, mind and body. And in my travels, I’ve talked to a lot of women from various parts of the globe who all feel very much the same. Some discovered dance after their spouse died, or after suffering from a stroke; it filled a void, helped their memory loss, and in essence, gave them their life back. It is that powerful.
Dance is as essential as drinking water. I would feel very empty if dance was no longer in my life.
Karen shared some very personal thoughts about dance here…what does dance mean to you?
Dancing – for me it is a suspension of disbelief, and a leap of faith – every time. I know very well that I will never be up to par with the real dancers of this world. The ones we admire and adore! But I do know that I have some technique to let go and enjoy myself. It is not always easy or comfortable to dance full out, with your heart on your sleeve, but it is exhilarating.
Much like you, I found my passion for dance as late as in my early twenties. Now, almost twenty years later I think I was just a kid back then! My mom never pushed me, and to this day has never seen me take class or perform. My grandma understood my passion much better and supported me financially as well. My real mentors though have been my wonderful teachers, who understand that even a recreational adult “wannabe ballerina” can be taught and pushed and encouraged. Dance is a way of life for me, and when I go to class I always feel like I´ve come home.
Thanks for your editorial, it again goes to show how much alike we dancers really are. 🙂
Thanks so much Johanna for your comment. Adult dancers are among my favorites, as they fully appreciate the hard work and reward that goes into ballet. I hope that your dance journey continues to bring you much joy and satisfaction! 🙂