In the past few years, many of my students have gone through
difficult times, and I have found myself repeating the same thought…it’s an
important thought, and I feel that it is relevant enough, and an important
enough piece of my personal philosophy, to write it down:
Dance doesn’t judge you.
Dance doesn’t mind if you need to take care of other things
for a little while.
Dance will be there for you when you need it.
Don’t feel guilty, if life gets in the way and you have to
take a step back from dance. Don’t let dance become a burden to you. Yes, dance
can push you, and if you let it, guide you to become more than you ever dreamed
you can be. Dance will ALWAYS be there for you.
That means that if you get hurt, if you lose a loved one, if
you lose your way, dance is OK with you not coming to class for a little while.
If you need to visit with dance only at home or in the privacy of your backyard,
dance is going to understand, and dance will wrap around you and sing in your
heart whenever you do find the time.
When you come back to class and you are a little rusty, or
your techniques aren’t quite where they used to be, dance doesn’t care. Dance
won’t go away because you get frustrated….it’s still there, patiently waiting
for you to get out of your own way.
Dance will be there for you, through thick and through thin.
Dance is inside you, and once you find your way to dance, it
will never forsake you. It’s OK if you need to step back, and it’s OK to return
after months, years, or even decades, away!
Dance is here, never far away, calmly and ecstatically
anticipating the day that you are ready to just get up and Dance!
