A Dancer's Body

I've been thinking about something a choreographer said to me once. I was telling him that I didn't want our oldest daughter (then 5 or 6) in dance classes because it would be the beginning of a long and treacherous road of poor body image and self loathing. That's what ballet was for me. I said she had my genes. I said, "I don't have a dancer's body." He immediately shot back, "If you danced, you would have a dancer's body." Smack.

I've thought about that periodically since then. Body image isn't the crushing trial it was before my mid-twenties, but the idea of doing something in order to become something applies everywhere in my life. Mother? Urbanite? Homeschooler? Sailer? I was not "the kind" until I did it and became "the kind" through practice. I need to assess what I'm doing to figure out what I'm becoming.

I'm glad I've given dance a second chance. Thanks to my dear friend K.B. for creating such a nurturing environment and teaching this class out of the goodness of her expansive heart.

P.S. These are not pictures of my dance class, but they are a good representation and the girl in the middle even looks something like I did at that age. We had balloons back in the day. ;)

Focus and Commitment

Trying something new makes me feel young; by "young" I mean enthusiastic, curious, and open. I enter the learning curve at the bottom where mistakes and successes are in symmetrical abundance. Mistakes are expected and therefore less discouraging. Successes are frequent and always a delight.

I'm taking a modern dance class and it's carving new pathways in my brain. While I love to dance freestyle at home or at parties, I haven't taken a dance class since early elementary school. My teacher expects awareness of the body, its relationship to space, and its relationship to the other dancers. I've long considered myself spatially challenged. I once entered a dance circle with a dramatic kickboxing move which caught my friend in the stomach and knocked her flat. Too much MTV?

In this class, my teacher praises focus and commitment to a movement. I notice this about dancers. The entire body is directed towards a single goal or direction. That may change quickly, but when it does the entire body supports the new decision. It's obvious on stage, but I've seen this in my dancer friends even when they are cooking.

I often think about the mind-body-spirit connection, but don't always honor it in my choices. My shoulders, hips, knees, and feet are generally facing three different directions. I know my body is telling me something true about my focus and commitment.

It's easier to be open to ideas in a new setting, environment, or experience. Modern dance is creating a new awareness and a new metaphor for understanding myself and my relationships with time, space, and people. Tonight my teacher praised "moments" of focus and commitment. I hope to have more of these moment in class and in life.