My Problem with Modern Day Dance

When I began dancing, and growing as a dancer, I always looked for the best in the room. The best technique, the perfect body, the people who had the look and the assets to back it up. I felt like only the people who can land a perfect triple or kick their leg higher than everyone else in the room could really dance. Since becoming more mature and growing in my dance education I have come to a beautiful realization about how wrong I was. I feel like I need to begin by asking a hypothetical question. Imagine you are sitting down to a wondrous two hours of Swan Lake by your favorite ballet, or a season premiere of innovative movement created by your favorite contemporary artist. Now imagine you come to a part in the program in which all of the dancers on stage are doing the exact same movement. Your eye catches one person in particular? And why is it that everyone is doing the same thing and you cannot stop staring at red head or broad shoulders guy?

 It is really easy to get wrapped up in the stereotypes of dance. Oh, I have to be skinny. I can't have boobs. I need good feet, and great legs. As artists of dance, our body is a canvas. How boring would it be to only paint on one type? People paint on rocks, sketch in sketch books, and create art from thousands of mediums. Before athletes, dancers are artists. It is our job to utilize all of these to create a museum with more than one exhibit.


Now back to the beginning, there is some unknown reason as to why you look at that dancer... to me, my eye is drawn to the corps dancer who is putting one thousand percent into the movement despite what she/he looks like. I think the most beautiful thing dance has shown me is that anyone can do it and sometimes its the most unlikely of people that make you feel all the emotions dance can unlock. I may not be a professional dancer or wildly successful but I want to offer some advice to you, whomever you may be. I want you to look in the mirror and love yourself. Love all your flaws because that is what sets you apart from everyone else. Be the best you you can be because you can't be anyone else but that. Never let anyone tell you that you can't do something because of the way you look, where you grew up, or how much money or training or education you have. Because even if you don't become a  principal dancer or an artistic director you are doing what you love and you just might inspire someone else to do the same.