Dance will always be something that means entirely too much to formulate into words. And that is the whole entire point: dance expresses the soul when words fail. I have not given too much thought as to what dance looks like to an outsider who has not been exposed to it much before because it is like second nature to me. When people ask questions like, "Why do you dance?" or, "What kind of dance do you do?" I have routine answers programmed into my mind. I want to take a moment to articulate those thoughts and truly express why dance is the greatest thing in the world to me.
Like many dancers, I started at the young age of 3 in my pink tights and tutu hanging on the barre without much of a care in the world about pointing my feet. Who knew how much that barre would turn into my greatest friend/worse enemy... But anyways, I gradually started to take more genres as I got older. I absolute fell in love with contemporary modern, hip hop, and jazz through my later years. After years of studio training, high school competition dance team, and theatrical dance at my local theatre, I knew that dance was forever engrained in my life. It just felt natural to take it to the next step: major in dance at college. After spending a year training intensely in hip hop with my college's dance team, I found my niche with concert dance within the dance major department.
Side Note: I recognize that all of the different genres and terminology are confusing to those reading who are not super keen on the dance world, but it will take a lot more time beyond this article to try to explain in-depth the various facets. Basically, there are a variety of different styles that go along with different venues that dance can be performed at. For example, some dance is designed for a competition format in which the pieces are shorter and contain a multitude of technique, artistry, and technical tricks. Contrasting competition style, there is concert dance which explores a more artistic context with lengthier pieces that develop in time. Dance is not black and white; there are many shades of greys in between both avenues. No genre or venue is better than the other necessarily; it is all just up to personal preference.
So what is my favorite my part about it? I love it all, I really do. I love the complexity of the dance world and all it has to offer. No matter which style you focus on, every form of dance allows you to express yourself beyond the capacity of an average human being because of the usage of movement.This idea is foreign to some, and it can in ways be very vulnerable, but it is honestly so liberating. Allowing to let your body be free and explore the space around you as well as the earth underneath your feet is such a freeing feeling.
The diversity in dance is also amazing; each genre gives you something unique. Ballet is such a strict discipline with a codfified technique that you follow by like a sacred tradition. You train to make your body defy gravity and fit a physical physique, such as standing with turn out, that is unnatural to the average human. I have learned to love the authoritative nature of ballet despite the physical challenges that it creates for my body. Contrasting ballet, styles such as jazz and modern which also have a variety of their own forms of technique give you such freedom from the traditional standards and positions. The movement vocabulary and emotion can vary greatly within these genres from piece to piece. Hip hop breaks the boundaries even further with the usage of isolations and modern day break dancing tricks in conjunction with the exploration of hip hop and rap music in society today.
While each genre is unique, the contemporary nature of the dance world today has a habit of mixing several together at once; therefore, blurring the boundaries.This allows for more choreographic freedom and experimentation. Also, any type of dance can go along with any type of music. That is what can make dance so exciting: the unique pairings of movement and musicality.
No matter what genre, dance is extremely physically challenging as well as intellectually stimulating. It takes great knowledge to understand how the body works and how to use it effectively. Dancers also have to have a great memory to retain a multitude of various combinations and patterns, they must be spatially aware of others while moving, they must be able to breathe and work with other people just through body language, and they must be problem solvers while using improvisational techniques. While a dance class makes you sweat, it also challenges your mind.
Finally, dance brings out an emotional expression unlike any other outlet. When words fail, movement takes over. Performing gives me the biggest rush because I combine my artistry as a dancer with my acting capabilities to portray a specific character or mood that the story of my dance entails. It must, however, stem from something organic inside me in order to truly resonate with the audience. I can tell a story much better through my dancing than in any other form of communication. This is esspecaily why I value choreographing; I can put my ideas on others and watch them bring their own raw expression and personal story to my movement. That is truly magical to experience. (However, choreographing is a completely different topic that we shall cover another time).
Dance will always be my greatest love in life. There is nothing and no one that will ever replace the feeling that dance gives me. My life has truly been enriched by this art form, and I am the passionate, ambitious, and persevering person I am today because of it.
