Dancing has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. During primary school, I was a gymnast and when I had reached secondary school, I branched into dancing. When I read the following quote by Rumi, I knew I had to find out about what he was referring to:
“Dancing is not just getting up painlessly, like a leaf blown in the wind; dancing is when you tear your heart out and rise out of your body to hang suspended between the worlds.”
Whilst in college, I joined Jazzart Productions and was trained at the Artscape Theatre with some of the most accomplished dancers of our time. I chose two disciplines of dance namely, contemporary and street. My two respective teachers were my mentors and were able to nurture my ability in a way that has staying power. Later on, I started enjoying Latin music and was always keen to dance to South American beats. I fell in love with Salsa and as a result, I followed the movement around the world and still do. There were a few local clubs and hangout spots that were dedicated to this genre and I would make a point of going to dance there whenever and wherever I could. These venues tend to last for a few seasons and presently, new venues pop up all the time. Combining my skills from the other dance disciplines that I’ve been formerly trained in, makes for an interestingly unique personal style. I have found three partners who are able to dance with me; as if we had rehearsed any sequence for months prior. That is the flow of dance that I most enjoy - when one is able to move with another seemlessly by simply feeling each others' energy and by being fully present in the moment. It’s a phenomenon that I’ve only experienced with a talented few.
And as Rumi would have it:
"Dance, when you're broken open. Dance, if you've torn the bandage off. Dance in the middle of the fighting. Dance in your blood. Dance when you're perfectly free."
I don't know about you, but I'm taking Rumi's advice to keep on dancing through it all!
A Leaf Blown in the Wind by EJ for EJblogtv
an Enjoyment Journal about Everything EJ
xoxo