I'm always trying to find new ways to encourage myself to dance fully in class, relying on internal motivation - sensation and imagery - as opposed to external - all those pesky questions about "how good am I?" and "what do the other dancers think of me?" and "does this move look good on me?" My mental strategies are particularly necessary when I go into a new class with new people in it, or one with people whose opinion of me I care about.
Today my new strategy was this - to give myself to the dancing. I am what I am. All I can do is give my all. I am not hiding anything or pretending I am something other than what I am. This is my body, my dancing. Nothing more. Nothing less unless I start to hide. I am honest, open and generous.
Controlling the ego in dance is such a challenge! There are some aspects of self consciousness that are useful and others that are not. Dance is a place where you have to completely own your identity, say "this is me, here I am." You are vulnerable and often literally quite exposed, and yet that part of the ego that makes you worry about "am I going to get this right" and "are my thighs too big?", or even "my body is hot" and "I got my leg so high up on that one!" ... all that can really get in the way of what you're actually there for - dancing.
Food for thought.
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