That Feeling...

Thoughts from "Cool Chic" 

I’ve never really been able to put into words how I feel about being a dancer.  How can you verbalize a sensation that can only be expressed through movement? Over the years, I’ve thought a lot about the question “Why do you dance?”  Most dancers you ask have an answer, the most common being something about self expression or the high of performing.  Usually when confronted with that question by somebody, I make up some bullshit to give them what they want to hear.  However, when confronting myself with the question, the only truthful answer I can find is that I actually don’t know. 

I do know that I have a thirst for perfection when working that spans all aspects of my life.  I crave clean lines, sharp angles, the perfectly arched foot.  I love that as a dancer you’re working with limitless possibilities of perfection.  For even the best dancers, there’s always room for higher legs and sharper turns. 

I also know that by nature I am a fidgety person.  God give patience to whoever has to sit beside me on long train rides!  While my mind can stay focused on one task, my body, my absorbing aura, needs to be in constant motion to stay satisfied so maybe dance is an outlet to expel my tension.

There’s also the obvious reason, like every dancer on this planet, I love to perform.  Go ahead and stare, I welcome your eyes on me and the challenge of keeping you interested.  However selfish it may seem, what I love about performance is not being able to reach out and touch your emotions, but being in touch with mine.  Like the flying freedom of the air, it’s a feeling that goes beyond the stage.  There’s nothing comparable to that feeling of seamlessly connecting one practiced move to the next whether it’s on stage, in the studio, or in your head as you’re walking down the street. 

At the end of the day, the only answer to the question “Why do you dance?” that makes any sense to me is just to feel that feeling.  It doesn’t happen all the time.  It can be fleeting and infuriatingly unpredictable but when you feel it, it really is something else.  That’s the best I could ever possibly do to describe it.  Those who know just know.

I hope to see you all at The 5th Element so I can just save all the words and show you what I mean. 

Mark your calendars.  You don't want to to anywhere else but at "The 5th Element" on Wednesday, May 5th, 2010.