Why Do I Dance??

     I thought for a long time about what my first blog post should be about.  I mean, where do you start and how do you let people know what you are about?  I figured that I would give you a look into what I do and who I am.  So I decided to answer the question that I hear very often.

     Why do you dance?

     I’ve heard it asked many times to many different types of dancers, and every time it’s a similar answer.  “Asking why I dance is like asking why I breathe.”  There really is no explanation.  It is just something that you know – it’s something innate.  I used to not understand why people would ask this question, but as I got older, I figured it out – they haven’t found their dancing.  By this, I mean that they haven’t found that thing that they love to do, the thing that they were meant to do.  If someone is asking this question, then they will never understand, no matter how hard you try to explain it. 

     Dancing is a way to express yourself without having to talk, without having to explain, and without having to apologize.  No matter how you use your movement to express yourself, there is always somewhere that you can fit in.  There are so many different types of dancing, that no matter what you like or dislike there is always going to be something for you.  Whether it’s partner dancing, ballet, modern, jazz, hip hop, folk dancing, country dancing, line dancing, capoeira, flamenco, or the thousands of other styles out there, they all do the same thing.  They give you a platform for expression of the music and of yourself. 

     

     The combination of physical, athletic movement and self-expression is something that all dance styles have in common.  Dance is one of the few activities that melds these two seemingly opposite activities.  The physicality takes constant practice and effort and a desire to be better and to always be moving.  The self-expression is seen in the individuality.  Even in the strictest forms of dancing, you can see how one person differs from the other and how each person adds their own flair to everything.  

     So – why do I dance?  I dance to be active, to push my body to do more, to allow my body to express the music, and to express myself.  There is nothing better than dancing, and I hope through my posts I will help you see how I view dance, expose you to different aspects of dance, and maybe help you strive to be a better dancer.