I understand this is contrary to the traditional quote that
encouraged us to dance like no one is
watching. (For the most part when I
am dancing no one really is watching,
because it usually takes place in my bedroom in front of my TV streaming
YouTube videos.) Now, of course, I understand the sentiment of the original
quote. Forget what people think. Be true to yourself. Find your inner joy and
express it freely without fear or judgment or critique. That is all very good
and sound counsel. However I would like to take it a few steps further.
In recent months I have worked at a venue that held several
dance competitions for regional dance studios. During the course of these
events, I have tucked away a few tidbits of dancing ‘lessons’ that I would like
to translate into life ‘lessons’ and share with you. Hopefully these tidbits
will encourage you to find the joy in life’s music and find your inner (and
outer) Dancing Queen (or King, as the case may be.) So here we go….
#1. Pack Light = I have watched many a Dance Mom struggle
with huge cases filled with all kinds of ‘stuff’. I have gone on week long
vacations and did not pack as much as they bring for a one day competition. I
understand the desire to be ready for anything, but really, are we EVER really ready for anything? So here is my advice. Remove
the junk. We carry around things in our minds and hearts that weigh us down.
Regrets. Bad decisions. Fear. Loneliness. Take them out of your life’s
suitcase. They serve no purpose except to slow your forward progress. Releasing
them will leave you give freedom to be graceful and get where you need to be in
the NOW. Your next big performance is coming up. Hit the stage without dragging
the burdens of yesterday with you.
#2. You Can Never Have Too Much Sparkle = This is my
personal favorite. If you know me, then you know I am all about the sparkle!
The dressing room floor after a dance competition is a sea of glitter. The
lights on stage pick up the illumination, so it is glued or sewn on everything.
Outfits, shoes, jewelry, hair. It even comes in a liquid form in spray bottles
for the skin. (I actually have some of that. It’s awesome!) Our own personal
sparkle is what sets us apart from others. It can take many forms. It can be our
smile. Our kind words. The desire to listen and show compassion. A helping
hand. The ability to bring light and laughter to a room. My beautiful friend
Susan has the most natural internal ‘sparkle’ of anyone I have ever met. The
atmosphere actually changes whenever she is around. I am forever in awe and
envious of the positive energy that pours from her. So look within yourself and
discover your inner sparkle. Whatever
it is that ‘illuminates’ your world or those around you…..TAKE IT UP A NOTCH. You
can never outshine yourself. So be glorious.
#3. Change Up Your Routine = Now THIS is my personal
struggle. I am sorely a creature of habit. And not always good habits. But it
is beneficial to change things up. Get out of your comfort zone. Try something
new. Stretch your boundaries. When it comes to dance competitions, I know very
little. But I can tell you this. The routines that use the same moves, costumes
and music, even with flawless execution can become boring. When someone walks
out on that stage and funks it up a little, wakes up the audience with a flash
of individuality; THOSE are the performances that get the crowd excited. They
might not always win a trophy, but they are the ones remembered. So go somewhere
you’ve always wanted to go, learn a skill you’ve always admired, check one or
two things off your bucket list. Do
something memorable.
#4. Teamwork Is Vital = Life is a team sport. I know, we
don’t want to hear that. We want to be solitary soldiers marching to our own
agenda. (Or is that just me??) But it truly doesn’t work that way. We need each
other. If we do it right, we look out
for each other. And this is really the best and most heart warming thing I
discovered about the dance community; the genuine love and concern for one another.
I have watched one girl miss a cue or take a spill and cost the entire group
points. I braced myself for the backlash against the offender just so sure she
would be shunned or scolded. But that’s not what happened, ever. As a group,
they would rally to her, for her. Encourage her. Carry her off the stage. Wipe
her tears. Older more experienced girls comforting the younger. Somehow the
teacher had engrained in those girls the beauty and absolute necessity in being
there for each other. Because at one point or another, the one in need will be
YOU. Of all the things they learned, I hope that is the one thing they take
with them into ‘life’. We all need a support system around us. It doesn’t have
to be huge, it just has to be sincere. Make sure you can be there for someone when
they miss their cue and need that encouragement.
#5. Slips Happen = This is a follow up to #4. Slips will
happen. Tumbles are made. Occasionally they occur in the dressing room of life
where no one ever sees. Those are easily overcome and brushed off. But
sometimes, oh my dear friends, sometimes, they happen on center stage in front
of your entire world. And it can feel like the worse thing ever. Unrecoverable.
Devastating. What to do? Get up. Keep dancing. If you have to limp for a while,
then limp. But keep dancing. Don’t quit. Don’t walk off the stage. You only
have one life’s stage. You can’t abandon it. I understand the crushing weight
of regret and even despair when your emotional equilibrium gives way and you
crash land. But you can’t stay down. Nothing good ever happened while staying
down. So you have to pick yourself up. And
keep dancing.
With the popularity of TV programs like So You Think You Can
Dance and Dancing with The Stars and of course, let’s not forget Dance Moms,
there is a growing interest in dancing. All kinds of dancing. I, for one, think
that is super. I love the idea of taking the concept of dancing out of the late
night, dark floors of clubs and making it available to the ageless masses that
just love to feel the music and move.
Dancing is one of the world’s best stress relievers. You can’t
be upset or anxious when the music really touches you. I highly recommend it.
Even if it is when no one is watching. But never let it stop you if they are.
We're fools whether we dance or not, so we might
as well dance. ~Japanese Proverb
The Big Dance Floor of Life is waiting for you. Go put on
your best sparkle!
Hope Out!
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