Born Again Dancer

Exactly one year ago today I began reclaiming my dancer's soul . I honor this day as a wonderful birthday of sorts, because the decision to dance again changed my life. (Dancing -- or not -- has always brought change.) When I left my first class a year ago, I was wobbly and inspired . I was frustrated, too, because it was clear that I had a lot to work on. I decided to give it a year. I pledged to pass no judgment on myself for a year. I would not critique myself, I would simply show up, do the work and see what happened. I would strive to give myself unconditional acceptance, in part because it was offered to me by strangers -- two men who became my teachers and 100+ classes later, also have become my friends. Silencing my inner critic is no easy task. It was really important to have reinforcements in that battle. I persisted, and a lot happened in a year. 125+ hours of class and rehearsals. 2 musical theatre workshops. 2 new pairs of dance shoes. 1 recital in a red dress . 1 bl...

On Wednesday I did something that made me absolutely giddy: I rented a dance studio for one hour, all to myself. Luxury, I know. I prepared my iPod with a playlist of music from my favorite class and showed up 30 minutes early to relax and contemplate my opportunity. After a strong warmup, I had 25 minutes to "play." Being alone in a dance studio had a slight "blank page" effect on me. Where to start? What to do? What will come out? One of my classmates encouraged me last month to have this "alone time" to dance. She assured me that I would know what to do. And I did figure it out, piecing together some turn combinations and then dancing a handful of pieces that I have learned in class. My nifty brain, loaded with memory and logic, figured it out. Afterward, it occurred to me that my body knows a lot, too. But my brain is a persistent, dominant force in my dancing right now. It is time to get it out of the way. It may not be easy. I realized this two mo...