Sit on the floor next to the chair and do nothing…
The Art of growing as a dancer without dancing.
This article about the art of doing nothing. By "doing nothing" I mean NOT DANCING in order to grow as a dancer. Now I know this sounds counterintuitive and definitely counterproductive, but HEAR ME OUT...Read all the way through and you'll have the key to becoming not just a decent dancer, but a great dancer!
Now back to the "doing nothing". This isn't your typical "do nothing". This is doing nothing with the complete open-mindedness to accept and coexist with every bit of what it means to exist as a living being on this earth. Taking control by surrendering control (i.e. choosing to sit on the floor next to a chair that was meant to be sat in).
Okay, maybe it's getting too deep? Y'all let me know. Until then, I'll fast forward to my point in This month's Beginner Dance Blog Article: Majority of your growth as a dancer happens when you are not dancing.
Allow me to elaborate:
OF COURSE YOU MUST PRACTICE AND DANCE OFTEN IF YOU WANT TO BECOME A BETTER DANCER! If you don't practice, dance, and train you'll only be as good as you currently are, nothing more but also nothing less.
In this article Step 1 is PRACTICE, DANCE, & TRAIN.
However, just because you've been consistent in step 1, with the aim of becoming a better dancer, doesn't mean you've grown as a dancer.
As dancers, we often hear the mantra: "Keep dancing!" It's a push towards perpetual motion, an encouragement to practice, perform, and perfect our craft. However, true growth as a dancer isn't just about constant physical movement or improving technique; it's about embracing the whole spectrum of life's experiences, including the pauses.
The Power of Pausing
Taking a break may seem counterintuitive to progress. Yet, it's in these moments of pause that we truly absorb, reflect, and synthesize the emotional and physical inputs that feed our artistry and mind-body connectedness. Dance is not merely a set of movements; it's a language that mirrors life itself—complex, nuanced, and richly emotional.
Experience Life, Enhance Dance
Life is the most fertile source of inspiration you can tap into to enhance your creativity and truly grow as a dancer. Every experience, whether joyous, sorrowful, tranquil, or turbulent, adds depth to your movement. When you allow yourself to live fully, embracing every high and low, you gather a library of emotions and stories that you can translate into your dance.
The Creative Cycle: Engage, Absorb, Articulate
Think of your creative process as a cycle:
1. Engage with the world around you. Step out of the metaphoric dance studio and into the full-bodied life that surrounds you.
2. Absorb the emotions, the sights, the sounds, and the rhythms of YOUR everyday life.
3. Articulate by translating these experiences into dance. Use your body to tell the stories you've lived, felt, and witnessed.
This cycle encourages you as both a human and a dancer to be not just a spectacle of entertainment but a storyteller, an artist capable of transforming the mundane into the magical.
Conclusion
Remember, dancers are more than their movements. You are poets of the posture, rhythm narrators who capture and convey the essence of the human experience. So, take that break, live passionately, and let life teach you its rhythms. When you return to the dance floor, you'll bring with you a richer palette of emotions to share through your art.
You MUST periodically surrender the control of "PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE” (sitting in the chair), so you can Engage, Absorb, & Articulate (Sitting in the floor next to the chair).
