Dance: The First Steps

This post is a moment of reflection, both on what makes kids want to dance now and on what made me want to dance back in the day. Two weeks ago, I had the pleasure of presenting my various dance classes in their school shows and at the Cambridge Performance Project Spring Show. Honestly, I was far more nervous than my kids, and was relieved by the positive responses I received from the audience, my coworkers, and most importantly: my students. After months of demanding work, on my part, to engage these kids in the arts, it was music to my ears to hear "When are we going up again?" after finishing our piece on stage.

(My students fidgeting before the show.)

For more photos, check out the other professional photos taken and posted HERE on the Cambridge Chronicle website!

Often when I teach my kids, I find myself thinking back to when I first began dancing. Many of my students are younger than I was when I first began taking classes, but dancing and classes do not necessarily have to to go hand-in-hand. I still remember leaping from circle to circle on our old orangey-gold oriental carpet. I remember dressing up in beads and tutus, and twirling around. Even more strongly, I remember the beat of Aretha Franklin and Elvis Presley playing as I grooved, maybe 3 or 4 at the oldest.

(Photo stolen from Jamie Simcoe)

When I think about the fact that I reached a point when I felt the urge to stop pursuing dance, a decision based purely on the insecurities I felt as the only serious student in a group of silly girls, yet also the pressures of a strict no-love atmosphere, I want to do all I can to be the one to steer these kids into a lifestyle that includes the arts. If it wasn't for Jean D'Urbano, her positive reenforcement, her constantly challenging combinations, and her stories of life as a professional dancer, I don't think I would have necessarily made dance the center of my being the way it is now. I'm no Jean D'Urbano! But I do hope that I can make an impact on the students I teach. Being sure of one's movements and one's body are so important as one enters adolescence and adulthood, so if nothing else, let them move through life with grace!