Corrections I Think About

Hello.

Driving up to Minneapolis to take one contemporary dance class seems crazy, but I thought it seemed crazy not to. When the teacher is someone you deeply respect and look up to, you simply just don’t really question the why nots. During the class I was thinking about the corrections she was giving to us dancers and how relatable they were to life. It reminded me that dance is really such a philosophical art that can add so much meaning to any kind of life you choose. Whether or not I become a professional dancer, I will have received some of the best life advice out there. Here are a few examples of the corrections we received in class and how they relate to one’s life.

1. It is more beautiful to go too full out and fall on your face than stay comfortable without making a mistake. How do you grow from staying where you know you can go? Why are we so afraid of looking foolish next to our peers when they are afraid of the same thing. Think of where the class could go if we all fell on our faces and got back up. Our bodies will never know what they can do unless they go beyond the limited boundaries we put on them.
2. Finish each step clearly before you go to the next. Eyes are not really drawn to run on sentences that sound like blah.  Make each moment just as important as the next, and the combination suddenly fits together. Respect the parts in the combination that are easily overlooked by the majority, for those are the parts that will catch someone’s eye. When you’re not worried about the next step and how you’ll get there, you somehow naturally get there if you focus on the present step.

There is going to be a sudden drastic change in my life starting tomorrow. I will be in San Francisco, California. I will be in the cheapest apartment I could find. I will be dancing all day again. I will be in my comfortable element of being uncomfortable. More than anything, I am excited for the corrections I will be getting and how I can relate them to life. To me, that is one of the most interesting and exciting things about dance.

Best,

Alivia