Thursday, May 30, 2013

What Moves Me

I have mentioned this a couple of times, but recently I started dancing again! I've been taking classes at an awesome studio here in Tucson, Breakout, and it has been incredible. It has been the most perfect way to relieve all of the stress I've been under lately, of getting out all of the emotional stuff I'm dealing with that week, and of doing something fun and beautiful just for myself

Dancing was such a huge part of my life for so long. It was what I did, what I loved - and then I didn't do it for four years. I didn't do anything for myself, really, for four years - just school, work, and Chi Alpha (which I also love, but that's another story!). 

But this season of my life has been the perfect time to start again. And it's different, now - I'm not very good at it anymore, being out of training for so long, which is hard. But I almost like it better now than before. When I danced in high school and for the company I was in, it was fun and I loved it to be sure. But I think I was always so performance-focused, really; I think I just did it to be good at it. 

But now, I'm just doing it for me. For fun, for the joy of moving, for the freedom of expressing whatever it is that I'm feeling. 

It's beautiful.

Not really my dancing itself (I really am so out of shape!), but how it feels. It's dancing for the sake of dancing. There's no pressure to perform (I  mean, aside from the part where I'm dancing, haha), or to have great technique, or to nail the timing. When I'm in the studio now, I'm just enjoying myself

And that is a wonderful feeling :). 

Not to mention that it's a killer workout! Seriously - if you ever want to spend an hour and a half sweating profusely and then wake up the next morning with muscles that you didn't even know you could use so sore that you have a hard time walking, take a dance class at Breakout. It's awesome. 

I also owe so much credit to my dance teacher. Her name is Davonna, and she is nothing short of amazing. She is such a beautiful dancer, and she has helped me have the courage to do what I love again for the simple joy of doing it. She is encouraging and challenging, and it inspires me to keep moving!

She sent me this video from our class last night, so I thought I would share it here (video credit is all hers). It's humble, but it's a peek into something that has given me so much joy in the past weeks, and I am so excited to be part of something beautiful and to have the opportunity to keep getting better at it. 


Enjoy! I leave you with these beautiful words that Davonna said to me today, that I think apply to life in general, not just dancing:

"Keep enjoying yourself and finding yourself in whatever movement is thrown at you." 


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