Whether it is the thud of pointe shoes, the clicks of taps, or the squeak of ballet slippers, all of these sounds connect different aspects of this art form in a unique way. Each dancer, no matter the type, shares their passion for dance. It is with this love, that the meaning of such an art sprouts from. Words that can help describe dance are creativity, sacrifice, and inspiration! It is with these adjectives that dance portrays its true identity and meaning to the world.
The word creativity in itself leads the mind to a magical place. A place where one can be themselves, embrace their inner artist, and are able to explore the never ending possibilities that dance has. Such opportunities can be found during improv, dancing in front of a mirror or listening to music for the upcoming performance. While these parts of dance show the obvious creative side, there are other aspects too.
For example, how do ballet dancers do the same plies and tendus every class? Here creativity is exhibited when one must keep engaged in the repetition, without dissipating interest. Interest can be sparked by thinking of a story, thinking of a correction in a different light, and competing against ones self to be better than the time before.
Thinking of a story helps, because the character is dependent on the tempo and diction of the combination. If it is fast you can be a graceful princess, or if it is fast you can be a jetting dragon. As for the correction option, different perspective help everywhere in life and here is not an exception. A spark might cause you to have a light bulb moment and along with it the interest comes too. Just like in any sport, a part of the competition is against yourself, those with a competitive nature will have no problem using this technique, because who wants to loose to their former self? Dance means creativity, because of all of the innovative movements that are put into it, even on the mental level.
Sacrifice is painted all over the dance world. From time to injuries, and everything in-between. Sacrifice of a social life can be seen when dancers cant go an event that they are invited to because, “sorry, I can’t because I have dance.” A lot of non-dancers have a hard time grasping this concept, because its just dance right? Often times they have no idea the time that is put in to get the final product. Another sacrifice that is required when dance is pursued, is one’s physical body. An example of this is flexibility. If a dance is not naturally flexible, they have to work in agony as they push their muscles to stretch past the time before. Not to mention that it is a slow process, and takes patience, time, and determination. Dance means sacrifice because of all the time clocked in and all of the blood, sweat and tears that are required to develop into this delicate art form.
Inspiration is like taste buds; to one person a piece of dark chocolate could have been savored, but their neighbor could have gobbled it down like it was nothing special. Dance is much more inspirational than any dark chocolate could ever be, as it has a power that can truly move an audience in inspiration. Performing on stage creates inaudible words that when spoken genuinely capture hearts and brew an appreciation that nothing else can cause.
An element of dance that many find inspirational is the ease that the movement is done with. Dancing is not easy, and one of the hardest parts is making it look effortless. On the other hand, seeing it inaction can give other dancers chills and maybe even draw a tear or two. But just like beauty, it is in the eye of the beholder, or in this case the viewer.
With passion leading the way, thousands of people feel the interconnected world that dance brings. From being a part of this realm, dance has revealed its magic by the creativity, sacrifice, and inspiration that it provides to all of the dancers on this planet.
