Dance In A Nutshell

In Dance Company we had to write a short paper on our own philosophy of dance. To be perfectly honest with you, I wrote this in probably less than 20 minutes. Tada. Anyways. I didn't really think much about it, it all came pretty easy, because this is just how I feel about dance. But my dance teacher actually read my paper out loud to all of the other girls. ... awkward. Not really, but she said before she read it that she had to read the first paragraph three times before she understood it. Maybe that's because its a jumbled mess, or it could just be her. But hey, if she liked it enough to make her all teary-eyed, I thought I might as well put it up. So, to the world; here is how I view dance in a nutshell.

Philosophy of Dance

Philosophy is the study of the foundational features of knowledge, reality, and existence. We gain knowledge through facts, information and skills that we acquire from experience and learning. We use reality by dancing in the real world, and worlds beyond this one. And through our way of life, we use dance to exist.

Dance is an extraordinary thing because of it’s many uses. We use dance as an art form, a way to express ourselves, a way to re-tell a story, a physical exercise, to learn and grow, to touch others lives, and to touch our own lives.

Dance is the bridge between spiritual and physical. Dance takes energy, strength, and self-control, which must meet with emotion and soul. Because it takes so much effort to achieve this, only through practice and growth will this happen.

When words cannot be expressed, there comes dance in its stead. Dance is a way to express certain feelings and emotions that can better be said through the words of a body and movement than could ever be said in words. If you want to share your feelings in their fullest, you must let yourself go in dance. You are giving your entire self. Making you vulnerable to whoever may be watching. You must be brave. Many will not understand what you have to say, however even if there isn’t one who does, in your heart, you will have felt accomplishment that cannot be gained from anything other than dance in this world.

Fly me to the moon

Fly me to the moon

Let me play among the stars

Let me see what spring is like

On a-Jupiter and Mars

In other words, hold my hand

In other words, baby, kiss me

Fill my heart with song

And let me sing for ever more

You are all I long for

All I worship and adore

In other words, please be true

In other words, I love you

Fill my heart with song

Let me sing for ever more

You are all I long for

All I worship and adore

In other words, please be true

In other words, in other words

I love ... you

-Frank Sinatra

I was out with my mom and my brother one day, driving around, as far as I remember having a grand old time, when my brother said, "Yep, I am going to be an astronaut when I grow up." I smiled and told him it was a brilliant plan not including the fact that NASA had just set up their last ship, and the program was basically over with. Why crush that right now, right? Soon after he said this, he asked me what month came after October. Oh my little brother. So, I asked him if he knew the song. You know, the song we all learned. The song which some of us still use to figure out which month follows October? Several times of singing it with him, I said he should sing it alone. And he went like this; January, February, March and April, May, June, July and August, September..... November? Nope Max, remember the whole, what comes after October question?

This conversation didn't phase me until a few days later. How could I expect Max to be able to become an astronaut in a dying program. But how could I expect him to be able to do this without knowing when November came? It won't happen. Thats how. But he still believes he can. So why shouldn't I? Dreams are what makes us who we are. Without them I don't think we would know what to do with ourselves. So to my little brother who wants to be an astronaut. If you ever are unsure of when November is, I will always be here to tell you. Because if we all know when that is, I believe we can do anything.