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Where Diligence Dances Louder Than Perfection: The Shift That Builds Legacy

 The dedicated artist quickly becomes acquainted with difficulty, tough days and that sort of tug-of-war with mastery. I'm sure you've been there. It's those moment s y ou need to analyze after relaxing into the burning muscles and deep sigh because who is thinking about anything else while trying to stay alive in ballet? Since beginning my dance career, I have always been coached by incredible teachers.  Literally!  Dale Shields, Lydia Abarca-Mitchell, Erin Jaffe-Gardner and so on. While still a high school student, I learned to handle the demands and pressures of dance training to become a professional. I wouldn't say that tough moments feel unfamiliar to me, it's knowing how to deconstruct them for greater outcomes.  Yesterday I learned that I don't need to be a crazy perfectionist in order to elevate my body, mind-body connection, artistry or overall beauty. At this point in my career, I am unlearning and relearning a couple of things. I enthusiasticall...
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Why Your Race Should Be Irrelevant

 Kill your obsession with race. When you build a career on the pride of your race, that is as far as you will go and you will always be within those limits. The limits you place on yourself are the ones you will be confined to, one way or another. At times this is the case when you hear of artists being outraged by not receiving the recognition they believe they are deserved. I know I’ve written on this topic extensively but I am willing to bleed this racial monster in the industry dry if only for the sake of the younger dancers who are evolving. 

In another writing of mine I explained how there was a time when I was not exposed to race or potential racial barriers that I could be confronted with. It was not until I took a second to recollect, I found the source of my eyes being opened to it all. Unfortunately, a lot of black institutions and organizations groom black dancers in the woes of their race. Your training somehow will include a preparation of the mind that gets you set to receive improper treatment from those who are not black. Unbeknownst to you, your mind is being warped. That is top tier toxicity. 

If you’re going take pride in anything, let it be detached from the most minimal part of you. I know most people don’t see it this way but the more you carry your race in every project, every company, every stage, every training program— the more you will perpetuate your isolation. There is a difference between standing tall in who you are and wearing your race as a badge of honor. It’s a trap. Kill it. 


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