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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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Dance History For The Now

Are artists being cultivated today to the same magnitude as those artists decades prior? Is anyone seriously transforming dancers into artists? Of course there are dedicated dance teachers tucked away in every corner of the world. I appreciate them! My concern is more so directed toward professional dance development as a whole.

I reckon that what we see and crave today is not artistically sustainable. Historically, exceptional dancers were trained to be unforgettable artists. Who is molding the next Mikhail Baryishnikov, Waverly Lucas, Hinton Battle, Royce Zackery? When I get into my hyper-thinking mode about the status of dance (which I do from time to time), I seriously wonder how we will ever see and become those we still read about and celebrate today. The revolution of dance art cannot stop at what we have already experienced. The men and women we look up to have helped to encourage us. Their tenacity and audacious hope have pushed us to dream wildly, from the studio to the stage. How will we carry that along? Will our generations have its Arthur Mitchell, Janet Collins or Sandra Fortune-Green? How did their light extend for this many decades? What caused them to become history makers? Can that level of influence be captured today? It has to, right?

What are your thoughts?

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