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The Real Reason Black Women Are Belittled In Dance

When I think about Katherine Dunham I am reminded of her stage presence and vibrancy. When I think about Janet Collins I am reminded of her beauty and how the world of dance enthusiasts of the times had a love, hate relationship with her artistic brilliance because she was black. When I think of Raven Wilkinson I am reminded of her defiance against the rigid segregation and racism of that time. Although each of these women's careers included trailblazer feats in one way or another, as stories were passed down, we learned of their legacies to include being ostracized and their audacity to overcome. That audacity had everything to do with loving the craft of dance and being committed beyond their race. Have you ever thought about it? With all of the racial shadows, the life of these women continues to  transcend decades. Not only that, each of these women rose above to inspire us . If the dedication to their dance careers made them legends, why are black women as a whole today, con
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The Hardest Thing About Dance

Yesterday I asked myself a question:

What is the hardest thing about dance? Have you ever thought about that? Well, it did not take long for me  to decide just how tough of a question that was to answer. After some time I spoke a version of these words into the voice memo application: 

The hardest thing about dance is accepting your body for where it currently is. "Your body" can be a piece of choreography, a certain step you're working at while training or how "in shape" your actual body is. I think the reason this could be one of the toughest parts— dance is such a vulnerable art and most definitely even more vulnerable as a profession. But the main way to overcome that difficulty is by embracing the beauty of your body. That is something I have had to learn. 

You also cannot compare yourself to other dancers. When it comes to looking at colleagues when I am questioning the technique of a step, I am comparing. When I feel the need to watch others in rehearsals so that I may learn or become inspired by their interpretation of movement, I am comparing. These are the only ways I have found comparison to be healthy. Any other way can lead you into a dark space.

Like anything in life, you take the hard things, encourage yourself and push until you prevail. 

Embrace where your body is right now. It’ll thank you with progression. 

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