Gaining Back a Reason to Dance

Self-expression has always been a challenge for me. It was not until I figured out that I could use dance as a means of escape, that I finally had a sense of clarity. Dance became an outlet to relieve my stress and problems and funnel my creativity. I threw myself full force into it and it shaped and helped me to define myself.

There was never a doubt in my mind that I would continue with dance until I came to Chapman University my freshman year, in which my little dance bubble burst apart. It was then that I would not always be cast or be successful at an audition. It was the first casting when I learned that being a good dancer didn't mean I would have an automatic position and forces beyond my control were attributing. In essence it was "type-casted" and I wasn't part of that "type."

It was devastating to find out it is no longer about the beauty of dance, but instead the focus has been positioned on the dancer himself/herself. Not only must a dancer possess the necessary technique and style required to survive in the dance community, but also have a unique sell-ability. This has put an added pressure on dancers inside the professional realm, as well as students beginning to emulate teachers, advanced students, and choreographers.

So, how do we get back to the institution of dance and its foundation? We need to give the image of dance a face-lift. It has become a tired, industrialized art form that is devoid of all natural luster. The only way to achieve this would be to reconstruct how the community perceives the image of the dancer. It should be about real people and the joy for dance that they share. We need to move past body types, exoticism, and certain criteria to see the athleticism produced by every individual involved in dance.

In this blog I plan to contradict misconceptions of body image, bring health issues associated with dancers and dieting to the forefront, and invoke changes in how dancers recieve training from choreographers, companies and studios alike. This blog is designed to help dancers get what they want and need from dance. It is time to bring back the love and elation towards dance that has been drowned by the growing pressures to look and perform a certain way.