Who are we dancing with?

“If you have a good friend, you don’t need a mirror.”

_Proverb

How we hold people hostage, to their past…

When we engage with the people in our lives, are we present to who they are in the moment, or do we colour our interactions with histories from the past or expectations in the future? When we engage with people from our head space it is very easy to pin a story to them, but is that who they are now?

The magic of dance is that it can only take place in the now. We drop into the body and we can only be present with the movements we are making now. It’s very difficult to focus on our future dance, six bars of music down the line, or spend even a moment to reflect on our past dance, six bars previously. If we do, we will fall over!

Even in dance improvisation, when each movement gives rise to the next, we need to be present. Improvisation by definitions is not planned. If our dance takes place in the present, then who is it we are dancing with? Are we dancing with our past selves? Are we dancing the creation of a future self? The answer is clear. We are dancing with our purest essence – the person we are right here now this moment.

Our hearts are located in our bodies, not our heads. What a beautiful lesson from dance, to take into our relationships. Are we brave enough to dance with the other both now and in life in THEIR purest essence? Do we have the heart and generosity of spirit to release them from our own preconceptions or expectations and create a dance of relationship that is rooted in the present? Are we willing to co-create the dance, irrespective of where it goes, what it looks like, or what outcome?

When we do this, not only do we release the other to flower into their fullest expression of self – we do so for ourselves too.

_Christos Daskalakos

dance is TRANSITION

“It is when we are in transition that we are completely alive.”

_William Bridges

The dancer is always in transition. Transitions are the links between movements, and the links between expressive phrases and sequences. Each gesture, each movement, each breath, is a transition. In the dance we are never still – even if it’s just the gentle motion of our breath. The quality of transitions can differ. Some are smooth as we glide across space. Some are abrupt as we land on our feet after a jump. And, some are quite complex as we use movements to prepare for some grand gesture. Each has its place and usefulness.

Transitions are the unseen moments that make a dance appear smooth and cohesive. They make our dances flow and appear effortless. That is, they do this when we allow our body to become the dance. When we let go of limiting thoughts, like, “I can’t”, “I shouldn’t” and other ‘what if’ questions.

Our dances mirror life. If we are stuck, rigid, or dissociated from life, then our dances become heavy and difficult. Each movement weighs us down with an overload of effort. Our movements become disconnected and laboured. When we consciously allow our bodies to take over, to flow in the dance and movement effortlessly we begin to embody the experiences that manifest in our lives. When my body has experienced a range of transitions through the dance, I am able to connect the dots in my own life with more ease – choosing the actions appropriate in the moment. Is it smooth, is it abrupt, or is it preparatory? All are welcome as they enrich the tapestry of experience that is our lives.

_Christos Daskalakos

REPLENISH - dance!

“Even if you are not that good, dancing frees the body to

float along with the music, and to cast off stress.”

_Byron Pulsifer

It seems totally counterintuitive to get up and dance when feeling drained and in dire need of some energy! But as we all know, dance is a movement of life, an action of vitality, a process of renewal. Unlike going to the gym or other forms of exerting activities, dance is effortless on the body and mind.

In the dance we release, let go and glide into action. The body instinctively knows what is best. When we let go of any mental expectation or attempts at physical prowess, the body naturally flows with creative zest. At some level we are ‘resting’ when we dance. We are giving the mind and our ever-active control centres a break just to be in the flow and experience of life. To be in the being, not in the doing….

This state of being gives us the opportunity to replenish. We reconnect with our vitality. We re-connect with our creative force, and we re-connect with a seamless connection to self, the other and everything around us. It is as if our spirit is at peace when we dance letting us replenish and reactivate an easy flow to life.

_Christos Daskalakos