For The Love of Dancers

(paul with myra beltran for 'sigh')

I love dancers. Because of the nature of our art dancers often tend to be soft spoken, humble, disciplined and hard working. It takes years to train a good dancer. For ballet it is said that at least 10 years of training is needed. As a young dancer you would think this is an exaggeration. But as you mature you realize that it is true; only with time can you truly master your body. It does take years until your muscles and your mind can connect and begin the work of art.

You have to realize the value of time. As an element in composition – outlined in the music you are dancing to for example. And also time as an element in life – you have to come and take class daily, and performances are always accorded your timepiece’s respect; one must never be late especially for your own show.

Working alongside others in a company or school you must become your own person in a sea of personalities. You learn silently to respect the space of others as you strive to fully occupy your own. This silence can be a double edged sword. The old school adage “dancers are seen and not heard” can mean that you might loose your right to express your grievances, loose the opportunity to be an empowered voice in ‘real life’.

The paradox there is that you strive all along for personal empowerment. You work to master your sinews and gravity to enable you to be an ideal; flexible, sure footed, heroic and even tragic.

In the end the challenges in dance are for all of us, dancers, dance makers and the audience alike. For dancers we have to truly question our reasons for dancing. To connect to this passion for dancing in our daily lives so that it may blossom on stage and in turn connect to the audience we work with. For the choreographers and dance leaders there is the constant challenge of community development as well as inspiration and craft on the stage. For the audience the challenge is allow the dance to take away the layers of mass media conditioning allowing us again to be transported.

Dance indeed is the oldest art. It is the witness to the primal mimetic energy that fills us as we dance, allowing us to transform into conduits for our archetypal heroes and presenting our human quests in realms of the romantic, the idyllic, the contemporary and even the sacred. In our dancers the spirit moves.

It is fascinating how despite the grave economic and political situation of the Philippines at present, dance continues its age old cycle of discovery, teaching and performances. Keep your eyes and ears open for classes, festivals and presentations and experience dance again.