ErikaHubler

Hubler1

ProfessorEdwinAustin
Dance261
30March2016
BeliefsontheDelightfulArtofDance
Thebodyisanexquisitegift.Thistreasureismorecapablethanonecouldeverimagine.
Everydayourbodygivesusintricatemessagesthatwecanchoosetodelightinorignore.One
oftheseinnatedesiresofthehumansoulistocreate.Itiswhatwearemadefor.Wearemadeto
move.Whenweareabletoaccessthebodysintelligenceratherthanmentalillusions,we
exhuberateanaturalconfidenceandfeelalive(Ram).Dancingisaformofutilizingthisessential
innatedesiretocreate.Dancingiscomplex,yetsimple.Dancingiscreationforbothourselves
andforothers,itismadetoglorifyGod,themindmustbesacredlycaredforwithpositive
thoughts,andpassioniswhatcreatesatruedancer.
Primarily,danceiscreationforourselves.Fromfirstglance,thisstatementmayappear
egotistical,butitisfarfromsuch.Itissoulhealingbecauseitbringspurpose,comfort,stability,
andanoutletfromtheoftenshallowworldwelivein.Itbringsdepthandunderstandingabout
ourselvesandhowtothriveinthebluroflife.Creationbringsdeepsatisfactionandfulfilment.
Wedevelopourselvesandotherswhenwetakeunorganizedmatterintoourhandsandmoldit
intosomethingofbeauty(Uctdorf).Wemustneverallowanyonetotakeawaythisfreedom.It
canbeheartbreakinglyprevalenttoseeaflourishingdancerbepoundedintoarobot,alongsidea
stringofdancersflittingthesamemechanicalway.Onecanhaveincredibletechnique,butitis

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vitaltoneverloseyourdancingsoul.Nooneintheworldmovesthesame.Yourdancingis
uniquelyandentirelyyours.
Alongwithdanceasacreationforourselves,itismoreimportantlyacreationforothers.
Theironyisthattheyarebothsointertwineditisdifficulttoseparatethemintowhichpartof
danceiscreationforusasopposedtowhomwearedancingfor.Danceiscommunication.
Communicationiswhatbindsusashumanbeings.Allofuscontaindesiresorfeelingsthatare
inexpressiblethroughwords.Danceisaformofcommunicationthatfunctionsinawaythatis
similartolanguage,onlyitusesactions,symbols,signsandgesturesthatarepurposefulor
intentionalinsomeway(Bresnahan).Everystepthatadancerexecutesissendingamessagefor
others.Thesemessagescreatefeelingsintheaudienceandisanimportantwaytostrengthen,
inspire,orprovokethoughtsintotheperson.
Dancingisalsoacreationforothersbecauseittellsastory.Themostpowerfuland
movingperformersarethosewhodancewithapurposeinmind.Insteadoftheperformance
simplybeinganexecutionofstepsthatsomeoneelsehaschoreographed,itbecomesastory,a
sacredmessage,awishcometolife.Everydancerhastheabilitytoconnectthechoreographyto
theirownexperiences.Asitisconnected,theaudiencefeelsasparkbecauseitbecomesreal.It
becomesmorethanjustaperformance.Itslife.Itsourdreams.Itsusonthatstage.Itis
somethingeveryonecanrelateto.Asdancers,perhapswedancefortheloveofourlife,to
expresspuregratitude,forourexhaustedbeautifulmotherswhogaveuptheirsdreamstogiveus
ours.Maybewedanceforthepersonwewantedbutcouldneverhave.Perhapsforourown
Creatorwhoplacedthisabilityinus.Whateverthepurpose,theaudiencefeelsit.The

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performanceismovingandinvigorating.Dancinginthiswayismeaningful.Itiscertain
someonewillalwaysfallinlovewithyourgift.
PerhapsthemostimportantandsacreduseofdanceistoglorifyGod.Partofglorifying
HimincludesrelyingonHisstrengthandinspirationtoreachourfullpotential.Weliveina
worldthatisgreedyandselfabsorbed.Ifnotcareful,dancecanbeamechanismtocreatea
distancefromGodinsteadofbringingusandothersuntoHim.Howisthisdone?Relyingon
onesselfandaspiringforpersonalhonorandglory.Oneaspectthatisfoundinthedancerealm
isthetendencytothinkandactselfishly.Inthefightforperfection,weourselvesdependonour
ownabilities.Inthesemoments,itisvitaltorealizewherethebeautycomesfrom.Ourbodies
aresacredgiftsfromasupremeCreator.Itiseasytoforgetattimeshowtrulymiraculousour
bodiesare.Theybreatheinacontinuousrhythmtosustainus.Theheartpumpsinanelaborate,
perfectdesigntobringoxygenandlifetoallcrevicesofthebody.Eachbonearticulatesinjust
therightmannertofitwiththenext.Allorgans,muscles,arteriesandveinsfunctiontogetherto
doincrediblefeats.Dancingisacelebrationofthehumanbody.ThemoreweglorifyHimand
recognizeHishand,themoreourperformanceismagnified.Artisthecollaborationbetween
Godandtheartist,andthelesstheartistdoes,thebetter(Gide).HowdidMichelangelopaint
theSisteneChapel?Howdidhesculptoneofthemostmarvelousartpiecesofalltime?Heonce
said:IsawanangelinthemarbleandcarveduntilIsethimfree.Alltheadmireddancers,
musicians,artistshaveonethingincommon.Theyareinspiredbysomethingfargranderthan
themselves.ThemorewetapintoHisinspiration,themoreHecanworkmiraclesinus.Our

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understandingdeepenswiththerealizationthatwearetheinstrumentsandexpressionofGod
himself(Fox).
Next,themindmustbeproperlycaredforinordertohonorablydance.Justasourbodies
aresacredgiftsandmustbetreatedwithlove,respect,andpropernutritionandexercise,the
mindequallyimportant.Ourthoughtsarepowerful.Theyeitherelevateandinspire,ordegrade
anddeteriorate.Ifweconstantlycomparetoothers,metaphoricallytearourselvesdown,orallow
negativethoughtsoverwhelmus,itisphysicallyimpossibletotriumphindance.Itzapsourlove
andreplacesitwithresentment.Itcompletelyblocksourprogression.Itfillsthebodywith
poisonthatdampensourpassionsandattimestemptsustorelinquishfromthethingthatwelove
most.Onthecontrary,hopealwaysfindsawayinoncemoreaswelearntocontrolanddiminish
thosethoughts.Insteadofourthoughtsdegradingus,theyaretheverystartofmakingour
dreamsreality.Yourthoughtsandbeliefsarethemostpowerfulforceintheuniverse(Assaraf).
Whatwecanimagineourselvesdoingcanbecomeourrealityifwetrulybelieveitandfightthe
oftenagonizing,exhaustingbattletoachieveit.AlbertEinsteinoncesaidImaginationis
everything.Itisapreviewoflifescomingattractions.Adancersmindiswherethemagicand
creativitybegins.Itsnotsomethingyoualwaysjustnaturallyfeel,itsadreamyoumakereality
bybelievinginyourself.
Last,thepassioniswhatcreatesatruedancer.Ifyoufeelatingleinyourbodywhenyou
hearthemusic,ifyourbloodrushesthroughyourveinsasyoumove,ifyourbodycantstop
fidgetingandyourfocusismaddeninglyfarandwide,ifyourheartjumpswhenyouseeor
engageinthemagic,ifyoufeelobsessiveorengrossed,yourenotinsane.Youreadancer.This

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iswhatyouarecalledtodo.Ifyoufeelitsodeep,nothingcanevertakeitfromyou.Nomatter
howoldyouare,howlongitsbeensinceyouvedanced,youreadancer.MarthaGraham,one
ofthemostbeautifulprodigiesblesseduswithastatementthatringstruefordancers
everywhere.Greatdancersarenotgreatbecauseoftheirtechnique,theyaregreatbecausetheir
passion.Youcanspotadancerifyoupaycloseattention.Theyrealwaysmoving.Theycannot
remainstillforlongbecausetheirbodywillsimplynotallowit.Theirfidgetingisanever
endingdance.Theywillhaveexuberantenergyandambition.Theyareundefeatedand
untouchable.Theireyeswillbeglossywithcreativityanddeepunderstanding.Theirwordsmay
getcaughtintheirmouthbecausefromthebeginning,dancerswerelistenersfirst.
Inconclusion,danceisacreationforourselves.Anaudienceisntnecessarytohavea
soulhealing,creativeexperience.Yourdancingisuniquelyyourownbecauseitcannotbe
matched.However,justasimportantlyasdancingforourselves,dancingforotherstoucheslives.
Itinvokesfeelingsofinspirationordeepthinking.Itiscommunicatingamessagethatsometimes
cannotbeputintowords.DanceisusedtoglorifyGodbecauseHeisourcreatorandgaveus
thesegiftsthatareourbodies.IfweallowHimtoinspireourartistry,Hewillsanctifyour
performancesandwewillbecometheartistweareaspiringtobecome.Justaswelearnto
respectourbody,wemustalsorespectandcareforourminds.Wemustputpropercareintoour
thoughtssoastoachieveratherthandegradeourselveswithnegativity.Finally,thepassionthat
iswithinusiswhatwilldriveustosuccess.Asaprofessionalballetdancerwhoroseupfrom
unlikelycircumstances,MistyCopelandoncesaid:Somepeopledreamofsuccesswhileother
wakeupandworkhardatit.


WorksCited:
Bresnahan,Aili."ThePhilosophyofDance."
TheStanfordEncyclopediaofPhilosophy
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Zalta,2015.Web.1Mar.2016.
Carter,Steffi."DateaGirlWhoDances."
BuzzFeed
.N.p.,24Apr.2014.Web.1Mar.2016.
Biography.comEditors."Michelangelo."
Bio.com
.A&ENetworksTelevision,n.d.Web.05Apr.2016.
Gordon,HinkleyB."TheBodyIsSacredNewEraNov.2006Newera."
TheBodyIsSacred
NewEraNov.2006Newera
.N.p.,Nov.2006.Web.05Apr.2016.
Ram,Kaushik."TheHumanBodyAnInstrumentfortheStateofFlow."
AboutMyBrain
.N.p.,10
Dec.2014.Web.