Vivienne Villaescusa Dance 459 Professor Austin 25 March 2014

Personal Philosophy of Dance

Minds greater than mine have pondered the uestion! "ut to formulate a response! as an authori#ed ans$er! $ould "e to give me more po$er than is rightly mine% &hat is dance' (t is personal% ( can no more define $hat dance is for you! the reader! than ( can descri"e your e)perience $a*ing up this morning% +nly you lived it and you felt it% Dance is personal! and so! ( shall not attempt to argue $hat it means for the $orld "ut ( shall endeavor to descri"e the $ay dance has impacted me and $hat it means in my life% Dance is my past and my present% (t has "een my emotional ,ourney of life! and is tied to nearly every aspect of it% ( dance "ecause it helps me process the emotions! "ut mostly! ( dance "ecause it "rings me ,oy% +ne of my favorite uotes a"out dance is "y Agnes De Milles% (t states! -.o dance is to "e out of yourself% /arger! more "eautiful! more po$erful% .his is po$er! it is glory on earth and it is yours for the ta*ing%0 &hen ( first started dancing! ( $as a very shy thirteen year old in a high school "eginner dance class% ( *ne$ nothing a"out dance and ( felt "oth e)cited and terrified to learn% .han*s to the support of a caring teacher! and my mother telling me ( could not drop out of the class! my feelings of terror disappeared to only e)citement soon into the semester% Dance helped me discover not only a passion "ut my voice% As my relationship $ith dance gre$! so did my confidence in many other areas of life%

1eferencing $hat Agnes De Milles said! ( felt -more "eautiful0 and -more po$erful%0 2o$ever! mostly ( felt ,oy% (n some $ays! one could loo* at my relationship $ith dance as a happy chance encounter3 a "oo* tossed into a young teenager4s hands that ( happened to ta*e a fancy to! $hich $ould later "ecome a favorite su",ect on the metaphorical "oo*shelf of my life%%% and that description is partly true% 2o$ever! ( prefer to loo* at my relationship $ith dance as a gift from a thoughtful parent! $ho after studying their daughter *ne$ $hat $ould capture her attention and carefully $aited until the right time to "e ueath her a gift of significance55 a compass55to e)plore a path and ta*e her along a ,ourney in $hich she $ould "uild character and learn more a"out herself% Dance is a precious gift that is re5$rapped each day% 6veryday there is something ne$ to discover $ithin it% Dance reaches into every crevice of my day% (t affects the clothes ( $ear! the food ( eat! the friends ( have! the $ay ( vie$ myself! the $ay ( vie$ my future! ho$ ( vie$ dating or love! my "elief of faith and my spiritual life%%% Dance affects the clothes ( $ear! "eing a dancer means doing t$ice the laundry most people do and ma*es the opportunity to $ear ,eans feel li*e a special occasion% Dance affects the foods ( eat! food is vie$ed as a source to ma*e my instrument stronger and therefore my dancing more "eautiful% Dance affects the friends ( have! the people ( call friends have to *no$ a"out dance or "e $illing to put up $ith my continual ram"lings a"out the su",ect% Dance affects the $ay ( vie$ my future! it is the reason ( am in college pursuing a career in teaching dance% Dance affects ho$ ( vie$ dating or love! ( could never "e $ith someone $ho didn4t respect dance as an artform and a significant part of my life% Dance has affected my faith and spiritual life! dance has "een an

opportunity to see $here ( dra$ my lines and $hat ( value most in life% +f the past eight and half years of dance "eing present in my life! ( have had my fair share of "ruises! aching muscles and trials% Dance is physical% Dance is emotion% .hrough dance! ( have e)perienced some of my lo$est moments as $ell as my greatest triumphs% Dance has "een a porthole for learning greater lessons a"out myself and a"out my faith and relationship $ith 7od% &hat is dance' Dance $as a compass given to me "y 7od% ( "elieve 7od has used dance in my life to ma*e me a "etter person! to test my limits and my faithfulness to 2im% (t has "een used to see if ( $ould follo$ 2is direction or go my o$n $ay% (t $as given as a great gift "ut also a test to see if it $ould "ecome an idol% Dance is in my life! "ut it does not define my life% &hy do ( dance' /i*e many! ( dance "ecause it allo$s me to e)press myself% ( dance "ecause the e)ternal music around me! and internal music $ithin me! prompts me to transform my feelings into motion% ( dance to discover myself and to find purpose% ( dance "ecause ( thin* it is fun% ( have sometimes pondered $hat life $ould "e li*e if ( suddenly lost the a"ility to physically move my "ody%%% ( "elieve! "eyond the physical! that ( $ould still dance8Perhaps in a different $ay and an unconventional definition! "ut ( $ould still dance% As long as there are emotions to e)press ( $ill figure out some $ay to share them $ith the $orld! "ecause that is dance% Dance is not ,ust movement to music% Dance is a compass! a gift and a ,ourney55a gift that ( am very grateful 7od has placed in my life%