Once upon a time, there was a little girl that wanted to be a Dancer.
She told her mom of this dream and luckily, the little girl had a Mom that was willing to embrace whatever ventures the daughter wanted to try.
The little girl was enrolled in a class, at the local Recreational Center...
...and there began the heart's desired fulfillment of expression of soul
through the beats and rhythms of song and lyric
using the art of flowing body movements
in an act called
Dance.
Shortly after the final performance of the season at the Rec Center, the family of the little girl was re-located to a new city...
New City = the search for a new class.
In this new town, it was a little more challenging, as it was a bigger city with more options and even more prevalent: the differences in Teachers' abilities and styles.
The first venture at a new dance class for the little girl, was an attempt at the same type of facility as was originally introduced: the local Rec Center. However, one thing the little girl often did when she needed more of a challenge in an activity, was to FAKE SICK and do her own thing, rather than succumb to the boring-ness of the current activity...
One night, while using this tactic, the little girl embraced her expression of soul more, at that moment, by using her imagination with toys (that were sooo conveniently placed in the room that the little girl's class was in). Ironically, on that same night, the little girl's Father was on his way to the class for a surprise visit to see her "progress" in the class.
Whoopsies.
Needless to say, the little girl did not return to that class.
However, as was said before, the little girl had a Mom that was willing to embrace ventures... She inquired upon the cause of the playtime, rather than the passioned Dance-time, while it was so readily available for her to embrace and express....
...After a list of reasons (finally admitted), the Mom and little girl decided to try a new class, at a different place (an actual dance "Company"), with a different teacher.
The second place was fun and enjoyable, at first (kind of like a Honeymoon-Phase); but, it was soon discovered that THIS "Company" was, yet again, not up to par with the capacity needed to fulfill the little girl's passioned needs. It was in the basement of the instructor's house, which had been finished into a studio, with dance floors, ballet bars, and mirrors lining the walls.
After Spring recital, the search continued...
Over that summer, the Mom and little girl sought out all the different dance schools and studios in our immediate area. To no avail, they were bummed. And the little girl missed dancing and was craving the embracement of passion and soul of the almost-lost-to-her form of self-expression.
During an annual event at the local park, the Mom and little girl were browsing all the craft booths set around, when they came upon a stage, set up in the grass. It was an impressive display... and they had a banner across the bottom, advertising a Ballet Studio, located almost right down the street from their house. (How could they have missed the studio in their search before?!?)
It was like a sign from the stars.
After staring at the sign in amazement for a few minutes, the Mom and little girl realized that this was the studio that another family had chatted about, casually, while at a swim meet (the little girl was active!). Not long after this realization, music started, and pretty red tu-tus started to appear on stage, with such grace and beauty; it was almost as if the world was handing the little girl a bouquet of roses for the new found love of this Ballet Studio.
The Mom resourced as much information as she could, at the stage setting in the park... Within a few days, a phone call was made; an appointment set up to tour the studio; and a whole new journey of twirling, prancing, and leaping hearts had begun.
The little girl had found her Home Studio.
Year after year, the little girl indulged in formal class, learning many steps and moves... practicing everyday and performing in yearly Spring Recitals.
All types of dance were explored:
Ballet, tap, jazz, tumbling, RAD, Cecchetti, modern.
The girl even participated and competed in the Ballet Guild,
in the downtown area of where she lived; a statewide event granting scholarships to dancers for international summer training camps.
While they are ALL wonderful forms of dance and expression of soul to the beats and sounds of music, some were highly more embraced by the little girl...
Ballet, Jazz, and Tumbling.
Sooner than later, in the little girl's career at her home studio, she was at the age and skill level to audition for and dance in the yearly production of the Nutcracker Ballet. For Seven years, the little girl danced various rolls in the production...
Although never dancing the role of Clara, the little girl accepted this, as most of Act II, Clara spends a majority of the time dreaming she could indulge in the beauty of the music through dancing; but, alas, she must patiently WATCH, on a bench-like chair, next to her prince, while others enjoy the lyrical sensations of soul...
One year, for Halloween, the girl dressed up as a belly-dancer; and 5th grade required the choreography and practice of line and circle dancing for Pioneer Day.
Other forms of exercise and activity were explored during these years, in the little girl's life...
And while the girl enjoyed these other activities,
they were not her heart's dream...
She danced more than she participated in other "sports."
She danced more than she participated in other "sports."
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Shortly after the little girl turned 13 years old, peer-influence into new ventures of life and sport steered the now-teenager away from her passion of dance...
Maintaining fitness (but not flexibility or passion of soul and rhythm) the girl enjoyed these other activities, but longed for her dream of dancing to become reality, once again.
She tried other outlets to fulfill the desire to "play a role" and dallied in the art of Theatre, while in High School. While it was closer to her dream than the other activities, it wasn't Dance; it wasn't her outlet of expression of soul.
During the Theatrical time in the girl's life, an attempt was made, at age 15, to re-define her soul through the art of flowing body movements; yet again, in another new city, new studio, new instructor.
The Attempt failed... Miserably.
Thus, creating a hole in the girl's heart.
And a THUD in her step.
The girl eventually left the stage altogether, leaving the dream in the wind... Life had taken hold of her mind, leading the girl on a different path than was originally sought out by the dreams of the Little girl.
But, she still knew how to
Dance her hair Out-of-Bun!!
(gotta love Senior Prom!)
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(gotta love Senior Prom!)
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...Struggles with time, weight, and inactivity of the fitness-sort left the now Grown girl sad and "out-of-body." [And the college-sized budget (and more peer-influence) didn't help with that life-style, either].
Then came the most body-altering chaos to the girl-turning-Woman:
A family of her own.
While the Woman loved her new family, she still had the desire to excel in her heart's dream, even if only for personal benefit, and not "professionally," per say...
One day, the Woman made a decision to get her Life and Soul back; to feel the un-inhibited rhythm of her heart. It was time to be set free again.
While the journey was not easy, perseverance and dedication slowly un-gained some extra baggage and brought a gradual incline in fitness and health; mind and soul; beauty and heart back to the "little girl."
She dedicated herself to her new life-change; finding any small way she could to include fitness and exercise into her daily routine of Mom... ...
... ...while still searching for the little girl's soul.
Walking, jogging, swimming, biking: these were some of the re-discovered loves of sport; but they weren't enough...
Every now and then, near the beginning of the health journey, music would come on the stereo, and the Woman couldn't help herself... She'd break open into full-on drum-beat dancing in her apartment. [The neighbors below LOVED it...].
She continued adventuring outdoors, whenever possible, to fulfill the desire for nature; but sometimes, the weather and smog would bring her indoors, to the box of machines.
The woman still boogied down, when she could... only, now, with life and family, it was alone in the kitchen... while chores and daily routines were being ignored!
The woman continued to dance when she could, but once again, her rhythm of soul and drumming heart of beats could not be tamed....
Then, one day, an unexpected event happened.
The woman was scheduled to have a "regular" workout at the gym; with a walk/jog on the treadmill, a few jumping jacks on the side, and some moderate handstands and stretches to "cool down."
However, when the time came to change into the workout get-up, the woman discovered that she had...
NO SOCKS.
Okay... It's alright...
What should she do?
The woman had worn a skirt with biker shorts underneath to work that day... and there was a BIG open room at the gym to "play" in....
Who said you have to wear shoes and socks
at the Box of Machines??
IMPROVISATION.
BAM.
Since the woman had been in the big, open room before.... and there never Really seemed to be anybody in there at the hours that she was there... The woman made a choice.
Dance; or go home.
Are you Human; or are you a Dancer??
(please note that this video clip was from different day; socks are worn in this video...)
And from there, a new chapter began in the "little girl's" life....
...Freestyle Gym dancing, with fulfillment of expression of soul
through the beats and rhythms of song and lyric
using the art of flowing body movements
in an act called
Dance.
An Epiphone entered the world and mind of the woman that day - never neglect, again, what you love so dearly and expresses you most. The little girl found her soul, once again... and even shared the expression with her young family; although, a little camera shy...
Our story ends a happy one; with butterflies in the tummy (stage fright), re-found expression of soul (feel the beat!), and a bouquet of Roses for the love of the art of DANCE.
- Omegan :-D
Peace, Love, Dance
