Mysterious Lust for Dancing.

Happy International Dance Day everyone! Even though I didn't celebrate today in any special way, it showed me, once again, how a successful dance class can light up my day just like that. So what I had to run my lungs out to get to the class because the public transport in Brisbane sucks, or that after the class I managed to get myself embarrassed in the supermarket by exploding a carton of milk all over me. No, nothing can ruin that after glow I have after great dancing! The story would have been quite different if I missed the whole class though, as you might be able to imagine.

Anyway, what I wanted to write about was that I started to think my current relationship to dancing the other day, and noticed that it has changed while I've been here in Brissy. I'm so much more relaxed about everything related to dancing and for a long long time I do it just for fun. Well, at least this goes with Zouk; West Coast might be a bit different story because of the approaching festival. No pressures that I should do better and better all the time. No pointless worrying if I'm not giving the best I can in the dance floor that particular night. So what my spins were not perfect? So what I failed to follow one lead? I had heaps of fun and so did the others.

I'll tell you a secret: I love this feeling. Its so liberating, so carefree!

Yes, a good dancer needs a constant urge to explore, learn and improve, but does that have to be the dominant feeling? Why am I spending so much time (and money) to dancing? To improve? To get better? To steal the attention in the dance floor? No, if I wanted just to get better or improve, I could be doing anything, but I don't want to do anything. I want to dance. I need to dance. Sure, it is great to see own improvement and hear how good a dancer you are but that is not the reason why. Getting better gives only an ability to get more out of dancing, an ability to fulfill that mysterious and never ending lust for dancing.

So, sorry you guys back home who might think I'll come back as super improved dancer. To be honest, my technique has suffered, I have forgotten many things I shouldn't have and my biggest weakness of unbalance has gained strength. However, dancing is something I do for myself, for my enjoyment and fulfilment, and at the very moment that fulfilment means just enjoying and simply having fun.

Photos by Alex James Jackson, www.facebook.com/alex.j.photo