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Role Reversal: What has dance taught you about life?

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You Talk, I’ll Listen!

One of the things I truly enjoy about blogs and blogging is the ability for users or readers of the website to add their own comments or perspectives. Often these are offered after I’ve given my own thoughts on a topic.

Sometimes, though, I get tired of  doing all the “talking!” I am curious what the people reading this blog think!

rolereversalSo, I will occasionally offer Role Reversal posts.

Sometimes I will ask your opinions, other times I may ask you to share your experiences, and I might also bring a reader’s question directly to you (I don’t know everything, after all!)

You can respond by leaving a reply via the form at the bottom of the post. In this way we can all learn and benefit from each other. I welcome your participation whether you are a regular subscriber or just stopping by.

The Question

I was recently looking over a post I did a while ago on professionalism in dance. I realized that my dance and performance experiences have taught me a lot about leadership and conduct, and that these things have applications that extend far beyond just the dance field.

I have utilized the life-lessons I picked up in dance in all aspects of my life. And I’ll bet that you have too!

People often want to know what the advantages of studying dance are and I think a large portion of this answer, aside from obvious physical benefits, are the things we learn from practicing and investigating movement, working with others, etc. So, I would like to know…

What has dance taught you about life?

Feel free to add one thing or ten things! I’d also love to know how these life-lessons have applied in your work, or parenting, or relationships, etc.

Discover Your Dance Career: Start here.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Oh my.

    I dance for fun. I used to dance mostly at clubs but when I stopped going out past 10 pm I started taking recreational classes; which is not as fun but definitely more *ahem* character building.

    Its taught me so much. Its taught me
    1. perseverance
    2. how to make a fool of yourself every week and love it
    3. you’re only as good a dancer as how regularly you practice
    4. good posture and strong abs are the basis of good dancing, for any type of dance
    5. good teacher is a must

  2. Dance has taught me that if you have enough passion for something, it doesn’t matter how hard it is or what your limitations are. If something brings you enough joy, what might have been a roadblock in another area of your life is nothing but a small speedbump. It has taught me that I need to take more risks in life and follow my dreams because life is too short to waste time doing something that does not fulfill you and help you blossom.

  4. Hello… got here through the link provided by Maria on A Time to Dance… here is my contribution to the discussion.

    My experience of dancing is very much on the leader-follower set-up — Argentine tango and lindy hop. As a follower, I had (and still have) a hard time figuring out what the leader is trying to make me do. Over time, I have learned how to really ‘listen’ and focus on the lead so I can execute the step in the way that was expected.

    This mirrors real life in most sense, especially in relationships. One party needs to make sure that he or she is communicating properly and the other must be in the state of receiving and interpreting that in the right way. Of course, a relationship doesn’t have to have a leader and a follower but the roles should be practiced in order to achieve smooth understanding between the involved parties.

  5. Dance has taught me self expression & that anything is possible whe you believe in yourself.
    Now I take what have discovered & share my passion with my students. It is so rewarding to know that I have touched people’s lives forever with dance!

  6. http://dancingperfectlyfree.com/2009/03/19/quotation-of-the-day-3/

    “Dance has asked me to define my individuality and to redefine my notions of beauty. It has made me aware of my ego and the complexities of having one. Dance has shown me the beauty of humility and has helped me develop a capacity for awareness. As dancers we work within an art form that lives and dies in nearly the same instant and, in this sense, offers us powerful lessons in mortality.” – Wendy Whelan

  7. Just wrote about this today on my blog, and then stumbled unto your discussion here! 🙂

    Here are my thoughts on this:
    http://www.8womendream.com/what-dancing-taught-me-about-life/

    Dancing was my first “meditative practice” in that it took me out of my mind and truly into my body… Made me feel FREE from all my worries about the past or the future. Just have to focus on the moment. 🙂

    It brings me such incredible joy and always reminds me that life is truly about living NOW…

    Thanks for this discussion! Would love people’s comments on my blog post as well – love to hear from the lead’s perspective and the follow’s!

    Happy dancing!
    Lisa

  8. I have learned that it is nor always too late for fullfilling a dream. It is possible to accomplish amazing reaults with our amazing bodies.We should nexer settle for,”I can’t”, or underestimate what we can accomplish in mid to late life. It is possible to stay active for your entire life, if we work at it and go for it. despite what the wotld may think. I know learning, new challenges, and a strong desire for a full life can keep us mentally and physically fit.I hope to be an inspiration which changes how americans regard aging. I feel good about my vitality being contagious to some young and elderly family and friends. I have been asked several times lately where I dance professionally,and won dance prize at the valentines’ day dance, so never say never is my philosophy. Go for it, if at all feasible for you and if not,make adjustments,take care of your body,stay in the race,it is so rewarding, if not famous,tis rewarding to you,and that is what matters.

    • “I have learned that it is not always too late for fulfilling a dream.” Delighting in the challenges, the emotions, the spirituality, the connection to body and others, the intellectual joys of dance. There could never be a too late for all that it has to teach us! Thanks Gypsy 🙂

  9. Dancing has taught me so much about life, and so much more about our creator, our Heavenly Father who hand crafted such amazing bodies for us to do all the things we do in them. When we dance, our spirit and our body is one in purpose, and it is the most beautiful thing. I think that is why dance is so powerful, our entire soul can be expressed through movement. Not only is the beauty around us a testimony of our living Father in Heaven and our Savior, but every time I dance I am reminded of the gift of our bodies, and the blessing to experience such a powerful means of communication with them.

    “Dance communicates man’s deepest, highest and most truly spiritual thoughts and emotions far better than words, spoken or written.”

    Dance has shown me that you will never see the same movement twice, because no one approaches the same problem and movement in the same way. We really are each very unique individuals, with different things to offer that no one else could ever recreate but us. We can see how the concept of eternity is so real because there really is a never ending supply of creativity.
    When you relate the concept of eternity to art, you can understand it better because there is no end to creativity, and we will be creating in the eternities, and we will never reach a capacity or maximum of what we can create. It is infinite. Just as God created us, infinite beings, with infinite potential. Dance helps me understand the Gospel of Jesus Christ more than anything, and I learn so much more every single day I dance.

    Dance has taught me more about who I really am, and who I can become, and most importantly, dance reminds me how we are each unique children of our Heavenly Father.