Beginning. And reflecting
With starting this programme I must be reflective. And in doing so on my life and my practice it brings up many different parts. Ethics. Feelings. Theories. Opinions.
My practice now is within dance teaching. A place I got to because of how my body had impacted my previous study in professional dance. That was all I wanted to be a ballerina. I auditioned and got in at numerous places but there was always something holding me back. Something that has held me back for years in dance. I never saw it as something that held me back though, that opinion being put in the hands of teachers and prospective places of study. Scoliosis. Something that is central to my practice now and has been before. However before I saw it as a negative because others told me it was. As I branch into teaching I see it as a strength. A way of helping others like me, raising awareness of it but also how knowing about anatomy and movement and putting that into practice can help dancers. And not hinder them whatever may be holding them back. It took me a long time to get to the place I am at now where I don’t see it as a hinderance but more of what has launched me into who I am now and what I am doing.
My focus as a dance teacher is that dance is for all and all can achieve no matter what may be holding them back. I have personal experience in this, shaping my practice into what it is now.
Hi Chani, lovely to read this blog as I also have scoliosis and is something that I am and always have been extremely concious about. It is actually something that hindered me from being accepted into certain dance colleges also. I fortunately since then have had a successful career and can safely say it has never held me back on securing a professional job. Something I do wish I would have had was mental support. Mental health for a dancer is a great topic you can promote within your teaching practice :).
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