Prompt: Choose 3 words that describe you as a dancer.
Explain your choices.
Imagine that there are 2 more words that could describe you as a dancer, but you just haven't reached them yet. What are they? Explain your choices.
If you want to take it further, explore what you may need to do to get your dancing to those next 2 words.
Words are incredibly important. Understanding what words mean, and what connotations are associated with them, gives power to the speaker or writer. So, when asked to come up with words that describe me, I hesitate. My ability to describe myself is flawed. Over the years I have heard many descriptions of myself and they are sometimes contradictory:
Free spirit. Shiny. Tightly wound. Kind. Empathetic. Over-committed. Overachiever. Enthusiastic. Sparkly. Creative. Fascinating. Smart. Silly. Impatient. Brilliant. Compassionate. Intense. Hopeful. Passionate. Closet Nerd. Worrier. Skilled. Rug. Beautiful. Writer. Lacks self-confidence. Diverse. Animal lover. Non-argumentative. Poetic. Peaceful. Crazy. Dedicated.
All of these words come together to form a complex, and at times a bit contradictory, human being. From these words we can draw a picture of a person who is multi-dimensional and completely unsure of who she is. The world would be boring if life was not a constant exploration of self.
Who am I as a dancer? That is a good question. What words would I use to describe me? Admittedly, my brain drew a blank so I asked for some opinions and then considered them.
Dedicated: I feel that I am dedicated to dance and to bettering myself as a dancer and a person. I routinely attend 4 days worth of classes and practice at home, as well as being able to commit extra days when needed or offered learning opportunities. I have attended workshops and jump at taking them when given the chance. I'm even signed up to take a workshop taught by my regular teacher because there is always more that she can teach me and that I can practice. Sometimes, when I am sick and not practicing like I usually do, I question if I am dedicated but then, as soon as I feel better, I am back to multiple classes and extra work catching up. I'm still a relatively new dancer but I'm told by countless others that I dance as if I have been at it much longer and that I have a gift. However, I don't know if I can say that about myself. What I can say is that I work hard and I dedicate myself to the art form. I could work harder, I'm sure, and I will try to.
Diverse: My dance journey has been interesting. I've learned basics that transcend style. I've been learning elements of tribal fusion, which it is the style that I first fell in love with. I got invited to join (or, integrated into) an Egyptian Cabaret troupe. I've taken workshops focusing on balady, shaabi, and Turkish dance. I've been learning diverse styles with a wide array of teachers and all of it serves to make me better and challenge me.
Enthusiastic: I want to learn as much as I can. I want to dance as much as I can. I want to continue on my journey, growing as a dancer and a person. I jump into as much as I can. Dance makes me happy. It makes me healthy. It makes me complete.
Two Words that I Aspire To:
Expressive: I live in my head. Because I get so wrapped up with getting the technique and moves right I lose my expressiveness. My insecurities also stop me from being expressive. I have a hard time letting go and theatricality (or even showing emotions) have never been a strong point and have always felt fake. I aspire to be expressive and to make it feel natural. I hope to reach this by doing more movement exercises, expression exercises, and more out-of-my-comfort-zone exercises.
Confident: I lack confidence which ties into my issues with expressiveness. I lack confidence in my abilities and I worry so much about getting everything perfect that I get lost in worry. I worry a ton and need to tackle my self-esteem issues in dance and life in order to achieve confidence. I think that my lack of confidence in myself definitely fuels my lack of confidence in dance. I need to continue working on my self-confidence to help myself as a dancer in this area.
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