Dancing : My way of life...

In the year 1990, a couple decided to teach their daughter a new language. When the little girl turned six, a language expert was called home to teach her. He arrived one fine day and asked her name. The girl replied with a coy smile. He blessed her and thus began her lessons. He started by teaching her the alphabets of this new language and asked her to depict it. Not using books and pencils but with her hands and legs. Slowly and steadily she learnt the building blocks and in due course realized that she had been led to a whole new world. 

The couple described here are my loving and supportive parents. 

The language expert is my beloved Guru - my first dance teacher who introduced me to performing arts. 

And the little girl is me who had been taught a new language - the language of "dance".

Source

What started as an initial parental interest later bloomed into an undying passion for me towards this performing art. And that's my answer for this week's Friday Reflections.

"I feel happiest in my skin when… I dance." :)

With each passing day, I wonder how this passion came to be. Sure, I could sum it up by saying I love dancing and stop at that but that isn't self-explanatory of how much this art has given me in return. How it has made me fall in love with it over and over again. 

1. It's a never-ending journey

They say - "Dance is a conversation between body and soul". It's true - over the years it made me realize how dance has grown to be a special part of me and how it defines who I am today. It's an everlasting process fueled by passion. Without passion, you could stop the journey any moment you want to. 

We should consider every day lost on which we have not danced at least once. - Friedrich Nietzsche

2. It's more than just glamour

As a kid, I used to love the lovely costumes, the intricate jewelry and the elaborate makeup a dancer needs to adorn before ascending the stage. Over time, it made me realize that the stroke of the brush to highlight the eye or the cheek was to help emphasize the character I was playing. It made me understand that when I dance, I turn into a story-teller who needs to look different.  

And it didn't matter even if I didn't look glamorous enough. All it takes is a simple hand gesture to convey the expression.

I dance for myself. I dance to forget the world. 

Dance, when you’re broken open. Dance, if you’ve torn the bandage off. Dance in the middle of the fighting. Dance in your blood. Dance when you’re perfectly free. - Rumi

3. Dance has paid me "a lot"

A friend once said to me - "Why do you dance if you don't get paid for it? If you were paid money or something in return, it would have meant much more." 

The statement did hurt me endlessly but I kept quiet and chose not to answer. Since this was the "only" person out of a million friends who felt it was not fruitful to invest time or energy in doing something worthwhile, my mind chose to rest the issue. 

I feel grateful every single moment of my life to my family and my teachers for their unrelenting support and everlasting belief in me. They steered me into this art and gave me so much more than I ever could have asked for. 

It's a gift for life ! :)

The dance is over, the applause subsided, but the joy and feeling will stay with you forever. - W.M. Tory

4. My favorite form of exercise

I am sure everyone has their own gym routines. Treadmills, weights, cardio workouts and what not. As for me, I enjoy an initial half hour of warm up and then pure dancing. It is the one activity that helps me focus on my entire body (including my mind, thoughts and inner self) rather than just a part of it. 

It helps to focus and improve on not only physical characteristics but also my social, cognitive and aesthetic skills.

Life is the dancer and you are the dance. - Eckhart Tolle

**This post is part of the Ultimate Blog Challenge.**