Some of you know about my love of ballroom dance. I don’t love it because I am good at it (some days are better than others). I love it because there are moments where I get to experience seemingly effortless movement in harmony with my partner as we float through the room on a gently flowing river of music.
There are times when the learning process is hard. Finding my own balance in a new movement or series of steps. Building the strength to hold a frame while staying soft and supple in my body. Mastering novel sequences and patterns in my feet, in my posture, and with my partner. The path to mastery in ballroom dance is littered with missteps. However, if you boil it all down, there are several essential components which help along the way.
Self-carriage. We need to be able to take responsibility for, and hold, our own balance. Without our own balance there is little hope of true partnership. Every once and a while we might find ourselves relying on our partners to hold us upright or we might offer support when needed. Yet, the goal is to to carry ourselves with grace, inviting our partner (in their own balance) to move gracefully with us.
Athleticism. No, we don’t need the fitness and flexibility of an olympic athlete. Rather, we commit to finding the limits of our movement and then working along these growth edges to improve our range of motion, our flexibility and our strength.
A common language. In dance there is a code that has been developed through the centuries for its ability to support leading and following without throwing our partners off balance. I chuckle at how awkward and ugly it can look at the beginning, and marvel at the beauty and seamlessness when that code is understood by both the leader and the follower. Understood and executed with faithfulness and tact.
While reading this, you might think I had just spent a day at the dance studio. The truth is that I just spent a day in the arena with Pippa Callanan. And, these were the lessons she shared in a approachable, effective and meaningful way. Thank you Pippa for an awesome day! Can’t wait to dance with my horses over the next several months and see what we can get working for us. Maybe you will join us in November when she returns… ~ Paul
Some of you know about my love of ballroom dance. I don’t love it because I am good at it (some days are better than others). I love it because there are moments where I get to experience seemingly effortless movement in harmony with my partner as we float through the room on a gently flowing river of music.
There are times when the learning process is hard. Finding my own balance in a new movement or series of steps. Building the strength to hold a frame while staying soft and supple in my body. Mastering novel sequences and patterns in my feet, in my posture, and with my partner. The path to mastery in ballroom dance is littered with missteps. However, if you boil it all down, there are several essential components which help along the way.
Self-carriage. We need to be able to take responsibility for, and hold, our own balance. Without our own balance there is little hope of true partnership. Every once and a while we might find ourselves relying on our partners to hold us upright or we might offer support when needed. Yet, the goal is to to carry ourselves with grace, inviting our partner (in their own balance) to move gracefully with us.
Athleticism. No, we don’t need the fitness and flexibility of an olympic athlete. Rather, we commit to finding the limits of our movement and then working along these growth edges to improve our range of motion, our flexibility and our strength.
A common language. In dance there is a code that has been developed through the centuries for its ability to support leading and following without throwing our partners off balance. I chuckle at how awkward and ugly it can look at the beginning, and marvel at the beauty and seamlessness when that code is understood by both the leader and the follower. Understood and executed with faithfulness and tact.
While reading this, you might think I had just spent a day at the dance studio. The truth is that I just spent a day in the arena with Pippa Callanan. And, these were the lessons she shared in a approachable, effective and meaningful way. Thank you Pippa for an awesome day! Can’t wait to dance with my horses over the next several months and see what we can get working for us. Maybe you will join us in November when she returns… ~ Paul
