SHEsaysWITHaSMILE.blogspot.com

Let's Talk Dance and Identity by (me!) sandra, tvgp

I've written about dance plenty before, so cut to the chase:   if you would like to see where dance has evolved; where it is today in 2019, then you should watch 384

that is; season 3, episode 8, the duels 4 of World of Dance.   and prepare to be WOW'd

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regarding identity:  from my perspective, everyone that graces that stage is a dancer first; above anything else

that is to say, when I watch I see a

DANCER that is male or female, of a certain age (child, jr. adult, etc.), and from a specific country (Africa, Korea, US, Mexico..  etc), and very last  -perhaps heterosexual or homosexual; but this is unknown, only projected, and not relevant..  which is also true about their education, economic status, political/religious affiliations.

and from my perspective this is true about many things   -a SWIMMER first...     -an ACTOR/PERFORMER first...   -an ARTIST first..       a WRITER first...     a MOM or DAD first..
a PREACHER first...      a BASKETBALL player first..

and that is the common denominator; and it appears to be quite global..  DANCERS from every race, religion, culture; different styles, music yes; but dancers in every culture; and in every generation..

current media practices, and ancestry sites, and dna report industries put so much emphasis on where you are from, what you are made up of, but not what you were made with love to be...

do we still not have testing for gifts/talents/instincts like writing?

no doubt our histories/cultures/past is important; no doubt.   but, my eyes see what people ARE first..  in terms of gifting/talents/interests/abilities..   and everything else comes after...

so, i'm repeating, but it is worth repeating

I am a writer and a mom..  (mom already indicates gender)  and WRITER speaks only of my God-given instinct  -not my gender; sexual orientation, political affiliation, education, eating habits, religion

; I am a writer who is also female, who is also heterosexual who is also Christian

interesting to use our imaginations to group people from all around the world; how many times you could group, sub group, shift

will all the writers go here:    designated place  (what an array of ages, colors, gender....)

dancers here

singers here

singers and dancers

singer/song writers

but, my main point would be: just to note that there are dancers in every culture across the globe, and across recorded human time, and all the other things don't even matter  

if you look at the news today  (or yesterday, and including tomorrow)...   fights, hate, division, arguments, ugliness

if you watch world of dance   -we have people from all around the world, with different orientations, beliefs, diets, incomes, etc.,

and they are all just on the stage, competing at very high levels, doing their thing

and, if you, like me, want to live by that great quote:   be the change you wish to see in the world

I would like to see a lot more people participating in and being an audience to world of dance and the voice..

and a lot less people participating in and being an audience to ugly, divisive, violent and hate-fueled news.

lets us focus on, give our limited, highly valuable time/attention/energy to what is going write in the world.

hmmm..

I do believe there is a bible passage that speaks to this:

Philippians 4:8.

amen & amen.

***

let us note, what is and is not seen on 'world' of dance..

I have not seen the hula/Hawaiian dancing... no irish dancing...  no full out ballet...

but I see the influences of all these and more   -just like we have primary colors, and then endless mix/match and a growing spectrum

we have primary dances   -then ratio mixes~hybrids~fusions..

this is true of many things.

posted by SANDRA HARRISON KAY @ 12:19 PM