Well, as many of you may know, I can mash potato. I am also well known for doing the twist. But what I want to know is, do you like me like this? Tell me...tell me...tell me...(please)
O.k., so by now you've learned what a big dork I can be. But this dork also happens to be a world class ventriloquist; in 46 different languages at that, and of those languages, an additional 120 dialects. Bet ya' didn't know that!
In all seriousness though, most people know me as "the dancer"-- by major, by title, and by trade (though I have yet to receive any monetary benefits from it). I have been dancing since the age of 4. Some kids aren't even potty-trained yet at this age (though I feel really bad for them and question their developmental progress). I danced my way through figure skating rehearsals, and adolescence, stopping briefly for some fresh air and relaxation from time to time, then starting again when I was ready. But it wasn't until I reached high school that I fully understood my potential as a dancer, nor how much I truly loved it. It became a sort of surrogate boyfriend for me-- boys didn't like me in high school for various reasons, hence, dance became my teenage love-affair...that lasted! Now, in college, boys aren't really such a problem anymore...well, in other ways...but dance and I are still glued at the hip. I love it dearly, and aside from the times it causes me great physical pain and injuries, it loves me too.
As time progressed, dance changed it's form and purpose in my life-- it went from being a hobby, a childish fling if you will, to being a necissity. I thrive on it, I live for it, and though I have tried taking breaks in recent years to prove I can find a replacement, I am unable to. There is no replacement for dance. Nothing, not acting, nor boys, nor anything else in the world, can come close the kind of replationship the two of us have.
Dance has seen me through some of the roughest and lowest points in my life. It served as a therapeutic outlet for me in those days. It showed me that despite all the bad things our environment and/or life may present us with, whether real or just perceived, there is always something positive that can be learned and gained from it. In many cases, I have manipulated dance to be viewed and expressed as an art form, although I like to think of it more as a form of personal expression as opposed to artistic expression. My intent is not to entertain with my movement-- artistically, metaphorically, or in any other way-- My intent is to portray someting that's inside me-- what I'm thinking, what I'm feeling. Dance evolves when I do and blossoms and shines when I do. It is real and honest when and only when I am. It hurts when I hurt, laughs when I laugh, and embellishes on the two when I am caught somewhere in limbo. It is always there inside of me, screaming to be let free. I guess you could say that in many ways, dance is...me.
