Copyright: Not my image,image copied from Pinterest
I am incredibly honoured that my sister took the time to sit and write this post. She is a fellow dance lover and creative and her view is so important even though she isn’t a dancer. I am aware this written piece coming from a lady that has many allowances and privileges might offend some in today’s world, but this inspiration community created through To Dance With Grace is for anyone who has something to say, as long as it is kind.
I hope you are as inspired as I was reading it and that you share the love of dancing with other dancers and dance lovers.
I recently got invited to watch the Vienna Festival Ballet perform Swan Lake at a small theatre in North London, and it was simply exquisite. I think Swan Lake has to be my most favourite ballet to watch.
So just a little bit about me, I am not a dancer – I am just someone who draws energy from creative spaces. I often call myself an introvert as I desperately need my own space to recharge after social interactions, except when it comes to creative spaces. I could spend hours watching dance, singing, drama, public speaking etc. and be all in and engaged with a wide group of people. I guess this comes from my drama background, I’m captivated seeing someone use their creative gifts.
I’ve learnt to love ballet in a special way through my sister who dances. She’ll always be the most exquisite ballerina and yes, I am entitled to bias 😊!
Back to the ballet, I came out that small theatre feeling revived but challenged deeply. Challenged? Yes, can I be the one that asks where is the ethnic diversity in ballet? It’s 2018, we cannot keep excusing it any longer. It’s starting to feel like the elephant in the room…
Every single ethnicity on earth can dance. Dance is everywhere. It may not look like the dance you are used to, but we cannot excuse its importance to that ethnicity, culture, heritage or individual.
Dance has this beauty of breaking boundaries. It is a well-trained host that invites everyone in to watch and take hold of it’s full beauty and grandeur. We need to invite it onto the stage perhaps?
I LOVE that we have Hiplet http://hipletballerinas.com/ taking the world by storm and I really, really hope their platform opens the door wide open for more diversity in the ballet world.
I hold hope that it will!!
The Vienna Festival Ballet poured their entire heart into the performance I saw, it made me well up with tears so many times. I thoroughly enjoyed being a guest to their table of creativity. I will never ever get used to seeing people pour their talents so freely to a crowd of complete strangers – to every single dancer, thank you for permanently leaving your mark on our hearts in a very special way.
Dance on my loves – your magic knows no bounds…
“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
With love
xoxo
* Written piece used with permission *
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