Awakening The Master Dancer – Part One

Dance is the art of giving and receiving expression, of offering ideas, inspiration, creativity and wisdom through the silent movement of the human body. There is something so powerful about this creative art. Its language can speak beyond the physical realm, taking both dancer and audience to another place and touching us at our core. It has the power to invoke, to connect and to transform.
We each have our own personal reason for wanting to dance. For most of us, however, the attraction is about how we experience dance based on what we feel when we are dancing. When a dancer is truly dancing from their heart, with a balanced mind, their body responds accordingly delivering precision, flow and mastery. This is truly the magic of dance.  This magic is what opens up a dancer’s audience to their heart, where they will automatically respond to the radiance that they see and feel the dancer exuding. It is at this point that a dancer awakens something profound within themselves. This is something that cannot be taught by a teacher. It is something that dancers experience… and what they are experiencing is the awakening of their Master Dancer.
There are two core elements to dance, one being the technical skill presented by the physical body. The other is the feeling content of the artist and their ability to project this to their audience; to fill the entire theatre with their energy and presence. A meld of both elements, and the connection between the mind, body and spirit, is the foundation of the master dancer.

A master dancer is a dancer who KNOWS themselves and who is comfortable enough within themselves that they feel free to BE themselves and to EXPRESS themselves. Consequently, such a person will give their self over completely to their performance, without fear of `standing out’, failure or reprimand. Someone who is uncomfortable within themselves – who lacks confidence – will tend to hold back in their work and from their own true self-expression. A master dancer remains in touch with the truth of who they are and with their reasons for wanting to dance. They are life students of rhythm and movement, teachers of expression and creativity, forever growing and evolving within themselves and their dance.
Isadora Duncan, philosopher and world famous dancer, was quoted in The Philosopher’s Stone as saying “your body is simply a luminous manifestation of the soul”. Her insight and talent remind us that we are all uniquely gifted. That there is no other dancer in the world like us!
The journey of a dancer is a great metaphor for any journey in life. It has ups and downs, hard times and easy times, but ultimately it is up to the dancer to realise that they are the creator of their own life in dance and dance in life.
Yes this industry wants you and the more you love and appreciate yourself and your talent, the more the industry will recognise that gift which is innate in YOU the dancer.
I look forward to introducing you to your power as a dancer through DANCE LIFE. Stay tunned for regular exercises, set to awaken you to your master dancer within.
Yours in life and dance,
KATE HISTON
www.byrondancedynamics.com.au
Extract from The Master Dancer ^TM
© Copyright Kate Histon 2006-2008. Any distribution, reproducing or copying of any part of this article is forbidden. Quoting the author is acceptable however she must be notified in writing first.