Who am I?

“The important thing is to strive towards a goal which is not immediately visible.  That goal is not the concern of the mind, but of the spirit.”  ~Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Flight to Arras, 1942, translated from French by Lewis Galantière


Throughout my three years as a student at the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee Dance Department I have already learned and encountered so many experiences, but the quote above illustrates my unknown path ahead of me.  I have goals set for myself, but they are definitely not something I can see in the near future or even how they will happen.  This journey is far from over and will never be over.  It is a constant cycle of learning, exploring, and experiencing.

Self-realization is something I have been focusing on throughout this year. “Who am I?” is a question I continue to ask myself.  I feel that who i am is greatly determined by both my past and also my goals for the future.  My history in the dance world flashes back nineteen years to when I was two years old.  My mom placed me in dance class to give me the “discipline and structure” she felt I was lacking.  I obviously have not stopped since that day.  In terms of training and technique, ballet was the primary focus, with Jazz and Duncan accents.  The ballet was great preparation for modern technique, providing my body with alignment and extensions it needed to execute the new movement style. I also feel that it is actually one of the greatest influences on my daily life and my approach to everything in it, especially in dance.  Respect is one of those products I took from my ballet training.  It is something I value greatly both receiving and giving.  It has engrained in my mind the importance of respecting yourself and your creative work, which in turn will lead others to do the same.  With this in mind, it has also lead me to work hard to earn this respect and to really go the extra step by loving what I am creating, both movement wise and also personally. 

            The world of modern dance has opened my eyes to new and innovative ways of moving and also on how to incorporate it into self-expression.  It has thrown me out of my safe zone and into a world of creativity and exploration.  This is an aspect of dance that I deeply value.  Dance is something that can describe me with my body, not words.  Dance is something that can express my inner creativity.  Dance is something that unleashes features of my ‘self’ that I have yet to discover, asking questions such as:  Who am I?  What do I want to do with my future?  What makes me, me? 

            Discovering limits and continuing to expand them, and never allowing them to inhibit new experiences are ambitions I continue to make the center of my focus.  Can I take more risks?  Of course!  This question is one that connected me with dancer and choreographer Paul Taylor who stated, “You have to take a lot of risks.”  And its true, it’s the only direction to success, the only way to grow as a dancer and as a person.  I will challenge myself to broaden my manner of thinking in order to open my mind to different styles and techniques.  I plan to work very hard at becoming a versatile dancer and also a truly intelligent dancer. With this exploration and growth it forces me to become more confident in my choices and movement.  I choose to dance because I want to make it my life, and the only way for me to be successful is to believe in the choices I make and stay open to new ideas.  Taking risks, “a lot of risks.”