Awe and Fulfillment

Although I've never even thought to buy the magazine before, I was required to purchase the December issue of O Magazine for an academic class and was pleasantly surprised by the content. One article in particular caught my attention titled  "The Key to Fulfillment". A pulled quote from the piece pretty much sums it up:

Somewhere at the intersection of joy, fear, mystery, and insight lies awe, that ineffable response to the amazing world around us. Only recently have scientists taken a look at the sensation—and why it may be key to a more fulfilling life. 

When discussing it in class my professor commented “You couldn’t pay me to read this,” implying that the Oprah “cheese factor,” understandably so, was sure to be sky high in this article. However, I did read it and maybe it’s my sappiness, even though I’ll choose to call it artsy-ness ;), and I liked it. I could completely relate to those moments of “awe” when you feel “overwhelmed, surprised, humbled, and even a little terrified all at the same time. As a dancer I can compare this feeling to not only feeling small when gazing at the cosmos like research scientist Heidi Hammel featured in the article but also feeling larger than life when performing on stage. Dance continues to provide my sense of wonder and attachment to the “bigger picture” of life.  I feel incredibly blessed to be hyper aware of my body and as a result be able to more fully realize this “utter fulfillment” or “awe” again and again.

 

More Than A Success: Francesca Harper Answers Questions about her Mom's Celebration Concert

Ms. J

This past week I had the opportunity to perform on the world famous Harlem stage, the Apollo. As if that wasn’t reason enough to be excited, the purpose behind the show was for the late, great, Denise Jefferson, former Director of the Ailey School and all around phenomenal woman. It was a Celebration Concert in her honor that was invitation only, and served as an opportunity to bring generations and cultures together to share, dance, but most of  all remember this beautiful woman who had an impact in some way on every single life sitting in that audience.

I had the privilege of working with her equally talented and passionate daughter Francesca Harper for the show and other projects and here is a sound bite of  a few of her reflections from that emotional and inspiring night.

 Francesca Harper 

Interview

Just Something to Think About

What talent or special skill do you wish you possessed?

When I was first met with this question it was in the context of a weekly RA report. It is the Resident Director's (aka my boss) respectable attempt to make this mundane task somewhat interesting by asking a "Question of the Week." Normally I answer these fairly quickly. Whatever pops in my head first  is usually what I put down and call it a day, but for some reason this one had me pondering. I wound up coming up with some bullshit answer just to get it turned in time but later in the day, on my own time, I really thought about it and came to a conclusion. As "dance-obsessed" as it may sound I decided, wouldn't it be great if I had the ability to pick up choreography instantaneously and with ease? As soon as I was taught it I would know it, giving me more time to concentrate on the artistic nuances as opposed to the steps. 

Being a dancer, I have to admit I've struggled with that over the years. Now that I'm aware of it I can pinpoint that it's actually a result of the way I was trained from 9 years old to high school. The steps and counts were literally handed to me on a platter so I never had to really rely on myself to pick up the steps quickly because I knew it would be reviewed again and again. 

And then came New York. School. The "real world." Where phrases, counts, and gestures, are being thrown at you a mile a minute and it's your responsibility to be quick and not only remember the steps but all the little details tat come with it.

While I must say I've improved tremendously over the past years I still need and want to be better at it. One thing that I must remember though is while I can "wish" that I possessed this talent it is in fact a tangible skill that I can acquire.  

Here is a valuable lesson I learned two summers ago at LINES Ballet that I plan on actively working on again in the studio, please feel free to try it out for yourself!

Don't learn individual steps!

The more complicated the movement is the harder it is to pick up this way. Instead try experimenting with varying ways of remembering. 

You could focus on the flow of the shapes.

Pattern of the feet/arms.

Individual counts.

Natural reaction of your body to the movement.

Either way you choose make sure it's a conscious decision. Simply identifying a method and being aware of how your brain is storing this information is the first step.

Also, connecting the movement and understanding the "flow" of the steps is a huge tip. As soon as you start compartmentalizing each step it makes it harder to remember and your dancing feels and looks disconnected.

Hope these tips help. Everyone's learning style is different, I still haven't completely figured out mine, but at least it's something to think about, and having a specific task while picking up choreography will allow you to build upon that "special skill" that we are all capable of having.

Jody Sawyer Moment of the Month: "Why Can't All Dancing Be This Fun?"

So I've decided to pay a monthly homage to the greatest (and by greatest I mean cheesiest:) dance movie of my generation: Center Stage. If you're a real dancer I'm sure you know every line (even if you pretend like you don't) and the line for this month is: "Why can't all dancing be this fun?" This thought came to mind when watching this video. Their coordination, timing, and contrast between their upper and lower body is sickk. And while they're not doing grande jete's across the floor I think this form of "dance" is just as beautiful...but most of all fun!

Dancing with Hands-We No Speak Americano