Today was my first day at Dancing Wheels. The atmosphere is very focused but laid-back in a familial way. My first week here will consist of participating in a workshop with dancers of all abilities. The workshop is very fast-paced. I love how inclusive this company’s philosophy of dance is! Even the terminology they use is inclusive. Instead of saying “disabled and non-disabled” dancers, they say “sit-down and stand-up” dancers, because all dancers are able. Their focus in dance performance is to “translate” choreography to each dancer’s body and abilities. This idea is a lot like some of the work that I did in the Inclusive Dance independent study I did with Miriam Ragland and Anna Cary last semester. However, given my experience today, I think that their dance style, like most, is very body-central. Thus, it differs in creative origin from the thesis Miriam, Anna, and I explored of dance as a spirit-central art form. The goal of body-central dance is to create visually interesting pictures and movements. Spirit-central dance strives to manifest the soul through creative means. Body-central dance is about what a body can do, while spirit-central dance is about what a body can express. Both are legitimate styles of performance and choreography. I wonder if I will continue to observe this body-centrality.
So far, today was a wonderful experience! It renewed my love of dance. I can’t wait for tomorrow!
Then what happened?
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