It's amazing how hard we dancers are on ourselves...after all these years nothing gives me more joy than perfecting complex footwork or mastering the inner coordination needed to execute a complex turn...and then of course I have to think about how I can improve them! Yesterday while working on my new cha cha routine in Flatiron, NYC, I started to really enjoy my shoulder and torso oppositional movements, feeling solidly grounded in my new Aida copper shoes, my legs straightening and bending with ease. My hips doing Latin motion as if it hadn't taken hundreds of hours of practice to show them the way to sway. My face started to light up as my arms naturally assisted in the movement - and this was all the solo section!

I have made so many friends through dance that inspire me in various ways - I wish some of these people could drop their facade more often to relax off the dance floor. Whether amateur or pro, the game is often one of competition and connections. I understand why when folks invest so many resources into being their best and inborn talent is never enough. But if you can truly dance like no is watching, then you can be free. And yet it is impossible to be free when one craves an audience...I believe in the democratizing of the arts - allowing each individual to express themselves through various mediums. I also believe that this is the only way forward. I now realize how lucky I am to have had the dance education I have received, and even I still crave a deeper understanding of various forms.