My Dance Story: Musings About What I Have Learned Through the DWC Ambassador Program
By Jeanne Robson, DWC Ambassador | pronouns: she/her
One of the main reasons I wanted to become involved with Dancewear Center was to learn more about the many dancers, groups, studios, etc. that are located in the greater Seattle area. At this time I cannot even say I’m at the tip of the iceberg because I am just at the beginning of learning about the dance community here. I am grateful to be able to follow the web of connections through Dancewear Center sharing people, their activities, and more online. This sliver of a glimpse into the world of creativity, lovers of dance and unique perspectives that are literally all around us has inspired me.
What I did not expect from this experience as a Dancewear Center Ambassador is how much I would learn about myself. I was motivated to apply for this adventure out of a want for personal growth and to practice stepping out of my comfort zone. This would be an opportunity to move past just following the train track of my daily schedule and interacting with only the people in my fairly small community. The thing about new territory, though, is that it is new.
My experience started with a simple request. ¨Tell us your dance story.¨ Ummmm. So much reflection… What stories do I have? What stories do I want to tell? What stories might others be interested in? How long has it been since I shared my story from start to present day?
I do not remember starting to want to dance, I just always did. There was so much to love about it. The physical feeling of movement. The music. The logical and the illogical. I also had pain, both physical and emotional, as did so many of the dancers I was surrounded by. We experienced so many unknowns in our day to day lives and in the predicting of our future, yet, there were no doubts about our love of dance. Then, I fell out of love. Why would a person keep repeating physical movements that cause tendonitis and permanent joint damage stay in a world where negative body image is seemingly inescapable, and emotional support for dancers feels non-existent?
20 years ago I was asked to sub a ballet class. This led to more classes. I never thought I would become a dance teacher, and at first I jokingly called it my art therapy. I thought of it as a way of working through my issues with dance. It turned out my body and my soul still loved to dance. I fell back in love, and to this day I’m still teaching.
In the beginning of my teaching career, I did my best to think back to what I had learned at specific ages and to follow the progressions I remembered. As I taught more, I remembered more and I began to realize how fortunate I had been. I had received so much knowledge and training from so many dancers, teachers, and performers at a very young age. The incredible benefits of living in New York City with its rich cultural arts landscape did not truly register for me because I just thought of NYC as my home town, as one does wherever they are growing up. I was able to see so many theater and dance performances (thanks to my parents!) which very much informed my education.
It took several years, but the more I taught, the more I started to have an understanding of the words I had often heard about how we have a responsibility to share and pass along knowledge that is given to us. In addition, I realized that as I shared teachings with my students, I had my own breakthroughs and insights about the material. This gave me a strong foundation from which I could add my own interpretation and still be true to my training and what I want to pass on.
I was trained in classical ballet and modern (specifically Horton technique). To me it always seemed natural that different forms of movement techniques could and did support each other. I have always been interested in the study of anatomy and body mechanics, and have sought out current studies and information about the human body, including physical movement, nutrition, brain function and more subtle energy work. My current love is the work of synthesizing the old and the new. By this I mean the integration of new information and insights from movement science with the understanding and remembering of the traditions of the art of dance- the pairing of the logical and the illogical.
Now I have a new chapter to add to my dance story. I use the phrase ¨such an honor¨ when describing the experience of being a DWC Ambassador, because I truly feel this way. In the past several months I have begun learning about social media, the tech that goes along with communication in this media, and the current dancewear styles and products that are available. Without this opportunity, I would not have the guidance and support to learn these skills within a context that is meaningful and important to me. In addition, I have had the ability to experience these dance products personally.
Within DWC I have been working specifically with two people who have impressed me so much with their ability to hold a positive and inspirational vision for dance and dancers and to also keep the details of everyday life in order - like being dancers and running a business! They have permanently inspired me to continue learning about and growing my own web of connections in the dance and art world. I'm excited to see what is next along this path.
Thank you Dancewear Center! ❤️
“My current love is... the integration of new information and insights from movement science with the understanding and remembering of the traditions of the art of dance- the pairing of the logical and the illogical.”
