Dancing Together
This I Believe
3/22/07
I believe in the beauty of working together, and I believe that each person has something to say and give. Everyone is important, and in our families, friends, and schools we need to work together in order for this world to carry on. We all have something to give to each other, something to contribute to the world. No matter how small or large, everything counts in the big picture.
A large portion of my life was spent in a dance studio, and even though I’m not dancing anymore, I believe that many of my values now have come from that experience. What everyone seems to gain from dance, either from watching it or rehearsing it, is that working together is a key element. A ballet that is extremely well known is “Swan Lake”. While being technically difficult for the prima ballerinas, it’s also a test of the company dancers, or core de ballets strength as a group. Some of the most impressive parts are the famous 32 fouettés that one of the main characters, Odele executes. A fouetté is a difficult turn on one leg that requires a large amount of technique and balance. While the star dancers are center stage, the core de ballet performs its own part. Perfect cannons of jetés, promenades and port de bras, synchronized to an almost exquisite level are there contributions to the beauty of “Swan Lake”. All the dancers are linked together by the music, all working together to make something beautiful.
That is really what ballet is all about, working together to produce something wonderful and presenting it to the audience, or maybe just for yourself. I have realized this through dancing. When you’re a part of the core de ballet you have to be aware of the other dancers around you or the dance falls apart. I could feel the unity of dancing, the other people moving with me, their weight, and the rush of the air from limbs swaying to the music. It’s a beautiful and terrific feeling, like a flock of birds or a soccer team doing things as one, to accomplish a common goal.
This type pf unity is what I believe the world needs in everyday life and personal encounters. We have to be willing to cooperate and come together to make life work. Next time you do anything with a group, try to feel the inspiring sensation of doing things together and at the same time try to give your own touch; the finishing details or the famous 32 fouettés. Everyone is a prima ballerina and a company dancer in their own unique way, and we all make up the bigger picture.