Beyond the Steps
Amanda Younger ( 2013)
When the music starts I come alive
Shedding the image of me that the world holds on to
I am truly me for a few fleeting moments
If you look closely you'll see the real me
Look beyond the quick foot work and soft arms beyond the smile
Watch my eyes they truly tell the story
If you’re lucky you'll see it
The part of me I share with no one else
Dance students may see it for moments in class
Or teachers who look beyond the steps themselves
There is more to dancing the perfect technique or a performance that brings an audience to their feet
Real dance comes from somewhere hidden deep within the soul.
It never forces its self out but bubbles up and creeps out in the places the dancer can't control
I'm no different dance is in my soul
To stop dancing is to stop being me
As natural as breathing
Showing the world things my words can never accomplish
My fingers do not wield a pen
Nor does my voice sing a note but
My legs carry me through the movements dancing as if they control my body
My body knows what to do long before my brain does
The movements in harmony with my soul
One is part of the other
Always twisting and turning together never stopping
To dance is to breath
I cannot survive without dance
My movement defines me
Each step a shadow of my soul
Amanda Younger ( 2013)
When the music starts I come alive
Shedding the image of me that the world holds on to
I am truly me for a few fleeting moments
If you look closely you'll see the real me
Look beyond the quick foot work and soft arms beyond the smile
Watch my eyes they truly tell the story
If you’re lucky you'll see it
The part of me I share with no one else
Dance students may see it for moments in class
Or teachers who look beyond the steps themselves
There is more to dancing the perfect technique or a performance that brings an audience to their feet
Real dance comes from somewhere hidden deep within the soul.
It never forces its self out but bubbles up and creeps out in the places the dancer can't control
I'm no different dance is in my soul
To stop dancing is to stop being me
As natural as breathing
Showing the world things my words can never accomplish
My fingers do not wield a pen
Nor does my voice sing a note but
My legs carry me through the movements dancing as if they control my body
My body knows what to do long before my brain does
The movements in harmony with my soul
One is part of the other
Always twisting and turning together never stopping
To dance is to breath
I cannot survive without dance
My movement defines me
Each step a shadow of my soul
I was incredibly fortunate to learn the most important dance lesson very young from a teacher who understood the true meaning of why we dance. Miss R taught me many things about dance and life but the most important lesson I learned from her classes is that dance has to come from the heart. It is this message that I want to take to my students that it comes from inside you and is more than a collection of steps. I have also learned a lot from my special stars class (a group of 12 dancers with varying exceptionalities including autism), about what it means to truly dance.
Last June ( June 2014) my special stars had their first recital, I was thrilled and amazed at the response they got. My kids amaze me every class but tonight just blew me out of the water. We were the third dance out of recital and K the director made a beautiful introduction for the group and a speech about it before we danced. The magic happened when the music came on; I have never been on stage in front of a more enthusiastic audience! The theater was packed and the audience clapped along to Cotton Eye Joe for the whole song and the kids got the loudest cheers I have ever heard at a recital and a standing ovation from the audience. It was pure magic. I never expected my little idea to take off like this. I am one very, very proud dance teacher. Looking back on all we have done as a group this year, I cannot believe the changes in all of us not just my students but in myself. My dancers have really shown me the real deep down reason why we dance, because it brings us joy, happiness and peace. It lifts us up on a bad day and helps us celebrate the good; it is a constant source of joy and comfort. My special stars have taught me all it takes is music and an open mind to dance, it's not about winning and losing or creating master pieces or even ... Technique , yes there is way more to dance then technique. Dance is a beautiful way to share the thoughts and feelings that often get all caught up in our heads and cannot get out. I have learned some of life's important lessons with my special stars they have taught me so much about what a person can do if they believe in themselves and have a little encouragement. They have shown me true beauty not the surface skin-deep type but that of beautiful souls and inner beings. I have learned more about acceptance and meeting them where they are then I could ever learn otherwise. They've taught me true compassion, shown me what unconditional love looks like, built a level of patience in me I never thought possible and taught me about happiness To sum up what I've learned this year it's dancing from the heart is the purest form of joy. It took a very special group of children to show me this. I am so lucky to have them in my life and to be in theirs for as long as they want to dance.
I am very lucky to always have been surrounded by women who have taught me to most important technical lessons and more importantly the heart lessons, which they probably did not even know they were teaching. I'm now part of a highland dance program that is full of ladies and gentlemen of all ages who love to dance and dance for the joy of dancing, even the toughest classes are full of joy. It's being part of a community and a "studio family" where everyone supports each other and cheers each other on.
Last June ( June 2014) my special stars had their first recital, I was thrilled and amazed at the response they got. My kids amaze me every class but tonight just blew me out of the water. We were the third dance out of recital and K the director made a beautiful introduction for the group and a speech about it before we danced. The magic happened when the music came on; I have never been on stage in front of a more enthusiastic audience! The theater was packed and the audience clapped along to Cotton Eye Joe for the whole song and the kids got the loudest cheers I have ever heard at a recital and a standing ovation from the audience. It was pure magic. I never expected my little idea to take off like this. I am one very, very proud dance teacher. Looking back on all we have done as a group this year, I cannot believe the changes in all of us not just my students but in myself. My dancers have really shown me the real deep down reason why we dance, because it brings us joy, happiness and peace. It lifts us up on a bad day and helps us celebrate the good; it is a constant source of joy and comfort. My special stars have taught me all it takes is music and an open mind to dance, it's not about winning and losing or creating master pieces or even ... Technique , yes there is way more to dance then technique. Dance is a beautiful way to share the thoughts and feelings that often get all caught up in our heads and cannot get out. I have learned some of life's important lessons with my special stars they have taught me so much about what a person can do if they believe in themselves and have a little encouragement. They have shown me true beauty not the surface skin-deep type but that of beautiful souls and inner beings. I have learned more about acceptance and meeting them where they are then I could ever learn otherwise. They've taught me true compassion, shown me what unconditional love looks like, built a level of patience in me I never thought possible and taught me about happiness To sum up what I've learned this year it's dancing from the heart is the purest form of joy. It took a very special group of children to show me this. I am so lucky to have them in my life and to be in theirs for as long as they want to dance.
I am very lucky to always have been surrounded by women who have taught me to most important technical lessons and more importantly the heart lessons, which they probably did not even know they were teaching. I'm now part of a highland dance program that is full of ladies and gentlemen of all ages who love to dance and dance for the joy of dancing, even the toughest classes are full of joy. It's being part of a community and a "studio family" where everyone supports each other and cheers each other on.