When I was invited to join the community group I had a rush of enthusiasm, ‘yes!’. No sooner had the word left my mouth, a wave of terror ran through me – what had I let myself in for? Was I really wiling to dance in front of an audience? I must be mad! I spent the weeks waiting for the first rehearsal in a state of nervous anticipation.
I don’t know what I was expecting, but I had no reason to be such a drama queen! The space created by Helder and Nienke from Eastman has been wonderfully supportive and encouraging. Few of us knew each other at the beginning and over the weeks our relationships are growing through the dance; we’re getting to know each other through movement rather than words, and it’s creating a wonderful sense of trust and playfulness.
I’m loving the balance of structure and exploration that Nienke and Helder provide. The structured choreography has given me the chance to explore the quality of movement through repetition. As my confidence grows I’m not just remembering what movement comes next, I’m realising the subtleties of mood and how to define the rhythm of the moves. The exploration of movement has felt hugely creative, and I’ve been amazed at what has grown from working together with Laura and Juliette, other members of the group.
For me the most challenging aspect of the project is accepting that I’m a beginner. I watch professional dancers and I imagine that I could dance like them, I so want to be able to dance like them! They make it look so easy and I don’t see the years of practice and training, I just see how I’d love to move myself. But this project has proved to me that even though I’ll never be a professional dancer, dancing is still hugely rewarding and enjoyable, and a wonderful way to explore and express with others.
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