Why do you dance?

​Why Do You Dance?.... The way you answer is what makes you, YOU. 
 
Have you ever stopped to ask yourself “Why Do I Dance?” If you’re a dancer, I am sure that you’ve been asked this before – but maybe not so seriously. You may have been asked by your dance instructor when goofing off in class, your friends when you say “I can’t, I have dance”, your parents when you complain “Im tired, I don’t want to go to dance today”, or when you meet new people and your instinct is to say “My name is.. And I am a dancer” without hesitation.  Most importantly though, this question should be asked internally. Of yourself. 
 
Something about Felicie’s answer [the movie LEAP] moves me when she is asked, “Why do you dance?” :
“Because it’s always been a part of my life. It was there with my mom when I was a baby, and it’s here now thanks to Odette. It allows me to live, to be myself.”
 
…It allows me to live, to be myself.
 
Nothing more true has ever crossed my ears when it comes to this answer before hearing this.  I have asked this of myself, in many different stages in my life, in many different circumstances, always giving myself some generic answer or what I thought I wanted to hear.  But when I broke down all those thoughts and reasons and why’s – the answer was the same: I loved it. It’s a part of me. It makes me feel as though I am completely alive.
 
I feel like I can communicate better through dance. Like my expression and voice is better understood, related, and received more clearly with movement & dancing.  My emotion is stronger than when I am speaking.  My dance speaks for me.  Because it is a true passion that has always been a part of my life, it sometimes has also clouded my understanding of why others dance.  It’s been hard for me to at times throughout my life to understand how I can be so dedicated to something, while others are not.  I could literally want to dance for a solid 12hrs one day, get up and do it all over again, while others are ok with just the 1 hour of recreational dance a week & rather hang out with friends.  Over the years (& as I have gotten older) I have come to see that dance is for Everyone. And therefore, there can be more than one answer to the question above. 
 
It is important to understand that while you dance for one reason, someone standing next to you may be dancing for a completely different one… and that is 100% completely OK!  Some dance for the glory.  Some dance because they are naturally gifted.  Some dance to escape.  Some dance to make friends.  Some dance for the community.  Some dance out of duty.  Some dance for the trophies.  Some dance because it is inspiring to them. Some dance for the scholarship or the Varsity Letter. Some dance to pursue dreams. Some dance because its good exercise. Some dance because they just love to move to music.  Some dance because they cannot communicate with the spoken word. Some dance because they cannot imagine life without dance. Some dance to simply bring joy to others. While others dance to simply bring joy to themselves. 
 
Every Answer Is Valid.
 
Keep in mind as we enter the end of the spring – and approach Recital season – that we all love dance. We all love it for possibly different reasons. But we all love it.  It’s a part of your life right now, if only for a season, or for forever. And when someone asks you, “Why do you dance?” I hope you say – “It makes me Happy”.
 
For me – “it’s always been a part of my life. … it allows me to live, to be myself.”
 
-Samantha Kelsay