The struggle is real, dancers. But it doesn’t have to be. It is necessary to begin to understand that dance training isn’t confined to the studio. It is essential for us to enhance our artistry through movement continually, whether at home, at the grocery store, or waiting at the Subway station. 

Dancers can source creativity from a multitude of inspirations.

And as dancers, it’s our responsibility to find inspiration from varied mediums. I can think of no better time to dig deep into our sources of creativity than now. We are at home, in confined spaces, and isolation. This confinement forces us to search inside of ourselves to discover more profound parts of ourselves. We find out who we are, what we value, and what we came on this earth to do. We can use a small observation of our story to lead our next creative work from deep reflection. 

For example, if I were to remember a story from my youth about running away from daycare, I could recreate an entire piece about why I decided to leave. Or I could create dance art about the decision-making process that led me to take off from daycare and run out the door. Even better, I could demonstrate the daily attempts to running away minutes after being dropped off and the defeat that I felt each time the babysitter caught me mid-escape. The story doesn’t have to be apparent to the audience. However, having that baseline story helps make your work more exciting and gives you a framework for creating that particular piece.

By choreographing a child’s thought process, my movement would instantly become more playful, innocent, or perhaps, temperamental.

(Although, I can assure you I was not temperamental. Just a child who didn’t like the concept of daycare. I didn’t understand why I had to hang out with annoying, crying kids who were indecisive, easily upset, and again, annoying. LOL. I digress.)

So I challenge you, dancers, to elevate your artistry by searching deep for stories within you. See what you can come up with, and be sure to shout out The Sonja McCord X and @starringsonja for teaching you a new way to source creativity.

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