Ashby 1 Danielle Ashby Ed Austin Dance 261 14 April 2014 1.2 Personal Philosophy Statement Everyone dances.

Dance is not limited to those who specifically train for years, and some of the most beautiful dances I have observed have been through those who have never stepped foot in a studio. Sometimes bad dancing saves lives. Dance is a celebration of life and the beauty found in it. It celebrates the beauty of the simplicity that we as humans often overlook or never even see at all. I believe that anything on this earth with a spirit can and must dance. Just think of a dog jumping up and down with a wagging tail. Is he not dancing? Many believe that only those who keep their hips squared, have long necks, and point their toes are true dancers. It is true that these technical things do make an astounding dancer, but without the life and breath that comes from the joy of dance, there is no point. Technicality is important, but is not the sole purpose. Passion is vital. A dancer with correct technique is great, but a dancer with passion is extraordinary. We are taught in the scriptures that dance is good for the soul. D&C 136:28 reads, If thou art merry, praise the Lord with singing, with music, with dancing, and with a prayer of praise and thanksgiving. There are many verses of scripture such as this that encourage us as human beings to dance and give thanks unto God. But why does God encourage us to dance? I believe that He wants us to use our bodies to the fullest of our capabilities because they are one of the greatest gifts that He has given us. We are made in the image of God and He has blessed

Ashby 2 us with the ability to create, not as immensely as Him, but as He can. What a remarkable thought! It takes our own personal effort to become a dancer. No one can force it upon us. We must have the passion required, as mentioned above, to truly emanate the emotion, and most importantly, the light of Christ. Yes, thats what I saidwe can share Christs love and light with others when that enthusiasm and energy is shown through dance. This is what pushes me to give my complete self. What better reason to dance than to share joy with others? I believe that I can help people through dance. I believe that dance can change a persons life, whether it be them actually dancing or watching it on a stage. I want to use my artistic talent for good and touch peoples lives. I dont believe that dancing should be learned only to just turn around and teach it to someone else, never pushing to our limits. Dance can be used in so many different ways for good besides teaching. Teaching dance is importantand I believe personally that teaching is a callingbut I feel that it can be used to improve peoples health, and most importantly, to lift peoples spirits. The human spirit is so fragile and precious. Dance is an art form that can truly keep our spirits alive and well. Life is just as fragile, so why not celebrate it? Like I said before, dance is a celebration of life, and is a way to communicate that joy with others. Humans have always communicated through movement. Think of a toddler that can not yet speak. How do they communicate what they want? Most likely by pointing or grabbing the object or person. Movement is the most natural form of human expression because it is universal. Dance is a way of connecting with those who are different from us. It creates relationships and brings people together. We as humans are more similar than we are different. We have the same

Ashby 3 purpose here on earth, are made in Gods image, and have the same destination to travel to. So why not dance through the journey? Joy must be found in the journey because there are absolutely no short cuts. We must work our very hardest to push for what we want. Phenomenal dancing only comes by practice. Like Aristotle taught, [w]e are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit. When in a classroom setting, it is essential to be aware of my surroundings and all of the wonderful space in and around my body. Space is a beautiful thing. It does not matter how other students are doing in class, but rather just me. It is said that we as humans are our largest enemy. That is completely true. Its not how much time we have in a studio, but rather how we use that time we do have that will make us grow and expand our knowledge and ability to dance. Practice is the key. As a dancer I have made it my personal motto to not just practice until I get it right, but rather practice until I cant get it wrong. It is not enough to just understand something in my mind. It needs to be applied to the body and be so engrained within it that it becomes natural. But it takes time to get there. I have never heard of anyone in the history of the world that woke up one day knowing how to do a perfect pirouette. Perfection is only reached through hard work and patience as I continue to push and grow as a dancer. I began to learn this lesson while training at Creative Arts Academy. There were many dancers there who seemed to be so naturally talented. I felt like they didnt have to work nearly as hard as I did, and that bothered me. I had to learn to accept that each body is different, and although there is only so much natural talent people can be born with, I wasnt born with very much of it. I firmly believe that those who work hard always defeat those with natural talent when talent fails to work hard.

Ashby 4 As I came to accept my natural and physical differences from other dancers I became happier. I was able to truly focus on what dance really is and stop comparing my failures with others successes. The dance world can be hard on anybodys heart. Thats why it is so essential to realize this when deciding to pursue dance as a career. Dancing itself is not what can be so difficult, but the environment. We must never compare our lows to someone elses highs. That is a recipe for failure. It is always easy to see how hard work pays off when performing. But that hard work can wash away so quickly. As a performer, it seems that sometimes we can practice for hours and hours for something that will only last for a moment. The feeling that comes when performing on stage is exhilarating. There is a rush that trickles through my entire body followed by a thrill that is just about equal to flying down a steep roller-coaster. Moving across the stage underneath those hot lights sparks a magic feeling inside that is hard to even put into words. Dancing for an audience is something, that for me personally, is worth every second of my diligent effort. For me, it it is the sense of satisfaction when I am performing, or even dancing to my fullest during a combination in class. It is when I am pushing past the limits I thought I could not exceed when practicing in the studio. It is the complete rapture that seeps through my insides when making the choice to escape life for a split second and dance it out. I wish so badly that I could share that feeling with everyone around me. So that is what I try to do. I know that those who watch me might feel something completely different, but it is the actual chance I am giving to those watching that is truly magnificent. They can take whatever they want from my dancing, but it is my responsibility that all dancers have to share that spirit and emanate it from our beings. Dance really does touch lives in a way that nothing else can.

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