My lived experience as a dancer has some interesting parallels with surfing that I was just thinking about. Just as a surfer must paddle through many mediocre waves to catch that rare, perfect wave, with dance I personally must move through numerous partners with mediocre chemistry to find that special, magical connection. It’s a numbers game, really. The more waves you chase, the more likely you are to catch that heart-pounding, exhilarating ride all the way to shore. Similarly, the more I dance, the more frequently I lock eyes and body movement with that one follow who just gets it, who moves in perfect sync with me.
When the connection isn’t there, as a lead, I set the tone. Sometimes it’s mirrored and sometimes it’s not. Sometimes I have to mirror my follow first before so that I can elevate the energy of our dance connection. It’s a delicate balance, a subtle negotiation of give and take, push and pull. But with experience, with time, I’m learning to read the signs, to sense the potential in every new partner. I’m learning to nurture it, to fan the sparks into flames.
I know that as I continue to give myself these experiences, as I continue to pay attention and remain sensitive to various energies from my various follows, I will innately become more skilled and effective at elevating the energy of the follows I don’t connect with well at the beginning of a dance. It’s a journey. And just as the hunt for the perfect wave is often more rewarding than the ride itself, so too is the pursuit of that magical dance connection just as valuable as the connection itself.
Because in the end, it’s not just about that one, perfect dance. It’s about growth, about learning, about pushing past your limits and discovering what you’re truly capable of. It’s about the journey, the struggle, the triumph. And just as every surfer knows that the only way to catch that perfect wave is to keep paddling, to keep chasing, so too must every dancer keep moving, keep seeking, keep surrendering to the music and the moment.
Let’s dance. Let shut our minds off and flow.