BREATHE

The JSX Lady Style Choreography Project has been underway for four weeks now and I wanted to share some of my experiences and feelings with you, my readers to give you a sense of what it’s like to be involved and committed to an activity like this. Most of us juggle many aspects of everyday life from spending quality time with family and friends as well as having full or part time careers which we aspire to strive in. For me, I have always and will always be a dancer at heart. No matter how many tasks and to dos I have on my list on any given day, my soul food is getting on that dance floor both in the studio and on stage to either teach and share my skills with others or to perform for audiences and my peers. I realize that not every person I meet in the dancing scene or have the pleasure of getting to know in my classes is a full time, professional dancer.

This realisation gives me the highest amount of respect for the ladies who week after week put in the valuable time to join me in improving and bettering their dancing skills and creating new choreographies which most of the time, never have the privilege of being shared with the world. My idea and vision with The Choreography Project is to create a special piece of choreographed music with these very dedicated ladies which can be shared and performed for audiences. This will expose the ladies to what it’s like to perform and experience the thrill of being on stage in front of people cheering them on.

Many of the ladies who have supported and continue to support JSX Style with their time and eagerness to learn have full time jobs, families with children and many other commitments which require their attention. It is extremely humbling and inspiring to me that they are able to fit dancing into their busy schedules and that they attend almost every week without being absent or having excuses. Life is hard sometimes with all the stresses of everyday life pulling at us to get done or be handled. I truly believe that dancing, in many ways, shapes and forms can be somewhat therapeutic and a way to release stress. If only for a moment, it is about forgetting all your stresses and worries at the door when you’re in the studio or on stage, and giving to yourself and your team around you the pleasure of being in that moment.

This doesn’t mean that it will be a walk in the park and that you only need to show up to reap the rewards of being a better dancer. It means really putting in the time, practicing in private when not in the studio to see yourself improve when you are. This isn’t always as easy in practice as it is in theory because we all live crazy and hectic lives which contribute to a struggle to find a balance in everything we do. Ladies who show up to class may not always be in an open and relaxed frame of mind to learn what I have prepared for them. Sometimes they have just had a difficult week and need to take a moment to talk to someone or shed a tear or two. This keeps me always aware that we all have our great days, good days, bad days and even awfully terrible days. It is just a part of life which we all go through.

As I have touched on many times before in my blog, dancing is a form of art and expression. There is something sacred about stepping onto an open dance floor to create and share a choreography just as a painter readies their brush and canvas before creating a beautiful piece of art. When an artist of any discipline creates something to express who they are, the true satisfaction comes from sharing it with the world. We are all unique and have something special and positive to contribute to those around us. I still learn new things about myself and others each day as I progress through my dancing career. Learning is key and is a part of everyday life from when we are young, right through to when we are seasoned adults with years of life experience behind us. Just as I am able to share what I know with different people from all walks of life, I learn so many lessons and how to deal with multiple situations.

I am extremely excited and proud to be able to share my passion with my students as well as the world in the form of dancing. The Choreography Project is progressing positively and everyone is working hard on delivering the best possible performance. I am sure it will be a massive success, and I can’t wait to have it out there with all of YOU.

The Choreography Project’s PREMIER show will be SATURDAY 18 July 2015 at CLUB FIERA in Hoofddorp.

<3 Joyce