Beyond the B-Girl by Lady Jules

You hear “Follow your heart” over and over again. “Follow your dreams!” “Never give up!”  All this is true but one thing people don’t talk about is…. what if your heart has a change of ….well…. HEART!   Our lives are ever changing, we are ever changing, and our hopes and dreams and goals are ever changing.  I have seen it time and time again.  People follow their hearts and their dreams but somewhere along the way something changes and their hearts lead them another way.  Along with that can come a lot of guilt and shame… “I thought this is what I wanted!”  ”What will everyone think?” “Who am I if I’m not what I thought I loved?”  ”Who am I if I am not who other people think I am?”  The list goes on and on and it is one that I am very familiar with.  I have always followed my heart and it hasn’t always been easy. In fact sometimes I beg for my heart to just stick to one thing but it is not my path.  I have always envied those who found their passions and follow it all the way to their dying day but I am starting to realize that it is just as valid to honor your heart wherever it takes you even if it is in several directions.  It is never giving up if it truly is in your heart to do so. Re-defining yourself, re-inventing yourself, and re-discovering yourself time and time again is exciting and revealing of your true character. I have the upmost admiration for those who have pursued one thing and were defined by that only to decide that there is something else out there for them.  It takes courage.  It takes an incredible kind of person to jump into the unknown and find a new part of who they are.  Cheers to change! Cheers to following your heart…..even if it changes.

ryanhollahg asked: What you wrote about dancing re inspired me to dance more, than the drive i already have haha thank youuu !!

I am so happy it inspired you!  Keep your heart alive in everything you love: )))

hotmailman asked: I just wanted to say that your most recent post was some of the best writing I've ever had the pleasure of reading. I don't know if it was your intention or not but I almost felt as if you were writing this as a result of fanny pak's recent elimination. I mean no disrespect if it isn't though. But thank you again Lady Jules and before I finish let me just say that Beat Freaks are a timeless and amazing crew. You guys have kept true to the spirit of dance.

Wow! Thank you so much for the amazing compliment!  I wrote it as a general statement to how I have been feeling watching dance as of late- but it fits well with ABDC’s elimination as well! Thank you for taking the time to write me and I so appreciate your feedback!  I will share your compliment to the girls as well! In gratitude!— Jules

Picture this… a blank page filled with the most eloquent, powerful, dynamic  words written down except for one thing.  The words say nothing, they mean nothing. They are just bunch of random words that sound good and look good but the sentences don’t make any sense because there are none.. all it is is a bunch of words.  That is what I see when I watch so many of these dance competitions, award shows, and performances that attempt to wow with meaningless subject matter.  I see amazing dancers who can extend their legs  beyond reason, spin what seems like thousands of times on their hands, toes and heads- but I am not moved by it, I am not changed by it and I pondered why until it hit me. In today’s day and age people are more concerned with how they function within the art form then what they want to say with their art form.  I am beyond moved by the heart of the matter far more than I am impressed with the most dazzling dancer.  Why do you think these reality shows i.e. American Idol, The Voice, SYTYCD, ABDC are so concerned with bringing background stories that bring us to tears that have nothing to do with the actual talent we see?  It is because we connect with those internal struggles that connect us all as humans, we connect with that which we have within ourselves. If you can see it in this light then you can see why the talent of the times before us why it was so crucial to be the best at what they did with the intention of expressing a message to us soulfully.  They didn’t have reality shows back then or back stories to help us feel something. These dancers had to work harder than ever to not only earn their spot as a dancer, but to communicate in their dance a feeling, a story, or an experience to the rest of us that was unsaid but only through the movement could it be felt.  That is why the dancers of the past were so unforgettable i.e Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly, Martha Graham- oh the list could go on and on… those are dancers you never will forget because they shared a piece of themselves with everyone of us.  This is what is lacking in todays dancers. I am not saying all dancers but alarmingly more and more everyday are developing incredible skill with no message like a bunch of beautiful words on a blank piece of paper with nothing to say.  It pains me to see the dancer’s purpose of communicating music and feeling through movement chalked up to fancy flair and an oversized ego to boot.  If it comes from the heart it will be felt by the hearts of others. I hope to do this as an artist in my life in whatever form I choose to express.  It is only through the awareness of the dancer that he/she can provide us with an experience. I suppose this is my attempt to bring some awareness if only in my hopes to see the dancers speak to me their hearts.