Beyond the B-Girl by Lady 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.