Dance Life

“My world is full of dance floors, inspiring music, and speechless audiences. I love my dance life #dancesaveslives”

I've always loved dance quotes and this one in particular caught my attention.  It wasn't the typical Graham, Pavlova, Nureyev, Fosse, Duncan quotes I keep seeing all over social media, but from an organization that randomly started following me on twitter one day: "Dance Saves Lives" - an organization dedicated to teaching dance to orphanages in third world countries.  Reading this, I can't help but think of my life, coEXISTdance, and the wonderful things that are happening.

It's completely true.  For me, my world IS dance.  Maybe it's sad, but in the last few years of "re-finding" my lost self, I've tried to literally breathe dance to get through the heartaches of life.  So I teach, choreograph, rehearse, perform, take class, even just improv in my basement as much as I can.  

"Dance floors"?  Since the beginning of the year, in a given week I could have been in 8 different studios rehearsing, teaching, or just dancing for myself.  

"Inspiring Music"? I'm constantly moved by music that inspires me that all I want to do is dance to it, feel it, and share it.  

"Speechless Audiences"? Like most dancers, I thrive on the high of performing on a stage and giving out to the audience what is inside of me.  Numerous times, I've been complimented on my latest solo "The Lonely," (set to Christina Perri's song) about how "the lonely" is ok, how dance has filled my heart and taken up the other half of my life that had been ripped away . "Emotional, inspiring, sad but uplifting, graceful, technically strong, made me cry" people would say.   Recently, however, I performed it to an instrumental cello cover of the song wanting a reaction to the purity of the movement without the lyrics and it was met with generous praise.  It isn't the fact that people are saying all these wonderful things about your work, but the fact that your movement and your passion is recognized as coming from a real and honest place - that the audience, whoever they may be, can relate, share, and experience what you're trying to say with your movement as if they were right there on that stage with you.  To know that is a truly fulfilling feeling.  You feel your passion, know your purpose, and hope it makes a difference - even for just one person, it's enough.

This week I've tried to find a way to catch my breath through all of life's struggles and happenings and once again, find myself throwing my body, my heart, my soul into dance on the only 6 days from September-June that I can have to myself.  As I sit here, computer on my lap, coffee in hand, sunlight beaming through the window on the bed of a cozy little studio apartment on the lower east side of Manhattan - starstruck by the fact that this place is owned by a Paul Taylor Dance Company principal dancer described by Dance Spirit magazine as an "amazing petite powerhouse" and that right upstairs is a former Martha Graham dancer who literally just invited me to a housewarming party tomorrow - ready to fill my weekend with classes at Broadway Dance Center - I feel like I am temporarily realizing a dream I once had.  But one I no longer foresee because I know my purpose now.  

People always say "everything happens for a reason", "there is always darkness before the dawn," "if it weren't for the pain you experienced in life, you wouldn't be the strong person you are today". 5 years ago, my dream was where I currently sit, but dreams change.  Since then, the role dance plays in my life has shifted and I know where I'm supposed to be, what I'm supposed to do. 

One of the many reasons I love coEXISTdance is the fact that we strive to give back to the community through dance.  Our mission statement that "dance exists for everyone" is thought-provoking.  The work we've done at CHOP, Relay for Life, Aid For Friends, and our upcoming outreach summer program C.O.R.E is inspiring.  You don't have to be a professional dancer to be touched by dance.  It's everywhere, within everyone, a way of life.  It saved mine.  

"Dance exists for everyone."

"Dance Saves Lives."

So "dance life"?  Yes, I love mine. 

*Lauren Sion

Dancers Aid

A few weeks ago the dancers of Coexistdance joined forces to put together breakfast bags for a local elderly community. Coming from a commitment in the city, I arrived a few minutes late, but that meant I was lucky to walk in on a scene of all the girls already at work. Half of the group was at the table making “Good Morning” cards with happy or silly drawings on them. They were giggling and complimenting each other’s ideas, making sure each card felt special in some way. The other half of the group was putting the bags together. They had stations set up all over the kitchen: a napkin, 1 of these granola bars, 1 of those, 1 applesauce, 2 small candies, 2 tea bags and 1 card. Without focusing too much on what they were doing, they moved seamlessly around each other to each spot in the room as they talked intimately about one of the girls and a concern she was having. Their responses were only positive, hoping to empower and encourage her to make choices that would make her feel positive about herself and her lifestyle. It was so nice to know that I was a part of a group so comfortable with each other and so committed to supporting each other in a completely judgment free environment. I think of our most recently renovated and performed piece, Beacon, and the message that you are already who you need to be, you already have everything you need to go where you want. Glynn’s young lab picks up on our happy-to-be-together energy and proceeds to bite everything in sight for attention. We laugh and hide our purses. One dancer pets him and uses a treat to remind him to sit, lay down, can we shake hands? I think this is something special for coexist, a sort of nurturing environment and I hope that we bring a sense of our community with us when we perform, encouraging audiences to be happy where they are, to feel positive about who they are. 

Megan Quinn

The Necessity to MOVE

Change. It's exciting, somewhat unknown, and our human symbolism of progression or digression.  It is essential and natural, we need change to grow as both individuals and as a wholistic (is that a word?) community.  We all must MOVE and CHANGE - for to stay stagnant in one spot is dangerous.  Too much of the same eventually leads to a slow crumbling and disintegration of human energy, potential, ideas, time, and values.

We need to move on all sorts of levels.  Physically, it keeps us healthy and fit.  We use it as an emotional outlet and as a way to relieve stress or frustration.  Emotionally, we need to move and change emotions, experiencing all of them.  Although no one yearns to feel sad or angry, these emotions help us to truly appreciate happiness and joy.  We also need those emotions so that we can empathize with others and help to lift others out of hard times. Mentally and Intellecutally, we need to focus and concentrate on an array of subjects in order to understand everything in a bigger picture.  Change is good. Change is healthy. Change is ESSENTIAL in order to thrive!

CoEXISTdance needs some changes. I am scared of them!

Of course, this is a problem I am honestly thrilled to have. The thing is, CoEXIST has achieved all of the realistic goals I could clearly foresee.  We have a great, consistent team working as the structure of the company. We have established relationships with several organizations allowing us to collaborate: The American Cancer Society, Aid for Friends, The Philadelphia School District, The Red Cross, and The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. We have and are continuing to do outreach performances, fundraisers, and community service events. We are on our way to non-profit status (!) and we are maintaining and creating artistically fulfilling and challenging dance repertoire.  So now I find myself at a speed bump in the road - where to next?  Where is CoEXISTdance going from here? We need to MOVE and we need to move in a direction that is forward.  If we remain the same, I fear that we will slip backwards.

Being a leader has pushed me to be much more courageous and confident than I ever expected. I need to advocate, represent, and invest 100% of myself into CoEXISTdance if I want anyone else to! Now I need to articulate and confront the upcoming changes for CoEXISTdance and embrace them.

Cheers to changes and to always MOVING on so many different levels in life :)

Kathleen