Monthly Archives: March 2010
Tap Dancing Still Alive?
Why yes. Yes, it is.
On Thursday, January 28, 2010, I hosted a Tap Jam in Seattle at Egan’s Ballard Jam House. What a night that was! We had a room full of participants and observers, special guest tap dancers Travis Knights and Mark Mendonca, and 4 incredible musicians to set the mood for the evening: Hans Brehmer (piano), George Bullock (guitar), Nathan Reese (bass), and Frank Heye (drums). I was so thrilled with the energy we created and exchanged that evening, and happy to see so many different tap dancers come out from all over the city.
Following the jam, Frank, our drummer for the evening, posted a great review on his own blog titled: “Tap Dancing is Still Alive!” Go Check it out!
My thoughts?
Contrary to what some may think, tap dancing does still exist! Is it at the forefront of the entertainment industry? Well, no. But is there room in the market for bringing people a fresh new experience via tap dance? Absolutely! The market is wide open, we just need to create the product for it.
…And so that is exactly what we’ll do. Keep your eyes open because the best in tap is still to come!
—
Thanks, Frank, for helping to spread the word that tap dancing is alive and kicking!
Peace,
The What: Life.
Life is magical.
Even when it’s unbearably challenging.
It’s magical.
The purpose of this blog is to share life experiences. I am a visual musician – a tap dancer at my core – but above all else, I am a human being interested in connecting with others to co-create a peaceful energy in this world.
The topics of my posts will likely vary widely, but to me they’re all related. The lessons I learn and the experiences I have in dance and in art are directly applicable to life… they are not separate entities. My personal mission is simply to uplift. As a dancer, I bring that mission to my performance and I strive to fulfill it. As a human being, I bring that mission to every thought, every action, and every interaction and I sincerely strive to fulfill it… every day.
The joy and humor I experience might come through dance, it might come through painting, it might come through cooking, it might come through hula hooping (why not?)… but it is always at its peak when I am sharing with people around me. There are so many people in my life that bring me joy and comfort and humor…
This blog will chronicle all of that. It is my way of giving thanks, in hopes that sharing my experiences might brighten your day or bring you some comfort. We are in this together.
Peace,
The Why: Time to Share.
This post marks the beginning of an exciting new journey together, should you feel compelled to join me! I love playing with words. I like to take my time when exploring language to figure out which combination of words brings the most clarity to my thoughts. This, however, can be a daunting task because ALL OF US assign our own meaning to words and phrases based on our own personal experiences.
It is as Anais Nin pointed out, “We don’t see things as they are, we see things as we are.”
But, I LOVE the challenge this predicament presents – in writing, speaking, nonverbal communication, dancing, etc. – when relating to and interacting with other people.
So what does this tell us?
Well, I believe that herein lies the secret to connecting with one another on a very powerful level because it brings about UNDERSTANDING. If the above phrase is true, then we should realize that the meaning we assign to what someone said to us could be entirely different than what they intended.
We should not be quick to take offense.
And, the meaning we ourselves assign to particular words or phrases at one point in time will likely shift or take on new meaning for us at another moment in time. Therefore, we would hope that others would be understanding of our journey, of our transformations.
Because of this, we should not be quick to judge others.
—
And just as I write these words, I can’t help but smile at the thought of reading this post a year down the road and having any number of reactions to it:
1. Cringing at the actual sentence structure / grammar
2. Laughing at how it seems like I had it all figured out (…and by “it all” I mean life)
3. Thinking that this post comes across kind of arrogant and “all-knowing”
Ha! That said, I DON’T PROFESS TO KNOW ANYTHING. I am searching. Transforming. I explore that which resonates with me in the present moment and make adjustments as I go. …Who doesn’t love a good mystery?
I look forward to sharing with you and hearing about your journey, too.
Peace,
