Since the first day our class met, the question "What role does music play in your life?" really stuck to me. My earliest memories are of sitting and watching my older brothers ballroom dance lesson. As at the time we just moved to the U.S and I had no one to stay at home with, my mom would bring me along to the group classes and lessons my brother attended. If we break it down, ballroom dance is merely listening to the music which is played and moving your body to it, there is no other way around it. By spending so many hours there I fell in love with ballroom dancing myself. And looking back at it now, dance has really shaped who I am. At this point in my life, I can’t live without dancing, it’s embedded into my system at this point so to say. No matter what is playing my mind automatically scans for the rhythm and melody and what dance it could be. Everyday I come into the studio, and I hear the music echoing through the room, will my teacher explains a movement to the student. Being a 9 time U.S champion, and representing the U.S in world championships, I would say I have come to understand music quite well. A big thing any dancer learns, is how to express themselves, whether it is their personality or their emotion, through the music. However at the same time, it is sometimes better to express the music, and show the public your interpretation of what is is saying/playing. A common phrase said in ballroom dancing is: “Don’t be a slave to the music and follow it, make it your own and have the music follow you”. Music plays a humongous role in my life, as their is constant learning or new interpretations of different melodies. However, you can never master is, it is always evolving, with each new song a new emotion is discovered or a new feeling to be expressed. I can not sum up what role music plays in my life, all I can say is that it is ALL around me and I don’t ever want it to stop.
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This is such a relatable post! Growing up as a dancer I can relate to how much music plays a role in my life. I love the last few sentences of your post where you say how music is always evolving and a new emotion or feeling is being used. That statement is so true and I think it is so cool that we are learning so much from just listening to music. Loved this post!
ReplyDeleteI think your story is a perfect example of how music can really connect with people. We can tell how important it is considering it is one of the main components of something that you are passionate about.
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