Even if you're so passionate about something, and can't imagine life without it, there are times when your enthusiasm starts to fade, and the interest starts to wane - what gets you back up on your feet? What keeps you going?

Nobody cares if you can't dance well.
Just get up and dance.
Great dancers are not great because
of their technique,
they are great because
of their passion.

- Martha Graham

Express yourself. Don't mind those that tell you that (they think) you can't dance. Say nothing, OR "I'm dancing to the beat of MY OWN drum".

Those who danced were thought to be quite insane
by those who could not hear the music.

- Angela Monet

Stop being so hard on yourself. Only you are holding yourself back. Listen to the music and let it carry you away...

Dance like no one is watching.
Sing like no one is listening.
Love like you've never been hurt;
and live like it's heaven on Earth.

- Mark Twain

If music moves you, don't hold back and stay content in your seat. Enjoy it. Celebrate it. Express yourself, don't repress yourself.

The truest expression of a people
is in its dances and its music...
Bodies never lie.

- Agnes De Mille

We should consider every day lost
on which we have not danced at least once.
And we should call every truth - 'false',
which was not accompanied by at least one laugh.

- Friedrich Nietzsche

Think, feel, dance, love. That is truly living.

Only the wise can dance the rhythm of life.

- Unknown

During times like these - reflective periods - I like to call them, I find inspiration in the wise ones before me. Life certainly does go on.

Life is not waiting for the storm to pass,
but learning to dance in the rain...

- Unknown

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Posted By: Trina - Category: Tips, Advice, How-To

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Dancing: the downside (back from hiatus)

October 23rd 2006 21:30

Yes I know, I'm sorry. Several people have wondered if I had fallen off the face of the earth after the lack of posts on any of my blogs for a while (that is, about a month). What brings me back from hiatus is ironically, a broken back.

When I first got into blogging, I was enthusiastic, passionate, dedicated like a first year university student who wouldn't miss a class or lecture, ask for an extension on an assessment or plagiarize.

Then you start getting busier and busier with extra curricular activities that your parents don't find any potential in, career-wise, but you do them anyway because you've convinced yourself to follow your heart or be stuck with a life you absolutely despise. The frequency of your blogging decreases as you adopt a more "less talk, more action" view on life and you find yourself on stage with a drag queen in front of thousands of half-naked gay men and women (wait for future post "SLEAZEBALL" to be written after my rant).

All of a sudden, BAM, you crack your back, having what is described as a hernia of the spinal disc in your lower back and you're told it takes on average six months to recover (although it's never cured and you'll be stuck with back problems for the rest of your life).

Spinal Disc Herniation (Wikipedia)

MRI scan (not mine) of a spinal herniation

With doctor's orders to avoid sitting down at all times, besides abstaining from most physical activities, you find yourself at the computer again, thinking now what the f--- do I do? So back to blogging it is.

I never thought I'd ever take dancing as more than something fun to do once in a while; I never thought it would take me this far, to becoming a somewhat professional dancer with no technical jazz, ballet, tap training; I never thought I would perform along celebrities, win competitions or travel because of it; I never thought it would become my life.

Still, there's no use crying over spilt milk (or in this case, my spilt spinal disc) and it's not like I lost any limbs or had severe spinal injuries preventing me from walking, let alone dancing again.

Maybe it's just a sign that it's time for me to take a break anyway, after going all hard out for the last two years, and it came at a time when DJing is just starting to make its way into my life (although I can't bend over so changing the vinyls can be a bitch).

A friend of mine suggested I focus on Popping (old school funk style of dance) - not a bad idea but my first choice would be Hiphop or Locking, or some Breaking.

The timing does suck though, since I've had to pull out of the national Shakedown urban dance competition in Melbourne, next weekend, but regardless, I'll still rock up with my crew, in uniform and all, cheering them from backstage.

This experience has made me thankful that I have things to fall back on, like my university studies in non-dance-related areas and it makes me wonder what full-time professional dancers do when they're physically injured to a point that it completely stops them from dancing...?

On another note, my physiotherapist is extremely hot, but I'm pretty sure he's gay. Not that I'm looking anyway...

Also, we have just recently been informed that we can now add forums to our blogs. I'm gonna test one out on this Dancing site, for those looking for classes of all styles in Australia and New Zealand, so please post if there's any information you would like to share, or any questions you want to ask.

- Trina

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