Why We Do What We Do, Part 2

At the beginning of the school year, we heard from our students why they dance, and the resounding answer was that for interpreting your feelings, there are no limits.

Now, if art is truly an individual’s means of expression – unique and without rules or limits - then formal training is not required. After all, you can sing in the shower, or paint or play the piano for your own enjoyment, thereby fulfilling your own need for expression. But without training, our vocabulary may be somewhat limited, which is why artists of all mediums study and perfect their technique in classes. And this is where Ballet Memphis School comes into the picture. Learning to dance teaches us not only the movements that become our “words”, but also the nuances of our language’s grammar and sentence structure. Ballet training gives us eloquence.

I’m not sure that our youngest students or their parents know that this is what’s going to happen when they begin studying in our school, but somewhere along the way, the metamorphosis from student to artist, from mimic to creator happens. It happens to every single student.

As Ballet Memphis School works to increase our school enrollment, and to make connections in our community, it is important to dispel the notion that dance is just entertainment, or an idle pastime. Instead, we want folks to know that when we dance, we are simply talking with our bodies, expressing who we are, and who we would like to be. I believe that the future of Ballet Memphis School will revolve around sharing this with children from all circumstances who have lots to say in their lives, but don’t know that art, or dance can be their language.