Dance comp season has started. Dance is beautiful, dance is a visual art.

But too often I hear ‘you were beautiful’ said to the dancer. What exactly does that mean? Did the dancer dance beautifully? Or are they just beautiful? Are they beautiful in costume or stage make up or with their hair like that? Or all of the above?

The lines created by the dancer can be beautiful. The overall spectacle of dancers, stagecraft, choreography and story can be beautiful. Watching the dancer’s body in motion can be beautiful. Stage make up can transform them into a character, costumes can be beautiful.

But it is all SO MUCH MORE than ‘beautiful’. Dance is moving, transcending and entertaining. Dancers are elegant, powerful and AMAZING. Dancers are fantastic, talented, mesmerizing, confident and brave. Make up is incredible, artistic, transforming. Stories and images are powerful, thought-provoking, entertaining, funny, saddening and striking.

In a world where we need to start showing people that they are more than just how they look, let’s all commit to expanding our vocabulary this dance season when we compliment a dancer’s performance.

I’m off to get a good night’s sleep before my tiny dancers’ big weekend.

They will be CONFIDENT.

They will be BRAVE.

They will be STRONG.

They will be CLEVER.

They will be EXPRESSIVE.

They will be SPARKLY.

And yes, they’ll be beautiful. On the inside and out.

 

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