Dancing is like learning to cook. The steps are the ‘recipe’ you read from, but over time, you learn to add the ‘spices’ that are uniquely you. We’ve discussed how increasing awareness of thought patterns that hold us back can help us reprogram them. Now, we’re ready to explore how to add our own authenticity to our dancing.
The book The Legend of Bagger Vance by Steven Pressfield illustrates this concept of authentic mastery brilliantly. The golf caddy Bagger believes there is an ‘authentic swing’, that is unique to every person on the planet, and all golfers are unconsciously trying to find it. To reach it however, they must ultimately learn to ‘surrender’ to their increasing awareness of their authentic self, which is a culmination of the training they’ve received and a deep understanding of who they truly are.
We likewise each have an ‘authentic dance’. How do we know this? Because our body can tell which movements feel ‘good’ and which feel ‘bad’ - and it will automatically guide us towards the former. Over time, and with increasing awareness, we reach a place where training can no longer help us. Only by surrendering to this instinct can we go further, bridging the last gap to dancing with authenticity.
We can hasten this surrender by using your increasing awareness of your body during practice. To do this, we must enter each dance with as few attachments as possible. Social dancing is a particularly excellent way to train your natural spontaneity, while testing your ability to detach from the opinions and judgements of others.
If this is very difficult for you, you can begin by dancing alone, but try move where at least one or two others can see you. Not only will this help push your comfort zone, but you will give others unconscious permission to do the same.
‘But what if my authentic dance is something nobody else likes? I still want people to dance with me’, I hear some of you say. The truth is dancing with increasing awareness will draw more people to you, even if some of your movement is unusual. Remember that potential dance partners want the same thing you do, even if they don’t know it: To connect to a sense of authenticity within themselves. I’ve seen many performances that were technically brilliant, but they might as well have been danced by cyborgs - there was no life or joy to it.
When you dance authentically, you radiate that joy that comes from being in touch with yourself and your partner, and others will want to connect to that as well.
First and foremost though, remember that dancing with increasing awareness to impress others is not dancing with awareness at all. You may dance for judges, for an audience, or for your partner. But nothing will feel better than when you dance for yourself.