Chance to dance. A life story that made me think. And cry.

4. min. read.

A friend of mine, Jyoti, recently held a wonderful speech about her way back to dancing. A passion she had given up for many years. While many people rather focused on the technical aspect of her speech delivery, I allowed myself to actively listen to her words and to become part of her world for five minutes. What she shared with us was so powerful, I had to share it with you, too.

Her story began 

with a visit to the dance performance of a friend’s daughter. But we did not start in the auditorium seat itself. Jyoti started on the way to the auditorium hall:

"...it was so dark inside.... All of a sudden there was a sound of what seemed like a match striking the matchbox and the lamp was lit! The light from the lamp turned the darkness of the room to light... And something sparked within me!" This showed us that we would learn about something, that was deeper than just a "normal" visit to a dance performance. Hm... interesting.

Jyoti continued: "All the young girls were dressed in colorful Indian traditional costumes. They made beautiful patterns and arrangements on the stage. I seemed to be in a trance as I enjoyed the various dance performances of the young girls."

The wake-up call

Something unexpected happened during the following night. Jyoti could not sleep. Something kept her awake. She then travelled back in time with her thoughts and found herself in her schoolgirl years:

"I was learning Bharata Natyam (a form of Indian classical dance) as I used to be very fond of dancing. My dance teacher thought that I was a natural dancer. She praised my dancing skills in front of my grandpa and from the very next day my dancing was stopped - lest I lose attention towards studies."

Ouch! That scene felt familiar. I am convinced that all of us had to stop doing something we love at least once in life due to a "rational" reason. It could be painting, photography, acting, cooking, philosophy or helping others - you name it. Why? - Because "you cannot make a living from that". Or because "what will the neighbors think?". Or "a real (wo)man does soandso".

We create the prisons we are trapped in ourselves.

Who on earth spread the lie that you cannot make a living when following your passion? Why do we tend to lower the value of professions, creations and traits that are difficult to measure resp. put into numbers? Where does the urge to control come from? What does "real" mean? Don't we all know that reality is bendable? Are we on this planet to live up to other people's expectations? Is this our purpose? What if do not want to live like you? What if I am happy with less that you have? What if your version of success is different than mine? What if success - to me - means being true to myself? I could go on like this for a while...

The bottom line is that we tend to "strangle" the child/ inner artist in us and then wonder why we feel dead in our mid 40s (latest developments show that we start to feel like this in our mid 30s). I find this an unhealthy and alarming trend... Let us do something about it! Let us have the courage to question opinions and traditions if they hurt us on the inside. And if we missed out on the chance back then,

let us do what Jyoti did NOW.

She joined dance classes. Yes, at "her age"! Although her family asked her in a semi-polite way if she had lost her mind. Jyoiti overcame the fear of being judged by others and by herself. She entered the dance class nervous and full of doubts. But "as I took the first step all my inhibitions melted away! I got totally submerged in the serene rhythm of the enchanting music."

The whole class welcomed and accepted Jyoti as a part of them. The innocence and simplicity of the young girls touched her heart. Jyoti also progressed quickly and was soon promoted from the foundation course to grade one. Yes, most of the girls are in the age bracket of 10 to 12 but two married are almost at the same age as Jyoti.

What do we learn?

Firstly, you are not alone. There are thousands of people out there who share the same passion and doubts related to it as you do. Secondly, if you feel that spark in you, grab the chance to follow it. "Grab the chance to dance"! Thirdly, before you label Jyoti or people like her as nuts, have a look what internationally renowned motivational speaker and self-help guru Louise Hay does at the age of 89...