"I guess you're just what I needed!"
Nov. 19th, 2009 11:41 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
tricia868AAAAH, that was AMAZING!
Tonight was the first time in years I have danced with other people around.
There was a capoeira group at my school tonight as part of the international/multicultural series and it was so wonderful. I am so glad I went. I walked by it partway through and hovered in the auditorium door for a moment before perching gingerly on the armrest of a chair. It took me several minutes to settle in, ditch the backpack and the tupperware & the brownie pan I was holding, and take off my coat.
The spectacular thing about this performance is that it wasn't just a performance to watch. They invited any students willing to come up onstage, and were great about maintaining a balance between including and putting on the spot. It was perfect because while you were pulled into the center of the circle to dance, you weren't alone there. One of the experienced dancers was with you, so there was an interaction to base your movements off of. They didn't leave you lost. The energy was wonderful. Just getting a chance to move while drawing on the energy of a group, without getting too self-conscious, was so very much exactly what I needed.
I almost didn't go up there; I debated for 5 minutes and nearly chickened out, but I knew I would regret it and surprisingly managed to force myself out of the chair. Granted, it would have been that nebulous sort of regret that comes from not knowing what you might have missed; if you've never done something, you can't know how much you would have enjoyed it, how rewarding it would have been. And this may have been the most rewarding thing I've done in years.
I was grinning foolishly my entire ride home. I actually started crying when I realized just how much I had missed moving and being part of a group. I'm so overemotional right now, in all the best ways.
Edit: I am aware that capoeira is technically in the realm of martial arts, but for the purposes of this post, it is a dance. Yes. I've decided to define it as a wonderful combination of the two.
Tonight was the first time in years I have danced with other people around.
There was a capoeira group at my school tonight as part of the international/multicultural series and it was so wonderful. I am so glad I went. I walked by it partway through and hovered in the auditorium door for a moment before perching gingerly on the armrest of a chair. It took me several minutes to settle in, ditch the backpack and the tupperware & the brownie pan I was holding, and take off my coat.
The spectacular thing about this performance is that it wasn't just a performance to watch. They invited any students willing to come up onstage, and were great about maintaining a balance between including and putting on the spot. It was perfect because while you were pulled into the center of the circle to dance, you weren't alone there. One of the experienced dancers was with you, so there was an interaction to base your movements off of. They didn't leave you lost. The energy was wonderful. Just getting a chance to move while drawing on the energy of a group, without getting too self-conscious, was so very much exactly what I needed.
I almost didn't go up there; I debated for 5 minutes and nearly chickened out, but I knew I would regret it and surprisingly managed to force myself out of the chair. Granted, it would have been that nebulous sort of regret that comes from not knowing what you might have missed; if you've never done something, you can't know how much you would have enjoyed it, how rewarding it would have been. And this may have been the most rewarding thing I've done in years.
I was grinning foolishly my entire ride home. I actually started crying when I realized just how much I had missed moving and being part of a group. I'm so overemotional right now, in all the best ways.
Edit: I am aware that capoeira is technically in the realm of martial arts, but for the purposes of this post, it is a dance. Yes. I've decided to define it as a wonderful combination of the two.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2009-11-20 05:05 am (UTC)That sounds like it was a really great time. It's been years since I've last danced or even interacted with people like that, and now I'm all wistful. ^^
I'm glad you enjoyed yourself, Tri!
(no subject)
Date: 2009-11-20 05:27 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-11-20 06:09 pm (UTC)Also, it's both, dance and martial art.