The Dance of Life

CEBU, Philippines — Perhaps the only people these days who take dance seriously are those who want to use the art form as their ticket to show business, outside of the few groups of artists that devote themselves mainly to dance. Dance companies, in the Philippines in particular, are not as common as sports teams or hobby clubs. Dance, sad to say, has even become rather a non-priority when it comes to things one would choose to do in a spare time.

The news media is not consistent in coming up with stories related to dance. Well, the reason perhaps is that there’s not much to tell. Good enough, there are actually enough opportunities for anyone who wants to explore the art of dance.

In Cebu City, there are several dance studios, all with quite a good number of students. But, for sure, not all of these students intend to pursue a career in dance. So what are they training in dance for? Dance educator Steve Zee has the answer in his article at www.dancemagazine.com: “High-quality dance training helps shape students into genuinely good people, in addition to creating future artists…”

In what way does dance training makes good human beings? Zee explains:    

Perseverance and Commitment

In his own dance courses, Zee has observed that sometimes students are shocked when they can't learn something quickly. In today's world, people are used to getting fast results. Quick information is available on Google. To contact someone, one may send a text. The cooking channel has quick-and-easy dinner recipes, there are five-minute, Rosetta Stone can have anyone speaking Mandarin in an hour.

But dancers know that even when one has aptitude, there's no substitute for hard work and perseverance. Acquiring any skill of value takes time. It's the way one learns to dance, to play music, to speak a foreign language, to succeed academically, to change social norms and to break down barriers.

"Failures" as Opportunities

The foundation where Zee works gives low-cost dance lessons to underserved kids, who are first assessed and placed in appropriate levels. Every year they remind the kids that in academic schooling not moving up to the next grade every year is seen as a failure – but in the arts, it is normal to stay in a level for several years as a student perfects his or her skills. Every year there are kids who don't move up and are upset. But they soon realize that moving to the next level comes with mastery of a certain set of techniques and mastering those techniques takes hard work.

No “Something for Nothing”

In dance class, a student is only entitled to what he or she earns. And what one earns doesn't even necessarily have to be perfect dance technique. Some of Zee’s favorite students over the years have not been the best dancers, but they've been magnificent students. They show up on time and are prepared, they work hard, they sweat and they persevere. Maybe they don't become the most skilled dancers, but they often reap the most benefits.

A Sense of Responsibility

At the foundation where Zee teaches they have a very strict wardrobe policy. Any student not properly dressed sits and observes class that day. It may seem overly harsh, but there's wisdom behind it. There might be a time that a dancer or his family forgets the uniform, but it shouldn't happen again. Over time, as the dancers mature, they learn to be responsible without the parents being involved, and there’s no longer "My mom forgot my shoes."

No Room for Shortcuts

Zee’s younger students invariably ask when they can move to the next level – and his answer is at times very frustrating to them, for sure. To Zee, there is really only one level: beginning. If everything goes well in the beginning, improvement will flow. If any corners are cut, it will be hard to become advanced. Anyone with an aptitude for dance who excelled a little too quickly will attest that she eventually goes back to fill in the gaps.

What People Think Doesn't Matter

In a world that is so concerned about appearances, dance teaches the person that what others think is not the most important thing. Zee explains to his young students that they can't let their experiences get derailed by what they think someone else may be thinking. If one student makes a mistake in class, what does it matter what another student thinks? It’s better to stand in front, get corrected – that’s the way to improve. Those who are too lethargic to meet their full potential stand in the back.

Zee is mainly relating his experience in training dancers. His end view, apparently, is to groom professional dancers. But even students who won’t eventually make it professionally will have personally benefited from the training.

It would seem that dance is a universal reality. In the book “The Art of Dancing,” author Havelock Ellis writes: “If we are indifferent to the art of dancing, we have failed to understand, not only the supreme manifestation of physical life, but also the supreme symbol of spiritual life...  We have [only] to stand on the seashore and watch the waves that beat at our feet, to observe that at nearly regular intervals this seemingly monotonous rhythm is accentuated for several beats, so that the waves are really dancing the measure of a tune.” (FREEMAN)