Competitive Ballroom Dancing

Going to a dance competition is like going to a foreign country.  Dancing with the Stars has sort of desensitized us to the glitz and glamour, but being there live is another intensity.  You get to feel the vibration of all the dancers in action and being one of the participants is a blast.

On the drive home, I was reflecting on how many Selfseeds that I touched upon:  balance, fitness, nutrition, weight distribution, integrative band, flexibility, stillness, emotions, rhythm, partnering, and personalized 5.  Easily all of them.  We danced 18 times and I could say that I experienced all of them every dance and at a high level of intensity.  Having all Selfseeds on high alert allowed the experience to be positive and satisfying.  My mind was still, my body was organized and fit, and my soul was included. Dancing (partnering) with someone supportive and enthusiastic is a significant part of the “success” equation.

With the move to India coming up, this may be my last ballroom dance competition, so my goal was to enjoy it, dance pure lead and follow (without choreography), and experience 20 years of training.  Max, the professional, and I have had this in mind since I started working with him 2 years ago.  We had a chance to squeeze in 4 lessons with our crazy schedules, (his competition schedule and my being away for 3 months), but it worked since I had kept up on fitness and the integrative band work while I was away. Actually, the 6 weeks of intense meditation had significantly improved my capacity for staying in the moment/receptive to small physical-energetic cues which is needed for dancing freestyle.  Max and I have agreed to dance when I get back from India this next time and see how the continued deepening affects my ability to follow.

“Be Awesomely okay with everything.”  Narayana Baba