šæ "Why do you still bother trying?"
I saw this meme the other day and it shot straight to the heart!
The gremlin taunts: āEveryoneās lost interest in you and moved on. Itās already too late. Why waste the time?ā
Image credit: @ktshy
š° Yikes! I sometimes catch that exact thought gremlin trying to undermine my creative efforts. I LOVE how this cartoon shows the artistās powerful reply:
āBecause I donāt believe in a cut off date for creativity. And if playing the long game doesnāt pan outā¦itās not wasted time if Iāve enjoyed it.ā
Iād bet that most aging dancers (ahemā¦LIVING dancers), and adults setting out to learn a new skill, experience these judging, distracting thoughts. Itās natural.
Rather than believe the thoughts (or let them go unnoticed), I find it really helpful to notice them, acknowledge their presence, and respond by DOING the thing you value. Go enjoy the process of learning, creating, and growing rather than getting stuck in worries about where your efforts will or wonāt lead you.
Several years ago, in a moment of dance burnout, I decided to develop my skills as a drummer and singer. I wanted a new mode of expression that brought me back to the joy I felt as a child. I didnāt know where that interest would take me, or how I would (or wouldnāt) incorporate drum and voice into my already established dance practice. Now, years later, I see that pursuing knowledge in a new arena helped reignite my love for dance!
Adding percussive elements to my bellydance practice helped me re-invest myself into dance because it reminded me that I ENJOY THE PROCESS. I like learning! I like practicing! I like creating! Even though I had thoughts like āwhy waste my time? Itās already too late,ā I followed my joy anyway. I couldnāt see where my new interest was leading me at the time I started but now, frame drum is a huge part of my creative life.
I love seeing human beings share their humanity in creative ways. I try to remember how inspired I feel when I see others sharing their art. Iām especially moved by raqs sharqi, transcultural dance, frame drum, and voice. When I watch these art forms brought together, I feel in awe of what we are capable of while we are in these temporary and ever-changing bodies.
Following my true interests (and disregarding the doubt that tried to creep in) led me to create the advanced levels of my format, Dance Cohesion. My joy led me to meet some AMAZING people who also like to drum and dance! And now I get to exist in a whole community of process-loving multi-disciplinary creatives!
Today I am sharing a video of one of those creatives.
*Chills!* Thatās what I feel when I watch this piece, presented by Cheyney Teagan, at The Cohesion Collectiveās recent show, In the Lap of the Garden. When I first saw Cheyney perform this haunting Faroese melody, I asked her to please recreate it for our show about devotion to Mother Nature.
ā¤ļøāš„ I absolutely love what Cheyney does with frame drum, voice, and dance! The combination of these three modalities always makes my heart sing! Thatās why Iāve been dedicating so much of the last few years to incorporating frame drum into my approach to transcultural dance and raqs sharqi.
In The Cohesion Collective we incorporate frame drum into our dance technique and into our cued group improvisation system, Cued Cohesion. Itās so fun! Iām grateful to include Cheyney, a trained dancer, singer, and percussion player, as one of the coaches in the program!
š Together we support dancers by giving individualized feedback on their progress each week! With such a high level of personalized support, we have seen super rapid improvements in the technique, musicality, and creative confidence of dancers within The Cohesion Collective!
If you are looking for consistent quality feedback to help you reach your dance goals fast, then apply to join us inside The Cohesion Collective TODAY! Thereās really nothing else out there like it!
The application only takes 2 minutes, there is no obligation to join, and my free training for accepted applicants is full of tips and inspiration!
And remember: donāt let those thought gremlins steal your joy! ALWAYS honor your interests and intuition. Your curiosity is the map that leads you to your community. Your pleasure is the key that unlocks your potential.
Warmly,
April Rose š¹
P.S.
šØ You'll want to apply to join our community ASAP to join us in time for my upcoming live masterclass on singing with frame drum! Iāll be teaching the melody and rhythm for a beautiful Sephardic lullaby that you can use to soothe yourself, a tired baby, or anyone who needs the musical healing that the frame drum and human voice offer. You don't want to miss it!
P.S.S.
Read what dancers are saying about The Cohesion Collectiveā¦
Abby loved learning percussion and she even discovered a new meditative practice in drumming:
“Iāve always wanted to learn to play the drum and finger cymbals and it has seemed a daunting task but with this training I feel like that goal is now attainable! it really helped to calm my nervous system... the drum loops themselves can be used as a meditative practice alone.”
Become a Brilliant Bellydancer
Apply to join us inside The Cohesion Collective and get your free invite to watch my advanced private training on how to become a brilliant bellydancer using the 3-part Cohesion Framework: