Workshop

No Tree Grows According to Plan, and Yet It Lacks Nothing.

Many of us carry within us an image of how we should be: more confident, more composed, more beautiful. In the dance space, we want to make a good impression and spare ourselves any embarrassing moments. At some point, we quietly hope, we will have improved enough. Then we will finally be allowed to feel content.

There is value in this aspiration. It inspires us to be attentive, dedicated, and motivated to grow. But it can also become constraining. The joy of things going well turns into a fear of making mistakes, and happiness always seems to remain just one step out of reach.

“Good enough” may initially sound like settling for mediocrity, perhaps even giving up. But it is the opposite of indifference. It means giving ourselves fully and then accepting and appreciating whatever is there.

And what if we could be happy not only despite our mistakes, mishaps, and perceived shortcomings, but sometimes even because of them? Detours and unexpected turns can lead us to places we would never have thought to seek out.

The dance space is a wonderful place to experience this in our own bodies. We lose our balance, and out of a stumble emerges a movement we could never have imagined. We loosen our control over the dance and allow the body to take the lead, surprised by the movement that comes bubbling up from within us. In Soul Motion, nothing has to look right. This can be challenging, and at the same time a tremendous relief.

Over this weekend, through movement and stillness, on our own and in connection with others, we will explore what “good enough” feels like in the body. Where does our striving drive us forward, and where does it bring us to life? What happens when we loosen our grip a little? And what becomes possible when we no longer have anything to prove?

No previous experience is necessary. You are welcome to come just as you are, imperfectly. Perhaps that will turn out to be the most beautiful part of all.