THIS IS A POST FROM 2003 and, although most of it ese thoughts are still very valid in my mind, times change so will prob update this soon.

The Journey of a Dancer

I have been dancing for four years. I am a full time dancer and I class myself as a student of popping and boogaloo style.

I don't like to post too much on here but I read this board a lot and see a lot of bullshit being written on dance forums so want to express my opinions about dance based on my own (short) life as a dancer so far.

In no way am I trying to prove anyone wrong but more trying to clarify to myself what I have discovered so far on my studies. These are my opinions about dancing and my criticisms on what I see.

This is my journey of dance.

Music is my life.           

I dance because of the way the music makes me feel. It is my self expression but also my self discovery. (in my opinion, the way you truly express yourself as a dancer, tells you a lot about who you really are.)

I started dancing when I started regularly going out to clubs. Before clubs, I use to just listen to music, I saw dancing as a way to become involved with that music.

It blew me away the first time that I saw poppin, lockin and breakin; people dancing to the music that I love. The more involved I became with dance, the deeper I fell.

Dancing is not my hobby, it is my whole life. I am addicted to it like a drug and I think of nothing else, I need to know everything there is to know. I dropped everything else so I could be dancing all the time.

A lot of dancers seem to lack any passion for what they do. I see too many people dancing without passion; if you have no emotion in your dance then you look stale and boring.

I am obviously inspired by the things I see, but more so, the things that I like. Dance inspiration for me comes not just from watching other dancers but more so from loving a lifestyle.

I believe everyone starts dancing through an attempt to imitate something which they have seen, I know I did.

I think the copying of moves is one of the most important aspects of spreading a message and evolving a dance form.

To me, biting is when you take someone else's self expression in the creation of that move and use it yourself. It is much easier to see a bite within dances that have already strict rules. That is why there is so much controversy with breaking as it is still developing (Whether peeps want it to or not. In my opinion, it's actually beginning to split into a number of separate dance styles)

Although a bit of a grey area, I think you become a biter when you know, yourself, that you are doing it or and you have practiced to do so. Do you feel guilty?? You can't bite by accident, that's just stupid!  Anyway, it's props to the creator, so who cares.

The general case with any artform is that people are impressed by the moves that are impressive on first glance. For me, these were glides, waves, hits, windmills, flares, headspin etc. For most, I'm sure this is what attracts attention initially.

I started out clueless, like all. I was trying to bboy (who didn't want to learn to windmill??!!) but my heart was with popping.

Underneath the surface of each style of dance comes the emotion, reasoning and basic technique for the existence of these moves.

This is foundation.

Foundation is not just a set of moves that you learn and then you have foundation. It is an on going understanding of the dance that you do.

If you do not understand this simple theory, then you should not be cussing on this forum as you are not deep enough involved with the dance to see beneath the hype of surface gimmicks.

Of course, it is good to dance in an impressive way, but it's amazing how different aspects begin to impress the more you begin to know about music and dance together as one. I often watch old videos and can't believe how my judgement has changed. Dancers, who I once thought were great, actually can't dance for shit and vice versa!

For me, this says a lot about the different validity of opinions of people with different involvement in the dance community and their comprehension of it. Do the best dancers always get the recognition they deserve?

Without the right concepts for a dance style.

Foundation for me can also be very personal. It is an understanding of the way you dance that you can always refer to.

This is why no two dancers should look the same. They may do the same dance style but they do so with their own personality. For example, I love popping. I try to dance my own way but through the structure of popping style. If I didn't understand this then I couldn't call myself a popper.

As for abstract/freestyle dancers, this same rule applies. Many dancers don't want to conform to a particular 'way' of dancing. However, the fact of the matter is that you still need an understanding of the way you are moving.

Dancers who are abstract will normally have been influenced from numerous dance styles and will dance through a fusion of what they know. The more they have researched, the better they should understand the way they dance and how they can develop.

I'm a firm believer in pushing the boundaries of dance forms to their fullest; but eventually you are going to be doing something different. So from my point of view, I want to remain a popper, so I will try to develop my dance with balance both forwards and sideways but within the constraints of popping.

You cannot create your own dance style from thin air without exceptional knowledge of what already exists.

The more dedicated you are to dance, the more chances you will have to gain inspiration and develop your dance.

Now I finally feel that I have found a direction with my dance (after four years!), I need to apply what I have discovered in my head and heart to my body, before I forget it.

I have a constant urge to practice, to travel, to perform and meet the best dancers in the world so that I know I'm on the right path.

Now the internet and videos have made it so much easier to obtain info. The problem is that, when it is that easy, you get a load of fakers trying to get involved and spread confusion and contradiction. Ignore them, it just doesn't compare to seeing it right in front of you because then you are living it and it will tell you the truth. Dance doesn't lie.

The real dancers will always be the ones getting down to the music at any available chance.

So props to all those who try to travel to as many jams (here and abroad) as their bank account lets them.

To me, there is no shortcut to finding the key to dance. Everyone has to make their own journey, it is the only way to truly understand what it is that you are doing.

Dance is one in the same for everyone. It is the expression of music through movement. If it is not, then you are not dancing.

Forget the politics and bullshit. Dance.