Are You at The Crossroads of Change?

I've been chatting with many dance friends lately, particularly teachers, who feel like they've lost their "bellydance mojo". They feel that the initial spark, their drive or the energy has fizzled around bellydance somehow. Some are saying it feels like burnout... others are saying they yearn for a fresh direction, but are unsure of the path their dance-life should take. Often, the urge is to find something new, hoping it will ignite or renew passion, or shift the focus... and since there are so many possibilities, even that decision seems overwhelming.

Are you at the crossroads of change?

Who are you now, as a more mature being - mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually?

How does each area affect your dance and what needs to change to synchronise with your most recent level of maturity and self?

As you've matured, your dance needs will have probably changed. If you're feeling the shift, listen. This is an ideal time to return to your 'self', in a gentle and inquisitive way. Our artistic and soul-enhancing needs change as we mature, so we need to process our new sense of maturity, and through honouring it, we can only understand ourselves better.

Your perspectives have probably changed in recent years. Before making any life-changing decisions, engage in some self discovery to find out where you're at right now, to learn more about yourself and what your changing needs are. Resist the urge to take on anything "NEW", fresh or shiny to fill a void or find a new passion.

PAUSE.

Allow yourself to pause, reflect, and release expectations.

Before any meaningful change can be facilitated, its essential to return to what is most authentic and important for you. Its a lovely time to find "who you are now" and "the person you have matured into" in both a personal and dance sense.

Some call it a reality check, or de-cluttering, and others see it as 'clearing the slate'. Basically, you are clearing away the superfluous and laying a fresh foundation for the future. It takes time... and requires a "letting go" process. Sometimes it can be done over a weekend away, perhaps somewhere alone. Or you can carve space from your busy life to contemplate where you're at - allowing weeks or months for the filtering process to distill into knowing what really matters.

There are four main areas where change happens: Head, Heart, Body, Spirit

Questions to ask yourself:

1. What energizes you?
2. What drains you?
3. What makes you feel uplifted and alive?
4. What needs to be released?
5. Which path is calling?

This process takes time, and everyone processes at a different rate. The most important thing is to allocate time for this sacred work, and for a guided approach, you can either work with your own method or be supported with an established step by step process.

Shemiran Ibrahim and I spent two years Crafting and creating the Balanced Bellydance program specifically to help dancers navigate these crossroads, and take dancers on a journey into their own "dance rooms", or spaces within your dance-life where powerful change occurs, to clarify your Head, Heart, Body, Spirit room needs. The website is www.balancedbellydance.com

If you have embarked on this journey - feel free to comment and share how you experienced the changes or renewal in your dance-life, that paralleled your maturing sense of self. How was it for you and how did you navigate the crossroads of change?

Comments

  1. What an amazing article Keti, So very true for so many of us. It lead me to also think about the dance that has shifted so many times through the centuries and each legendary fork in the road the dance has turned . Its the dance that has changed and those of us that feel in love with the style we connected too, is not what the dance has become - another way of thinking about it . All change is good, as its growth . But like all of us that were inspired by the black and white dancers of time . One day the new generation will look back and be re inspired . I totally connected with your article ! Thankyou ! Love Amera xx

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks Amera! Lovely to hear your feedback. :)

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Why Returning to the Basics is Essential to Your Dance Practice

The Return of Egyptian Dance Students

Space and Sound: The effects of live and pre-recorded music on dance