On the back of the horse, I found myself saying out loud, "Ah, I know this."
Today a friend invited me and I enjoyed horse riding for the first time in a while. As you can see in the photo, the weather was lovely and the sky a pleasant blue. While riding, my mind was on dance the whole time.
When the face changes, the whole body changes
It happened when I tried to turn the horse. However hard I pulled the reins, it wouldn't move as I wanted. But when I changed my gaze and turned my face that way, the horse moved off smoothly.
This is exactly the same as dance.
When changing direction in ballroom dance, the face moves first. When the face turns, the shoulders change; when the shoulders change, the whole body naturally follows. No matter how much you focus on your hands and feet, if the direction of your face hasn't changed, the body won't turn properly.
In 45 years of dancing, there was a moment on horseback when something I'd said in words so many times became understood "with the whole body." Experiences like this, I believe, enrich my words.
Only what the body has felt can truly be conveyed
When I tell a student "lead with your face," if I don't hold that sensation inside my own body, the words inevitably become thin. What you understand in your head and what you know in your body are completely different.
So I want to keep experiencing movements and sensations beyond dance as much as I can — horse riding, swimming, even small everyday movements. What the body feels always comes back to life in a lesson.
If a student ever thinks, "Why is this teacher's explanation so easy to understand?", it is surely thanks to the accumulation of experience.
Beyond repetition lies "I've got it"
That feeling on horseback — "Ah, I know this" — was born precisely because I have danced for so long. Repetition, repetition. Practicing the same thing over and over in lessons is also for moments like this.
Something from a completely different world suddenly connects. The body knows it. That moment of joy is hard to put into words, but if you keep dancing, you will surely taste it somewhere.
If you're interested in ballroom dance but feel it seems difficult — don't worry. You can do it. Let's start by trying together. If you're curious, please feel free to contact us through our website.
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