My showcase at
@submergedlv
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to express myself in the truest way possible.
This one was very special to me.
I had never done a solo before. As I was preparing for it, I came across this beautiful song by
@lovealexisley , and for some reason, it deeply resonated with me. This piece became a dedication to the relationship I have with dance.
Dance is water and I am air, given that oxygen also exists within water.
In my 10 years of freestyling, I’ve had so many setbacks.
A total of 4 years of injuries.
Countless moments where I grew beyond my limits but no one noticed.
A community that often didn’t care whether I was there or not.
On top of that, my own past of being an outsider, getting bullied for thinking or being different caught up to me so many times.
All of this has made me confident and insecure simultaneously. All of that has shown up in my dance over the years and I was so angry at myself for not doing better, for not being more confident, for never speaking up.
I always knew that dance was never the problem though.
Dance has always been my safe space, my way out, my healer, even when I didn't feel comfortable in my own body.
It was never dance that was hard on me. It was the people around me, and my mind reacting to all of it, but it took some time to realize that.
This piece is my “thank you” to dance for everything it has given me.
For allowing me to travel the world.
For helping me find like-minded people.
For teaching me, even when I hated the process.
I’m thankful to dance, and to myself.
For never letting go. For pushing through.
Every time I came back, I came back stronger and more confident. And that’s something I’m truly proud of.
If you’ve read this far: Thank you 💙
Thank you to my beautiful community back home
@tidetogethercollective .
And a huge thank you to my mentor
@jesse_sykes for believing in me. I know I don't reach out a lot, but even these little messages are such a game changer for me as I never had someone who consistently supported me without wanting to change me, but appreciating what I already bring to the table. Never had that, so thank you 🌊🫶🏻
Song: Alex Isley - Water and Air
