I got over this horrifying realization, but it was very shocking when I first realized it.
A few months ago I was dancing, and I realized I was completely and utterly bored. It was a typical day, nothing out of the ordinary spurred the thought. I just realized that a familiar spark has gone missing. I tried to dig down inside. Told myself to just enjoy the company of my partner. Relax with the simple movements. But that was sort of the problem. I was just feeling too relaxed when I wanted to feel invigorated. I mean it doesn’t help that we are listening to the same music that has been around for the last 100 years. But this isn’t a jab at the music. Not at all, I love it.
This is the frustration with feeling like I was stuck. Like I wasn’t improving. I wasn’t innovating. Like my partners are doing the exact same moves as they have always done. I mean, I found my brain wandering to what I would eat after as my feet automatically carried me through the familiar steps. I suspect that many dancers have this realization after a few years. Feeling like you are at a plateau. I allowed myself to explore other mediums of movement, listened to non-tango music, took a “break” (break meaning a few days off…) and tried to work on what I needed to do to improve on my end. Explored leading a little more. Perhaps we are all improving and so we are all moving together and it doesn’t seem like we have changed. One of my favorite things about tango is that we can always improve no matter where we are on our journey. Being slightly obsessive about the angle my hip is as a take a step is my kind of crazy.
Sometimes we all need a break, and a new perspective. If you ever feel frustrated, learn to rest, not to quit.
dagny arizona 