The impressive red curtains went up, the blue spotlights were huge and scary and triggered some pain in my stomach. I was on the verge of fainting, fortunately then, the music started, the pain instantly vanished, and I started to dance. Classical ballet was my passion and passion always wins over fear.
After the show, the words of my ballet teacher made my ears freeze: "you did well, but the real challenge and rewards are when you have to dance with a partner. Dancing with a partner is different and in order to do so, you have to dance flawlessly on your own. Keep working and see you next week."
Then she left. That was some time ago.
Recently, those words popped up in my head and I was wondering whether we are mastering the tightrope choreography of love or are we just dancing amateur lovers?
The choreography of love starts, when you firmly put your hand in your partner's hand. The real choreography continues, when you respect your partner's moves, your moves are always gentle. Your moves are neither aggressive, neither passive, nor hesitant. You let the other fully express through his/her moves. You do not control your partner's moves, you observe, interpret and understand your partner's moves. Eventually, you learn to anticipate the moves and you learn to trust your partner.
Are you able to close your eyes while dancing? If the answer is yes, it is a good sign, but do not forget to open them from time to time ...
A figure lift is not essential, but why not. Keep practicing in a pool or in the sea.
Do not make your partner slip and fall. If it happens, the least you can do is help your partner get up.
Accept that sometimes your partner gets the limelight part of the dance. A real great partner will let the light shine back on you. Together you will shine brighter.
Understand that he/she cannot be at his/her highest performance all the time. Do not blame your partner for that. Respect your partner and give him/her comfort. Cheer your dancing partner up. Show him/her that he/she is doing the right or wrong moves. Find and create your own rhythm. However, do not try to change his/her own dancing techniques, even if they appear sometimes odd to you.
Take the dance seriously. If you cannot be serious or yourself during the dance, leave the stage and say goodbye.
Try to look simply natural, but at your best for the dance. Let him be your king and let her be your queen in the dance ...
When you bump into each other, make the best out of it and laugh.
The dance of love is not a competition between both of you, you are a team, most of the time, a real good winning team and sometimes you lose, but the stage will not immediately crumble around you.
Sometimes, forget the stage and everything around you. Be totally crazy! Create your own rhapsody. You can only perform a great dance when you learn to listen to the beats of your hearts, when you are proud of them and when you are not trying to control or numb them. The strength of your heart beats will give birth to wings and you will fly together through technical glitches on the stage.
Often, a very good dancing partner is not so far away, he/she is shyly and modestly hiding behind the curtains, hoping to be discovered. Take a look behind the curtains, it does not cost you anything. Life is too short. Get rid of your doubts once and for all. It is never too late to find the right dancing partner.
Once in a while, the choreography needs to be improved, perfected, lightened or totally forgotten. You cannot force your partner to dance in the same direction. Sometimes, we must accept and face the fact that the dancing partner is not the right one.
The curtains will then abruptly fall down and there will be no applause. If this happens, say properly goodbye to your partner and wish him/her the best, even if you are hurt by the dance.
Once you have the right dancing partner, you will give the best performance ever, you will never want to stop, you might get drunk of so much love, bliss and zest. If not, keep dancing alone with the same enthusiasm.
The sparks will fly high, the fire will burn and if it is true love, the fire will never expire.
May we all feel the glow of endless true love and let spring in!