Beauty in the Imperfect: Musings on Dance

By: Genevieve Carson
Images: Andrew Thomas

Dance (and making dances) is not something that can be mastered; it requires a hunger for continuous exploration, curiosity, and honesty with oneself. Those who are drawn to dance and become captivated by the endless depths of possibility within the art form must posses a strong understanding of their weaknesses and strengths, a generous spirit, and an availability of body and mind.  It is not an art form for the fame-hungry.  On the contrary, it is humble and self-sacrificing. To me, dance artists are super human and filled with magic.  These articulate, hyper connected storytellers have a keen understanding of the possibilities within time, space, and energy, both inside and outside of their bodies, to bring to life what was previously unimagined.

As a choreographer, it is always a goal of mine to challenge, highlight, and honor the unique attributes of each dancer in the works we create, and to honor the diverse perspectives of the audiences that view and support the work. Similar to the dancers on stage, the audience should feel seen, ignited by, and connected to the experience. Instead of presenting dance as something to be placed on a pedestal or regarded as “perfected”, we celebrate the hard work and earnestness of the performers to find an authentic connection to their story and their audience, even when we present them in vulnerable and imperfect scenarios. We embrace the fact that we are ever-evolving and growing as human beings, and we cannot mold ourselves into a perfect state. This is a truth for all of us, both on and off stage. Instead, we strive to be connected and perform with integrity to truly capture the beauty of the human spirit and inspire our audiences to do the same.