A Dance Lesson

Back in my days as a dance scholar at Steps Dance Studio in Manila, my then-jazz teacher, Liezel Laforteza, once said that for us to be able to stand out, to be considered among the creme dela creme of our generation, and to be able to enjoy a fulfilling career in dance, we should be able to transcend the physical limitations of our own bodies and keep up with the ever-rising standards that generations before us have set. The demands of dance are tough enough. They are physically-demanding and morally-trying. They require one to never stop training --- never stop straining. What makes dance even tougher is the daunting competition in the real world, where there are thousands and thousands of other dancers (some more equipped--- morally and physically--- than the rest), all vying for very few opportunities.

Gone are the days when double pirouettes were enough. These days, when you can't do more than a triple, you're below average. Gone are the days when a grand jete was enough to wow an audience. These days, you have to be able to do an "and" count or a flip or a switch of legs in the air. Gone are the days when extensions were expected from a girl and jumps were expected from a boy. These days, what a girl can do, any boy should be able to do as well, and vice versa. This video reminded me of that ---


*lifted from a comment on Philip's entry without permission.