A Collection of Yesterdays Thoughts

Saturday went as well as I could have hoped. I messed up one of my forms a little bit and my other form a lot bit, but I still pushed through and did the best I could to convince the audience I knew what I was doing. I know what went wrong with each of my forms, and it’s something I can take into account for the future. 

I am grateful for the opportunity I had to be a part of the dragon. While I intend to maintain my commitment to the lion, maybe I should sub in to whatever spots I can for the dragon more and gain more familiarity with it, shake off all the rust and what not. I am very impressed with the current team and what they are capable of, especially with how quickly put-together everything felt. 

This dance was a good reminder to me of some of the beliefs I have that had slipped into the corners of my mind. It helped me remember that I fully believe there is no one spot on the dragon that is more important or more difficult than another; while certain sections (such as head and tail) seem more pivotal, every piece has a responsibility and a duty to fulfill, and the requirements for the pieces vary significantly the further you go down the line. Moves like the triangle are only possible when EVERY piece pulls off what they need to do; if one piece has the ability to throw everything off like that, I believe it makes them very important. 

Another thought I had was that my lion tail philosophy (“invisibility through increased visibility”) is rooted in the dragon. The more you shimmer the dragon, the more you move your feet, the more you exert, the less visible you as a person are. However, like the lion, this needs to be done in moderation and unity. If you’re the only person adding that extra flair, you become much more visible to the audience.

Over the years, with both the lion and the dragon, I have begun to put a lot of value on the idea that “no one spot is more important  than another”. I recognize some spots may be more necessary than another, but I think every position has an unparalleled importance. Every spot on the dragon, both head and tail in the lion, the Buddha, the drum, it’s all essential and I believe in performing in such a way that expresses it. It’s been a big area of study the last few years and I am grateful for it.