“I don’t dance.” It’s a statement I’ve uttered countless times. Ask anyone who knows me, and they’ll likely confirm it. It’s not that I won’t dance; it’s more accurate to say I do dance, but with a significant caveat: I can’t dance well. Perhaps “dancing-adjacent” is a more fitting description for my style, which primarily involves rhythmic shoulder movements loosely synchronized with what I perceive to be the music’s beat. (My friends have a rather amusing imitation of this, I’m told.)
When I consider pushing my boundaries academically, my mind immediately turns to STEM fields. Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics – and let’s not forget the sneaky second “E,” Economics – these subjects reside far beyond my intellectual comfort zone. Yet, there’s something even more daunting, a realm even further removed from my perceived abilities: dance.
This past semester, I enrolled in a course titled “Choreographic Invention in 20th Century America.” Now, on paper, this class shouldn’t have felt like a radical departure. My major is American Studies, with a concentration in Literary, Audio, Visual, and Performance Cultures of the United States. In fact, “Choreographic Invention” aligns so perfectly with my academic interests that it counts directly towards my major requirements.
And yet, the persistent truth remained: I don’t dance.
Those initial class sessions were fraught with hesitation. My professor was incredibly accomplished – a dance critic for The New York Times! My classmates, too, possessed a level of dance knowledge that was frankly intimidating. Some had years of formal dance training, and all of them seemed to understand the nuances of movement in a way I couldn’t fathom. I won’t pretend otherwise; I felt out of my depth. However, the course syllabus was simply too intriguing to resist diving in completely. We embarked on a journey through a century of dance history, primarily through captivating video footage, and even attempted some basic steps in class. The absolute highlight was attending a dress rehearsal for Dance Theatre of Harlem’s performance of “Higher Ground” at the Shubert Theater in New Haven. Witnessing such an extraordinary performance firsthand stands out as a peak academic experience during my time at Yale.
Dance class final paper cover page reflecting academic exploration and personal challenge.
My enjoyment of this class was so profound that I’m seriously contemplating taking another dance-related course next semester. The spring 2022 offerings are remarkably diverse and appealing: Embodying Story, Dance Theater, Dance and Democracy, Electronic Dance Music, Performance and the Moving Image… (Yes, all of these are on the horizon!).
Among these enticing options is a class titled “Ballet Now.” This one particularly sparks my interest, yet a significant hurdle looms: admission is “by audition during the first class meeting.” And, as I must reiterate, I don’t dance.
…Or do I? Perhaps this journey into the world of dance is slowly changing my perspective. Maybe “I don’t dance” is becoming less of a definitive statement and more of a challenge to overcome.
