Life is hectic. Studying can get stressful. Work often becomes exhausting. We can lose
ourselves as we rush around, battling to please everybody else and meet our own overly
ambitious expectations. Taking time out to refresh by channelling your energy into
something positive is necessary for inner peace and personal contentment. This is where
dance can save us!
Being able to totally focus on the moment can help us to take a break and achieve a clearer
perspective. Having something all-consuming that takes us out of ourselves and promotes a
state of calmness is an absolute must in today’s highly-pressured world.
Ballet Papier’s Berenice finds that she can focus entirely on the present moment when she is
drawing and painting. She becomes absorbed in her work, paying close attention to the
shapes and colours, as well as the emotions and motivations she hopes to express through
her beautiful art.
Ballet Papier’s Ambar and I experience this same, almost meditative, condition when we
dance. Concentrating on how we execute steps and respond to the music, we find that
everything else simply melts away. Anything that may be bothering us shrinks in importance
as we prioritise the ballet class we are currently in over other distractions.
The Ballet Papier team are simply doing what we love and taking pleasure from these
activities. However, engaging ourselves fully in drawing or dancing is an example of taking a
moment to “pause” real life and be mindful of the present moment, experiencing it fully.
“Mindfulness” is an established therapeutic technique for alleviating worries and stress and
improving mental and emotional well-being. Being creative – perhaps drawing, writing,
playing a musical instrument or dancing – provides the perfect outlet for our frustrations and
serves as something positive to focus on.
So lose yourself in your dancing Ballet Papier fans! Indulge in your passions, pay attention to
how performing and being creative makes you feel and find yourself once again. Life is too
short – and full of too many wonderful opportunities - to let it get you down!
Georgina
Georgina Butler
https://georginabutler.co.uk
- What motivates you and helps you find yourself when life gets demanding?
- How does dancing make you feel?