Dancers By Aaron Jessop

Dance for many people is an outlet for the massive build-up of angst and/or creative energies which are brought on by day to day life. Dancers are often envied for their smoking hot bodies, freedom of movement and also being able to get away with twitching and making strange noises which in any other scenario would be seen as psychologically unstable. As a young man who can barely touch his knees let alone his toes, I find the sometimes unbelievably graceful and challenging choreography becomes an unsettling reminder of the fact that I probably should have started  stretching out my uber-lanking legs a long time ago. However I still hold on to the hope that I might one day be a ninja who can backflip off a bus, fly kick a panda in the face and land upside-down suspended on one thumb.

Unfortunately, like any other claustrophobically knit community, dancers are constantly at risk of over exposure to one another. Over time this can cause serious cases of passive aggression, inbred relationships and casual bitching. Having spent fourteen years as a member of a small class at a non-conventional “hippy school”, I am no stranger to these symptoms. It is important to understand that dancers, like everyone else, are human beings and will adapt to their surroundings accordingly. By working in such a close proximity, dancers achieve an indestructible bond which for better or worse may very well exist for the rest of their lives.

The complete openness and vulnerable nature of this beautiful art form often seeps into the very life of the performer. This can lead to dancers having very colourful and sometimes quirky personalities. These traits can be amplified by lack of sleep and the occasional party binge. This constant battering of their bodies leaves dancers very prone to injury. Certain measures are taken to prevent such injuries. These include but are not limited to: long baths, foam rollers, recreational yoga and arduous massage given by their physiotherapists and/or current partner.

I will conclude that despite their misunderstood and frankly confusing oddities. The general population has accepted dancers as an important part of modern society. Not only are we pleased to have such a unique brand of human being as our friends, family members and partners, we are enthralled that there are still people out there who are willing to dedicate their lives to do the things that we can only dream of doing in order to enlighten and entertain. For that we are grateful.

By Aaron Jessop. (Who needs to start his own blog for sure.)