Dance is everywhere and everything. Dance is movement around me, in me, and on me. Dance is shape, but more than that, it is the space in between.<P>How has dance affected me? Apparently so much that I cannot remember a time when dance wasn't part of my daily existance. For me, dance is the way I live my life. Yes, of course dance is applause and bright lights blinding me from all angles, and sweaty costume changes, perfectly balanced arabesques, the strength of a difficult lift, hair pulled back so tight that my eyes hurt. Dance is three hours in a studio working on one turn, the first hip pop of the day, grande allegro in a gigantic studio where I have as much air space as I want, pointed feet, remembered combinations, intricate footing, whirlwind turns,and artistry, artistry, artistry. It is all of these things.<P>But beyond that . . . dance to me is everything else as well. It is that first full stretch of the day, under the covers and still groggy. It is the impeccable motor skills that it takes to brush my teeth and dry my hair at the same time. It is a sprint for the bus, and a momentum filled swing into the first available seat. It is also the fact that I stop at every mirror I encounter and enjoy a little time just staring at my hands as they work into some East Indian poses, look at the line from my neck to my shoulder, see the tilt of my head as opposed to the upswing of my arms, before moving back into the real world. It is my posture at all times, and the fact that it is not humanly possible for me to sit in an arm chair without putting my feet up in some contortionist position, and why -- when watching my rehearsals from the audience in a theater -- my legs are always in a huge straddle on the seats in front of me. Dance is thinking about exactly what my body consumes and how I am holding the glass when I consume it. Dance is not being able to sit still my whole life. It is a natural sensuousness I have exuded from a surprisingly young age. It is the fact that my feet are perpetually pointed when not on the ground. It is how I think, how I eat, how I love, how I work, and how I relate.<P>Dance is my breath.<P>tura
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