My Childhood Companion, RIP 09/8/11

Words of Wisdom via Julie Kaye

"There are times when, as with any discipline, I get frustrated and pushed to a breaking point, and I begin to seriously question why I dance. It never fails, however, that just when these doubts begin to form, something in movement - even if just for a moment - speaks to me on a level that transcends all other mediums of communication. As dancers, we dance because words are not sufficient. Music by itself does not fufill us, and sound alone cannot convey the complexity of what we are FEELING. We feel things on a level so deeply rooted in our souls that it drives us into motion.  Even in the most subtle contexts, when the emotional climate of a situation is not outwardly obvious, we sense these subtleties and subconsciously add them to our personal palette of emotions. It can be tiring...overwhelming, actually. And when those palettes become so filled with our experiences that they begin to overflow, we reach a point when we can no longer contain our thoughts, emotions, or idealogies internally, and that is when we dance. It is the same for musicians, painters, actors, etc. The art we create is an extension of ourselves. When we create art for the sake of creating art, it is far less satisfying...it may not even deserve to be called "art". But when we are driven to create from the most internal and sacred aspect of our own beings - when these emotions necessitate something beyond internal reflection or mere conversation - there seems to be nothing in the world as spiritually moving and satisifying as dancing (for musicians, playing; painters, painting, etc). It is what we do when nothing else seems able to capture what we are feeling or experiencing. It is the way in which we cope with those things that seem unjustifiable and unreal...it is the way in which we express pure joy and happiness...it is the way we deal with uncertainties and uncover truths about ourselves that have been buried underneath layers of self-imposed judgements and insecurities which have spawned from our perceptions of societal expectations and our role within those. When we dance, we are free. Dance is truly a healing art.

No matter how many times I experience this or come to this realization, it always amazes me. God works in mysterious ways. Just a random thought :)"

The Tenderloins, Hipster Style

Looking out my window in San Fran