We live in a time where love costs. As an example, I love this country but do I love all the people here?
The cost is to feel fully. The cost is to believe that no matter what’s going on in the world there will be grief, goodness, ugliness, rebellion, confusion and love. As the lyrics to the song go, “what the world needs now is love sweet love….”
This is some of what I spend my time thinking about – love. Even during a pandemic, especially during a pandemic. The complexities of gaining and losing love guide me to understand that, as the song lyrics go, “it’s been a long time comin’ but I know, oh-ooo-oh, a change is gon’ come”
Here are my current love-actions as a way to try and adapt to this time.
Love means that I’m prepared to let go to move forward
I can love not being perfect, and therefore I can let go of judgements
I acknowledge my connections to white supremacy, and still love myself
I can let go of these words: professional, best, new, winning, losing
I share these love-actions not as resolutions, not to motivate. They are only words. I wonder how much I’ll falter at my attempt to put any one of these into action? Oodles.
Now to what’s inside this winter issue of In Dance: let me simply state that I love each of the stories, images, ideas, conversations and communities that are featured within. Often I try to figure out a clever way to write about dance. And today I let myself simply love these words about dance. The simplest moments are often the hardest to convey. Is it because they are the closest to our truth? What we value most?
Join me in taking a deep breath. Let’s feel the truth in what we love, who we love. I know for certain that love can be risky and yet I believe that it’s our time, dance’s time, to be loved more.
Love your dance more. And if you already do then love someone’s else’s dance more.
Now it’s time for me to imagine getting ready to go to the disco. I’m putting on my sexy pants with spangles and adjusting my makeup, and mask, and I hear Madonna belt out “cause love’s gonna lift me up.”
Enjoy each loving word crafted for you.
This article appeared in the Winter 2021 issue of In Dance.
