BAMMMM there goes my readership.
Ok, so this is not a happy, inspiring post, and will not inform, educate, entertain or be of any use to anybody. But someone said to me today that one should always write to express not impress, and there is just something I need to get off my chest (well not those...I kind of need the little bit I have ;)
Because this post sure as hell wont impress anyone.
Sooo...I have a confession to make.
I have lost (temporarily, I hope) my dance mojo.
Ughhhh it is so horrible to admit it! I am not sure what is wrong with me? We have had some fabulous dance events lately...our Haffla, Syncopate dance festival last weekend (blog post still to come so keep watching the BellyRing blog) and Asmahaan Festival this weekend. Ample opportunity to dance, lots of inspiring performances to watch, and being surrounded by pretty, sparkly things 24/7.
And I just don't care.
The strange thing is, all the elements are there- I should be more motivated than ever. I am loving my troupe so much! We had such a good weekend in Joburg- we bonded, laughed, acted silly, drank wine...you know...all the things girls do when they are together. I got to know all of them so much better and I truly love those ladies. Not only that...I can finally- wait for it- DANCE WITH ZILLS!!! I never thought the day would come when I could actually clang out a fairly decent rhythm on the little buggers without looking like Simple Sam in my movements. I mean, I am still no Ansuya- there is a longgggg way to go- but compared to where I was, I should be VERY proud of myself.
So why aren't I?
I just don't seem to care at the moment. Going to class is an effort. I have not done any obsessive YouTube dancer voyeurism in ages (although with J constantly moaning about my internet usage it does tend to take the joy out of web surfing) and I haven't gone weak-kneed at the site of a beautiful costume since I can remember.
I could say I am extremely busy. And that would be true. Would it help if I also told you I havent been to gym in weeks and that I have been shovelling junk down my mouth every single day? So it is not just dancing. I have lost my balance.
The problem is, once you start down that slippery slope, how do you climb back up? How do I re-inspire myself? I have gone through stages like this before, and they always pass, but never this bad.
So I guess, what I really need is some advice. What to do what to do what to do when your heart is just not in your dancing? How do you find it? How can I motivate myself again?
I want the joy back when I dance. I want to feel the freedom when I spin and the comfort in the gentle shimmies and undulations that seem to fit my body so well. I want to care again.
So please let me know...what do you do when your dance mojo is gone?
Ai! :( I'm sorry to hear this Rox! It's a terrible feeling to go into a dance slump and shaking it off is one of the most challenging things you can do.
ReplyDeleteI don't think I have ever had it as bad as you're describing it - just the dance blues, really - so my advice might not be useful.
When I feel I am starting to slide into the blues, I pull out my favourite (Rachel Brice) performance and watch it over and over again. I then listen to incredibly cheesy pop music (Lady Gaga, Shakira, Pitbull, you name it!) and just DANCE for the sheer fun of it - even if I do shame my belly dance name and dance to Shakira. :P
That's my remedy for a mild case.
For a more severe case I find it is sometimes easier to step away from dancing for a while. Skip out on a performance, suffer from FOMO, skip out on class for a week or two, and sooner or later my body yearns to dance again.
A dance troupe member of ours went through The Blues, and she took a break and just never came back. That's a risk you take, I suppose.
But then, I wouldn't know much about skipping out on classes, I think in my 4 years of dancing I've missed 4 classes.
I hope you feel better and feel inspired again soon! Sending you many happy dance thoughts!xx
Poor Foxy, it really is a horrible feeling!
ReplyDeleteI get fits of this every now and then, but it's usually triggered by something specific- ructions in the dance community, an uncooperative choreography or a round of body hate.
When a mojo failure occurs, I tend to try and bring my dancing inward and stick to easy stuff that makes me feel good. Lots of bopping around at home to music I like. Maybe a trip to a hafla as an observer only, to remind me how much more fun it is up on stage than it is in the audience.
At the risk of being far too serious for the blogosphere, if you're finding this mojo loss across other areas of your life as well, it may be worth seeing a doctor just to rule out any hormonal imbalances or other illness. I have a history of depression, so a drop in mojo for me often presages the onset of another bout (except spotting it early means I can avoid it altogether if I'm careful). Hopefully it is just a temporary lack of motivation though!
So Serious!
ReplyDeleteJust say, Sod it! I know I can dance, I am brilliant at it...I just don't feel like it now, so I will lie down and read and eat lots of yummy food until I feel like it again.
Yup, I agree with all these ladies. Pushing yourself to do something you usually love but now feels like a chore will just make it feel like more work. Unless you're making a living solely off your dancing, it should remain a hobby-something you do just because you want to and miss it when you don't. Absence makes the heart grow fonder. Explore other hobbies (and other dance forms sometimes work and give you a whole new world to explore, I've just discovered Flamenco!). Give yourself a break for awhile and I guarantee you'll come back refreshed with new insight and inspiration.
ReplyDeleteTo me being a dancer is a like your nationality, you never lose it even when you travel. ;)
Fab advice from everyone. Take a break, do something else totally unrelated. Also look at what else is happening in your life, sometimes stress from new things and old drama's can creep into the fun parts of our lives.
ReplyDeleteSending you a bunch of Virtual Mojo Restorer!
I hope your mojo came flying back to you at record speed!
ReplyDeleteMuch love, purrs and inspiration to you, from a rather random Miss Oh! xxx