The casting of a dancer caught my attention as I headed for breakfast. The reflection of her position combined with her attention to something on her right, echoed where I was emotionally and mentally. As I thought of the artists involved, I found myself considering what made the best dancers rise above their peers.
Discipline, doing the right thing at the right time, is a foundation but it is not enough. One needs emotions, and feelings, dare I use the word love? I find myself living in a time where rules and laws are often ignored, without thinking about the role they play in guiding one in the foundations of dance, disciplines of analysis, and common courtesies in our relationship. I can feel the disdain for discipline, still wondering like Paul if many miss the heart of it all. He did challenge the attitude in his day that I experience today; “I can hear you say, “If the law code was as bad as all that, it’s no better than sin itself.” That’s certainly not true. The law code had a perfectly legitimate function. Without clear guidelines for right and wrong, moral behavior would be mostly guesswork. Apart from the succinct, surgical command, “You shall not covet,” I could have dressed covetousness up to look like a virtue and ruined my life with it.” (Romans 7.7)
A great dancer understands the disciplines of the craft and the role it plays in the performance. To be the best more is required. When the rules are combined with expressions of love, wonder, and passion, dance rises from the ordinary to the extraordinary. It touches one’s heart, it leaves one changed from the inside out. I stopped for a moment, thinking of the way her disciplines gave her a stage to leave me with a desire for compassion, kindness, and the experience of how she expresses passion through movement.
Rules are useful to a point. I can add care, kindness, and acceptance to my way of living. Today is my opportunity to elevate my performance through words and actions.
