The Body Says

When deciding what to write, I could think of millions and millions of sad stories due to climate change and a lack of climate action. Growing up, especially in an era filled with social media, I get lost in the negatives. I get lost in school shootings, women losing control of their bodies, and people thinking they can just ban the word “gay.” 

Focusing on all the bad can leave a person in fear, and with a lack of hope. At times, this hope can be debilitating, allowing us to lose sight of who and what we are fighting for.

Now I’m a dancer, and I don’t usually have to express myself with words. I have always thought that the body holds so much trauma, so much emotion, so much hope… that can’t be expressed or seen with words alone. That being said, I decided to create a video highlighting dancers that I know from across the country and the world, showing that we are not as far apart as we think we are. 

Instead of focusing on politics, I wish to focus on the people that are being affected by a lack of urgency. Having a physical body, a moving body, makes certain issues feel more real. We can talk about people from across the globe, but a lot of times, people aren’t able to connect with their stories. I found that for myself, dance brings a human connection that transcends any other identity. 

This process allowed me to see the joy that people have in just being themselves and why it is necessary to uphold the voices of people. Self-expression is one of the most powerful tools that we have as humans to be able to share, but also to comfort ourselves. Hopefully, through the video I have made for you, you can see how dance is a universal language that can connect us all.