OVERCOMING OBSTACLES by Amara Al Amir

As a performer in any art, one is faced with a set of challenges unlike any other profession. But it does mirror life in many ways. I have danced for 30 years and can speak as a veteran although I cannot believe it has been so long.

 My life has been nothing but an uphill climb beset with so many challenges and obstacles, you would think I would be weary and disillusioned but the exact opposite has happened.

I fell into the dance as a diversion from a life that was boring and not inspiring, As a result, I found the artistic skills inherent but not known on a conscious level. 

Each time you set your foot onto a performing platform or venue, you challenge yourself and your audience to step outside the box in perceptions and tolerance. Obstacles are only obstacles when you set expectations based on your own level of experience and awareness.  Every obstacle is an opportunity to gain a valuable lesson. 

But lets be specific here:

• Dancers learning to dance with live musicians often expect the music to be like a CD, perfect execution, timing, and quality. How do you handle, shifting music that is unknown or confusing. What if the format is not as you requested. Do you pout and run off the stage, never to try this again. Yes, some of you just get it but many of you are just frightened to death.

• How about when the audience doesn’t respond to your performance, the same one you did before to accolades. Do you blame the audience or yourself? Is it you or just the where the moon is today affecting everyone’s moods or did you not relate well to your audience?

• How about when a prop falls off ones head or gets tangled, do you feel foolish and unprepared, therefore not a master at your art. Do you keep trying to put it back or adjust it or ignore the mess or realize you are not prepared and move into a part of the dance that you feel more confident and skilled at?

I, when training dancers to improvise and perform encourage the dancer to trust in them to find their inner knowledge that their body and mind trained for. What wells up inside yourself often is some of the most talented and gifted work you could hope to find.  

At the same time, you need to be aware of where your mind is when you perform. Did you get to the gig late, get lost getting there, have a disagreement with someone before the show, think too much of yourself to prepare for your event with precision and grooming. Do you expect others to know, understand, appreciate, honor or respect you when you have not given them any reason to? 

This issue of trust in yourself is key to all your successful outcomes. How does one know if you have trust? It lies in your basic sense of honesty with yourself and others. When you go the extra mile to resource, prepare and execute a task, you become more than able to handle unexpected challenges, and to welcome and receive the gifts of a new experience.

Take a few moments this month and examine a few experiences that come about that generated anxiety, anger, disappointment, sadness, confusion, insecurity, and mistrust in yourself. Step-back and for a moment view the situation completely in the opposite way than you are thinking. This exercise changes your consciousness forever and therefore your experiences to follow. This process after awhile can become habitual in a wonderful way then let us *pay forward our joy in welcoming the unexpected as a gift for growing and changing in a positive way.  

Each month, I will take various performance issues and discuss generally with you in our MEDLS newsletters. MEDLS is organized to bring our performance art to the a higher level through the study and presentation of dance, thereby promoting the art together, expanding your skills set and the public’s awareness of this art.