The Language of Dance | Teen Ink

The Language of Dance

October 26, 2010
By SpringRayyn PLATINUM, Lakeville, Minnesota
SpringRayyn PLATINUM, Lakeville, Minnesota
34 articles 2 photos 658 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Don't punish yourself," she heard her say again, but there would be punishment and pain, and there would be happiness too. That was writing."
--Markus Zusak, "The Book Thief"


Dance
is a magical thing, and feet are rhythmical. Poetry is enchanting, and
when intertwined with your feet, you may sing without a voice.
Guess what? This is what I live for, singing with no voice, in silence, but in the most potent of words. I love the energy needed and exerted in the dance. The beauty of it all is stored up in your body, and needs an escape. With my toes and feet I trace for you the lines of dance in the air and draw you a picture that cannot be expressed in words.
You see, when I dance I am telling you how I feel. I hope you understand the language of dance, because if you don’t, then I am speaking for nothing.
That is the only language I know and love. I do not love the English language.

I do not love American Sign Language.

I do not love the Spanish language.

I only love the language of dance.

Sadly, many people do not understand this language. And if that is the only way I can speak to you, and if you do not understand, my efforts are in vain. My emotions are left unheard and deemed unimportant. I wish I could tell you how much feeling I put into my dance, but I can’t describe to you that in English. If you can’t understand when I tell you in the hidden language, you will never know or understand.

And I don’t care about you then.

Understand me.


The author's comments:
I got dance taken away for a month, this is just telling how much dance means to me. I've been writing a lot of dance articles lately. Specifically this is about Ballet.

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This article has 16 comments.


on Mar. 27 2012 at 8:06 am
beautifulspirit PLATINUM, Alpharetta, Georgia
35 articles 0 photos 1398 comments

Favorite Quote:
The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.
--Eleanor Roosevelt

Well, dance is certainly a passionate thing. Creativity is now losing its significance and importance in today's world. We have more competitive leaning toward the math and science areas. You could have made this into a poem too:)

on Feb. 25 2011 at 4:56 pm
Hazel-daisy GOLD, --, Other
19 articles 0 photos 324 comments

Favorite Quote:
It takes a lot of courage to show your dreams to someone else - Erna Bombeck

In three words i can sum up everything I've learned in life: it goes on -Robert Frost

Live, Love, Laugh - ______

Hope, Love, breathe <3 - Me

i like this and i can tell dancing is somehing you are really passionate about!! i love the way your are expressing one love through another!! :)

on Feb. 12 2011 at 12:32 pm
whatshername GOLD, Carlsbad, California
14 articles 1 photo 112 comments
i like this! i can completely relate! i dance too and it is sooooo important too me! nice job!!!!

on Feb. 6 2011 at 1:51 pm
SpringRayyn PLATINUM, Lakeville, Minnesota
34 articles 2 photos 658 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Don't punish yourself," she heard her say again, but there would be punishment and pain, and there would be happiness too. That was writing."
--Markus Zusak, "The Book Thief"

Okay folks, I don't mind if you rate this as very few stars, but please if you do that--post a comment and tell me why my writing sucks! It makes me so mad when you just rate it but don't give tips on how to change it if you don't like it.

on Jan. 2 2011 at 6:34 pm
SunnySummers GOLD, New York, New York
13 articles 1 photo 54 comments
And the writing itself is exellent! I do agree  with GzusFreak though that it ends a little harshly. I understand the emotions behind the words, though.

on Jan. 2 2011 at 6:31 pm
SunnySummers GOLD, New York, New York
13 articles 1 photo 54 comments
Yeah, I can totaly see how some people see it as a language. I don't say language specifically because of what that brings to mind for most people--words. But I'm a dancer and It's amazing one dance number can really say so much!

on Dec. 31 2010 at 10:22 pm
SpringRayyn PLATINUM, Lakeville, Minnesota
34 articles 2 photos 658 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Don't punish yourself," she heard her say again, but there would be punishment and pain, and there would be happiness too. That was writing."
--Markus Zusak, "The Book Thief"

Not maybe. Stop contradicting me.I'm not even kidding anymore.

on Dec. 31 2010 at 8:22 pm
GzusFreak10 GOLD, Staten Island, New York
17 articles 0 photos 102 comments
haha. Yeah, maybe. ;).

on Dec. 31 2010 at 7:36 pm
SpringRayyn PLATINUM, Lakeville, Minnesota
34 articles 2 photos 658 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Don't punish yourself," she heard her say again, but there would be punishment and pain, and there would be happiness too. That was writing."
--Markus Zusak, "The Book Thief"

Don't put language in quotes, haha, it's a real language. :)

on Dec. 31 2010 at 4:23 pm
GzusFreak10 GOLD, Staten Island, New York
17 articles 0 photos 102 comments
Yeah, i get it. (:. And ballet is an awesome "language", i must say. :)

on Dec. 31 2010 at 1:58 pm
SpringRayyn PLATINUM, Lakeville, Minnesota
34 articles 2 photos 658 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Don't punish yourself," she heard her say again, but there would be punishment and pain, and there would be happiness too. That was writing."
--Markus Zusak, "The Book Thief"

That's just one of those things in the moment, ya know? I have tons of friends who actually don't dance, but they don't understand the language either, so I mean I do care about them, they'll just never understand me.

on Dec. 30 2010 at 9:23 pm
GzusFreak10 GOLD, Staten Island, New York
17 articles 0 photos 102 comments
I completely understand the language of ballet! I <3 the dance, and i <3 the language. Very good! (I thought the 2nd to last line is a bit harsh though.)

minnieokie said...
on Nov. 23 2010 at 10:59 pm
Very good!  J.Octavian.R has some good constructive points about this writing.  You might keep it in mind in future articles. 

JanuaryCrest said...
on Nov. 19 2010 at 9:00 pm
JanuaryCrest, Farmington, Minnesota
0 articles 0 photos 1 comment

Favorite Quote:
Live like you will die tomorrow. Laugh like there was no yesterday. Love like you will live forever. <3

This is AMAZING!!!!  keep doing what you are doing!!!

on Nov. 5 2010 at 5:51 pm
J.Octavian.R SILVER, Lake Nebagamon, Wisconsin
5 articles 0 photos 23 comments

Favorite Quote:
A man can no more diminish God's glory by refusing to worship Him than a lunatic can put out the sun by scribbling the word, 'darkness' on the walls of his cell.
C. S. Lewis

This is what I live for, singing with no voice, in silence, but in the most potent of words. I love the energy needed and exerted in the dance. The beauty of it all is stored up in your body, and needs an escape. With my toes and feet I trace for you the lines of dance in the air and draw you a picture that cannot be expressed in words.

 

This part is a central point in the piece. When you begin you describe the feelings that YOU feel while dancing, and finish talking about how YOU feel dancing. However in the middle you say “the beauty of it all is stored up in your body,” Then you speak of your feelings while dancing and how you show ME the spectator or reader your meanings through dance.  I think you should change the part that says “your body,” to “my body,” because for the rest of the piece you are not talking about how I feel dancing, or how every one feels dancing. You are talking about how you feel. And this breaks the continuity of your piece.

 

Also I think the part where you list a couple different languages messes with the feel of the piece. I think it would remain much more focused on dance and more flowing if you simply said something like, " I love no other language," or if you want the specificity granted by the examples say, "I love no other language, neither written nor spoken, nor signed." Or anything along those lines. That is purely opinion though.

I don't speak the language of dance, so I cannot really critique too much more than that.


on Nov. 3 2010 at 9:01 pm
shadowfox1996 BRONZE, Farmington, Minnesota
4 articles 0 photos 3 comments

Favorite Quote:
"talk softly but carry a big stick" by Theodore Roosevelt

This is a very good piece