May I have this dance?

“Nice pants!”
The fabric makes a satisfying swish as it brushes along any surface. I got these pants for hiking years ago, yet found a repurpose as an excellent pair to move and dance in. Finding new life in a Gaga class on a dance floor set up by Motion State Arts for their annual festival. That's where I received a compliment from my soon to be new best friend. We danced based on cues from the teacher that allow each person in the class to connect to inner sensations. To move and groove from a personal place that only you can define and express:

“Stretch your arms in a satisfying way.”

“How might you bounce right now?”

Go ahead and try it. Even now as you read. Does that shift your breath? 

This movement capacity is inherent in each of us, and is expressed uniquely in any given moment. That's your dance. Available 24/7. This is what I love most about dance: its potential is always there. The potential to connect inward and feel. The potential to connect outward and interact with the environment. The potential to connect with one another and build communal possibilities. 

Back to that Gaga class. I simultaneously connected with my inner authentic place of dance, as well as the people around me all within a larger happening in the local dance community. My embodied self created a form that resonated with a kindred spirit. I connected with another dancer in the class and we shared about our deep passion for somatics. All from the subtle swish of repurposed pants. 

These are the moments that I'd love to foster within the Rhode Island dance community. Through the Rhode Island Dance Alliance, I want this space to be a hub; a resource guide that gives opportunity for connection. Spaces that help us connect inwardly and explore the endless possibility of movement. Spaces for us to gather, share ideas, and the variety of dance forms. Spaces for us all to witness others in performance, in practice, and in motion. To find your kindred spirits and the spirits whose expression is less known to you.

I'd love to know each of your expressions. How do you define dance? When do you feel most connected to movement? Can we go from a community of the unknown to the known here in Rhode Island, and yet, keep the possible space for the exciting unexpected? These are the questions I pose here and those questions we can answer together through dance.

Let's move!

Joshua Tuason
President-Elect
Rhode Island Dance Alliance