Why We Dance

Sometimes it’s hard to get away from the competitive atmosphere,
to stop worrying about winning that or beating them,
or if your wig isn’t perfect,
or you don’t win out of your light jig,
to not mind if you don’t get the best place in the lineup.
When something goes wrong, or it all seems uphill,
you feel like you’ll never catch up,
or you fail to reach a goal or crack an audition…
then guess what?
Just remember where your home is.
Go back to the empty dance floor.
Grasp the barre and look into the mirror,
turn on the warm-up music and practice your cuts.
Because that is why we dance-
for the feeling that it is to be home,
in the studio,
just dancing.
Dancing for the rhythm,
for the laughter,
for the fun,
for the friendship,
for the excitement,
for the boundless thrill of ability,
for the adrenaline of the beat,
for the breath of fresh air,
for the challenge to rise to.
And for the little moments
that remind us why we all
dance.
And after all,
who knows what surprises may be waiting for you,
if you really try your best,
just around the corner…
or maybe the next one.
So remember to never forget, every time you dance
to share your passion,
your partner,
a smile,
a helping hand,
a hand to dance.
A new friend,
an old friend.
Team spirit,
more team spirit
and more team spirit..
A bucketful of energy,
a spade of imagination,
a little joke,
a hug,
a shared moment,
a sprinkle of determination
in every minute step that you attempt to succeed,
happiness at every beautiful leap,
at every better batter.
So always remember to share with your audience,
whether at a competition, or exam, or concert, or display
your love for what you do,
your passion for doing it well,
your enjoyment for every second that you shine,
and your happiness that you got up and did it, whatever the outcome.
You’re going to face disappointment at some time in your career.
Just remember to focus on how you felt about your dancing before the results.
And start thinking about the future-
don’t dwell on the past!
It’s the next time you’re going to dance that really matters.
Positivity rules!
And always remember that there is another gift waiting for you:
the dance of tomorrow.
So next time it’s all getting a bit rough, remember-
the harder it is to get, the more thrilling it is to get it right;
the longer it takes to learn, the greater the smiles along the way.
And the longer you stick at it,
the longer you’ve been there,
the longer you’ve hung in,
the greater the rewards.
And we can’t forget all the star-struck smiles
that are some of the prettiest things to behold
as you see the hardest workers gain their just rewards.
And there’s some things you’ve just got to have!
You’ve got to have cute!
You’ve got to have sheer beauty.
You’ve got to have all the glitz and glam.
And then of course there are the beautiful dresses
and the dreams of new ones.
And that sense of wonderment at your successes:
every hop,
every leap,
every jump,
every step.
It all counts.
But what Irish dancers learn is more than just how to dance-
we learn humility,
tradition,
triumph,
tragedy,
to cope gallantly with unexpected problems,
sharing,
poise and politeness,
how to make lacing those Hullachans more interesting,
how to stay in the air for six seconds,
and how to still be just as humbled and surprised
whether it is your first win one or one of many.
Appreciation for your team-
training together,
winning together.
It’s all about teamwork-
getting it right, and fun, too!
And you know, the thing about teams?
These are the friendships you keep for a lifetime.
And it’s not all competitions.
Shows are all part of the fun.
And it’s nice to dance for others without any cares,
rather than just yourself.
It doesn’t matter whether you’re five or fifty,
whether you’re at the beginning of your career, or the end…
it’s the journey that counts!
And anyway, who knows what tomorrow might bring?
Everyone loves to win,
but there’s only one way to the podium-
bottom up.
And it’s going to take time, and pain, and tears, I’m not going to kid you.
There will be days when you just want to quit.
But if you want something, you’ve got to be willing to fight for it,
rain or shine.
And then one day, when you least expect it,
all of it will be worth it..
What’s that? ‘It’ll never be me?’
Nope! Not listening!
Hey, I can give you the pep talk,
but only you can make that decision.
But as for me?
I say point your toe, and make it count.
Dream big,
and you never know where it might take you.
When you look back on your dancing career in years to come,
it won’t be the steps and the hours of training that you remember,
nor the victories, nor the defeats.
It will be the hot dogs you ate,
the feis friends you hugged,
the moon pies you munched through,
the surfboards you posed with,
the card games you played in the corridor,
Hello Kitty and crocs,
the trips you went on,
the moments with family,
the just-for-fun jumps with friends,
and the quiet leaps when nobody’s watching
(I love how nothing touches me when I’m dancing)
So leap right into
the next dance.