presuppositions

Whenever someone asks me what I hate, I respond immediately with: "presuppositions". One of my favorite quotes is by George Elliot: "Manners must be very marked indeed before the cease to be interpreted by preconceptions." Yet, I often don't realize how many boundaries I have set up for myself simply because of my own presuppositions. I took a modern class this morning and the teacher made a point of talking to us about not being afraid to look ridiculous. She told us that teachers will always look for and want to work with the person who can step outside of everything and is willing to try anything. And to be honest, those are the people I admire the most. As she was speaking, I thought of several personal heroes who are so amazing and inspiring to me because they aren't bound by social tensions or what they think others might think of them or even what they know others think of them. They aren't afraid to present themselves as exactly who they are and they also are willing to try anything they're given (in choreography and class work). They're unique because they aren't afraid to stand out from everyone else. As I enter college and the larger dance world, my greatest struggle and yet the most important thing I will do is work to break down the preconceptions I set up have set up for myself, often unknowingly. As long as I dance (and live) in fear of what everyone else is thinking, I will never be free to reach my potential as an artist or to fully enjoy my art.