"The dance is a poem of which each movement is a word."

Mata Hari

This week I’m been in deep reflection over the dance between authenticity, integrity, perceptions of value, and their impact on the ego. 

Like dancers moving in harmony, authenticity guides our steps, ensuring that our actions are true to our inner selves. Integrity, a dance partner, moves seamlessly ensuring that our intentions and actions remain aligned, unshaken by external influences.

However, it's the presence of our perceptions of value that introduces a subtle yet pivotal twist to this dance. These perceptions, often shaped by societal norms, personal experiences, and cultural conditioning, can influence how we perceive ourselves and others. Their impact reverberates, to the very core of our ego (If we allow it to). The ego being the aspect of our self-identity that craves recognition and validation. 

This reminds me of contact improvisation, an art form that takes shape as a spontaneous dance. Two bodies touch in one area or “point of contact” which can either roll or slide to transition to the next movement. It's not about following strict steps like in some dances. Instead, it's about feeling the rhythm and responding naturally. This dance is all about fluidity and unpredictability, reflecting the intricate interplay between authenticity, integrity, and how we see our worth. 

The power and direction are shared, both leading and following as you flow in the dance.

Maybe this explains why I’ve never been able to learn any choreographed dance, and yet I can dance fully and with abandon until I enter a trance like state. 

I love and value this about myself.