By George Woolley

The following quote, originally said to Agnes DeMille by Martha Graham, has been an inspiration to many dancers and other artists:

There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening

that is translated through you into action

and because there is only one of you in all of time,

this expression is unique.

And if you block it,

it will never exist through any other medium

and be lost.

The world will not have it.

It is not your business to determine how good it is

nor how valuable nor how it compares with other expressions.

It is your business to keep it yours clearly and directly,

to keep the channel open.

You do not even have to believe in yourself or your work.

You have to keep open and aware

directly to the urges that motivate you.

Keep the channel open.

(from "Dance to The Piper" by Agnes DeMille)

This quote was sent to me in October, 1996 by Margaret Batiuchok. Margaret is best known for her innovative multimedia master's thesis on Lindy, her Lindy instructional tapes, her many articles on dance, her graceful and smooth dancing of Lindy and other dances, and for winning the Harvest Moon Ball Lindy at Madison Square Garden with the late George Lloyd. But she is also, in the realm of partner dancing, the most articulate advocate of the values represented in the quote that I'm aware of. Her teaching addresses these values in many ways, for example, by avoiding strong styling in basic classes, and by dance exercises that help us to be "open and aware directly to the urges that motivate us". The spirit of the quote shows up in her thesis, in many of her articles, and throughout her work and life.

The quote from Martha Graham encourages us to explore what is, in my experience, almost completely ignored in the teaching of partner dancing, that is, "the urges that motivate us". Most teaching of partner dancing provides us with steps and routines plus techniques and other guidance for doing them. But what I love most in dance is exploring what me and my partner are moved to do "at this moment, on this floor, to this music". So I give thanks to Martha Graham for her penetrating and inspiring words, to Agnes DeMille for providing them a context in her fascinating book "Dance to the Piper", to Margaret Batiuchok for sending me the quote, and to all three for living the spirit of the quote in their dancing and in their lives.

I hope that you are as moved by the spirit of this quote as I and many others have been.

© Copyright 1997 George Woolley

From: Dance Magic Review, October 1997