All I wanted was a dance. Honestly. Sometimes great change comes from the simplest of intentions. That's the poetic equivalent of shrugging my shoulders and saying "...I don't know..." because I don't have a good explanation as to how a chance encounter at a nightclub resulted in all of this.
When you don't have an explanation, you tell a story.
The first time I saw Sarah she was dancing, which I guess is not anything incredibly surprising to anyone who knows her. Dancing is her passion. But I wasn't watching a "performance", and had no idea that this is what she did for a living. It was a nightclub in New York City, so watching some one, any one, dancing at all was amazing in and of itself. (Most New Yorker's idea of clubbing consists mostly of sitting in a jaded state, and "duck facing" the night away). All I saw was talent and energy. Call me crazy but I like to hang around talent and energy.
The lack of duck face should be dually noted...
For the sake of short stories and word counts, numerous conversations and hijinks followed this initial meeting. I learned more about the life of a professional dancer. "Surely it must be a kin to bathing in unicorn giggles" , I thought. Sadly, the reality was far removed from unicorn giggles (which only re-inforces my belief that reality generally fails because of its dearth of actual unicorn giggles). I found someone who had dedicated their life to pursuing and excelling at a goal, only to be met with corporate apathy. Someone with a wealth of passion, but still struggling. Someone who had amassed years of knowledge and training from quite literally around the globe, who found it difficult to be compensated properly for those skills. Someone who wanted to grow, who needed to grow, but didn't have the space to do so.
In short I found an artist. A person driven by the desire to create and share more than the need to profit and market. It's a story I've encountered often. It's a story that needs a different ending. Motionated is the first attempt at changing the story. Motionated is distilled motivation. It's a window into one persons passion and way of life. Like any window it allows you a clear line of sight past the walls and barriers that separate us. The walls that keep us from appreciating how unique and gifted each of us is. The barriers that keep us from seeing how much we have in common. The separation that keeps us from knowing how much we can inspire each other just by being our true selves.
With this project I was asking Sarah to put on a new performance. The idea was to give her a space to share her self, her talent, her passion with a new audience. She was a little reluctant because the subject matter was her life, and that didn't strike her as particularly interesting. To me Sarah's life was amazing. A joy ride that was worth sharing. How many of us have the opportunity to follow our dreams? How many of us have the ability to make them become reality?
Not many. And that's something else that needs a different ending.
This project hasn't always been easy. Nothing worthwhile is ever "easy". What it has been is worthwhile and even cathartic for me. I want to thank every one that has contributed to making this a reality. The site will be highlighting all their work, and I can promise you that there is no shortage of amazing art and content in the coming weeks and months (this blog post notwithstanding...). Mostly I want to thank Sarah for putting up with me. For giving me a chance. For giving me that dance. We're keeping in step, and I've taken my little bow, but this is your stage now.
Show'em how you move...
