toes.

If you know me, you probably understand how much dance of all style and genres is basically my life. If you don't know me well, when defining myself to a group of unknowns, I'm a dancer.

It's interesting to watch the growth of dance shows on television, and I'm delighted to see how many people are now interested in dance. However, I do have a bone to pick with what we consider "amazing".

On Youtube, there are thousands of videos uploaded into dance categories, and I'm surprised how many are winning pieces at competitions. Have we not moved on from the tricks and such that competitive dancing was based on in the early 2000's? It seems like these dancers are getting younger, skinnier and more robotic. There are whole lines of these dancers with just stunning lines, but I think that we are becoming immune to the perfection. It's hard what these girls and boys are doing, but it's not translating.

Where have the unique dancers - in movement and in looks - gone lately? I think that they have grown up a little more and are working with interesting choreographers. Look at Mia Michaels, who is God to us in the dance world. She picks up those who were totally not on the commercial radar of many choreographers. Choreographer Tokyo has been working with Lauren Garrett, Sonia Weast and Chaz Burzan creating art, not just tricks.

There is more to dance in this age than just throwing long hair around and doing five turns. There is artistry. I think we're going through a postmodern dance movement of the commercial and art forms trying to work together.
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The other night while I was warming up for my weekly ballet class, I took a moment to look at my feet. I know, some people have foot issues, fetishes, phobias, whatever, but something really struck me about mine. For real, I have blisters, calluses, cuts, cracks and in general, ugly feet. I've always hated how wide they were and their inability to squeeze into the perfect shoes that were on sale.

However, these feet hold so much history, knowledge and have been my instrument throughout my dance career.

As I got to audition after audition, it's becoming routine. Hand in your head shot, get a number, smile, try to look nice, but none of this would be possible if I didn't have the training that is being held in my muscle memory.

I try to look at this the same way as our brains. At this time of year, the stress is high because people have not studied a lot, or forgot that assignment, etc., but really the muscle memory is there for so many. When you're feeling overwhelmed, remember the hardest thing that you have done so far in life, challenge-wise. Mine was dancing through a seven minute modern solo in pointe shoes to the music of breaking glass, slamming doors and a chainsaw.

There were a lot of bruises, blood and tears, and four years later, I still have the scars on my feet from that solo. But that is life. It scars us, but with the instruments of our bodies, whether is be your vocals to sing, feet to dance or brain to remember calculations, it really is possible to make it through. I sound so corny here, but it can be yours if you want it.

Go get it.

Watch Tokyo's piece from the iHollywood dance convention here. PS the blonde girl in the beginning is Juliette Irons, and she's Canadian!