Dance Your Work What Would That Look Like

Dance Your Work What Would That Look Like This week I got inspired again by a dance camp moment. A friend of mine, a photographer, approached me to say goodbye as he was leaving camp today. Before he left, he was compelled to tell me about a class where he was given the opportunity to â€Å"dance† his work. He began showing me his dance. I have done a lot of dancing in my time, but I have never danced my work. I’m willing to bet you haven’t either. Can you imagine what it would look like? I watched my friend dance. He takes photos of many women for their on line dating profiles, and he discovered through his dance that clicking the shutter is just a small part of what he does; the main dance is his connection with the person being photographed- the way he draws them out from being somewhat nervous at the beginning to shining out with their most attractive selves. I could see as he danced the joy that this process of discovery and opening gave him. He finished his dance, and it was my turn. What is the dance I do with my clients? Surprising to me, the first place I went was toward my ears. Hands cycling up toward my ears and back out, listening, taking in information, listening, always listening. Then the fingers start typing out what I’ve heard. There are pauses†¦ long periods of sitting with information, tossing it around in my mind, exploring, then a flurry of typing activity and the words flowing out into meaning and expression. I was pleased to discover that the essence of my work is listening; the dance brought me to that essence in seconds. I realize this might be a stretch, but what would happen if you danced your work? Where would the essence lie? What is at the heart of what you do each day? Perhaps it would be worth a try to discover something new through your own work/dance. So I invite you†¦ stand up†¦ close your eyes†¦ and begin.