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| Martha Graham |
When I was a little girl I absolutely loved dancing, and dreamed of being a ballerina, before I understood what a difficult life it was being a ballet dancer.
When growing up in the East End of Toronto I had a older friend Sandra, who was about 16 years old when I was six or seven. Sandra studied ballet and I was absolutely in complete admiration, and adoration of her. I wanted to be her. She was my protector and like the big sister I never had. I loved her.
My mother would play the piano and I would dance around pretending I was a great ballerina. I would get all ethereal, and dramatic, twirling and swirling around in the living room.
I followed the careers of all the dancers, and later I especially love Martha Graham, when I learned about Modern Dance.
Years later my mother would take me to ballet performances and I would watch every show about ballet whenever they aired on television. As an adult I was able fulfill my dream to study dance at school in Nova Scotia, when I went off to study art in the 70s, and managed to get my point shoes, which I still have. At fifty years of age I took up Middle Eastern Dance ( Belly Dance ).
My mother always allowed me to live my life creatively. She never laughed, criticized or discouraged me. She only encouraged me to keep myself open to my creative energy, possibility, and the expression of myself in whatever form or medium.
Today I found this online, a deep, thoughtful and insight-fully wise quote by Martha Graham.
" 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 it will 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 yourself open and aware to the urges that motivate you. Keep the channel open. "
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