There is a way to dance where the movement goes beyond the body. I use my hands to expand the range of movement beyond my physical perimeters. Having the movement continue out the finger tips—invisible threads of expression—brings a core strength and passion that anchors me in the subtle yet strong unity of my creative movement. These threads of movement snake upward from my gut, into my torso, through my shoulders; winding their way through the elbow and wrist joints  unfurling through the fingers and out the tips, painting my dance on an airy canvas. This ability to see and feel the movement whoosh and weave from my feet or core and eventually travel out the fingers is quite engrossing.

Try it! Connect your hands to your solar plexus and see viscus, stretchy threads unifying the two areas. No matter how far you reach and extend from your core with your hands (or feet), you are rooted in yourself.

I worked with another dancer on this focus. Her hands are her last frontier for free expression. They look stumpy when she dances, unlike the rest of her body that is fully engaged and visibly enlivened in the dance. I requested that she hyper focus the dance through her hands and since she is a professional singer, to connect her hands with the vocal vibrations as she sang. Her hands came to life and appeared longer and finer—like butterflies instead of knotted, gnarled, angry disconnected stumps. Her hands turned crimson from the circulation and energy release. She confided that they had been aching for years and she had always hated their appearance. They manifested her controlled pain.

 

Let go. Let go. Let go. Fly and be fearless as you reach beyond yourself!