JustDance is the name of the series of classes I am teaching in my studio on Saturday mornings. The title is a play on words: the words JUST and JUSTICE. In a very simple sense, the class is JUST dance; in other words, we just dance. We are not trying to become dancers; we just dance. We are not performing; we just dance. We are not utilizing a particular framework or style or genre of dance; we are just dancing.
At the same time, we are exploring community throughout the class. How much space one takes up, how one navigates through the space, how we interact with each other, finding common ground, appreciating the uniqueness of each person are all important and conscious explorations. Sometimes participants discover they prefer the outer edges of a group experience, some like to subvert with playfulness, some like to take over. Because many of the participants know each other well, the foibles of each are noted, often with amused indulgence. New people are welcomed as well, with curiosity and warmth.
The justice aspect of the class is a concretization of the phrase: No justice, no peace. Unless we can work together to find common ground, common meter, common space without losing our unique combinations of talents, there will be no justice, nor peace. It is as critically important to work against subsuming of one’s identity into a group as it is to be willing to accommodate to the needs and journey of a community.
A village that appreciates variety and allows for roles to shift can solve many problems, together. JustDance is an opportunity to practice access to calming, energizing, and meeting each other on common ground.