Trust in Every Step: Dance, Life, and the Bigger Picture
Trust.
An essential part of our dance style. Honestly, it’s more like the scaffolding. We have to trust that our lead dancer is going to cue movements we know and feel comfortable dancing. We have to trust that the dancers following us when we’re leading are going to do the movements we cue, even though we can’t see whether they are or not. When we fade, we have to trust that the other dancers are moving too so we don’t have to travel too far.
One of the hardest things in FC for me, for the longest time, was power duets. I had to remind myself constantly that I need only take small steps, because my partner is also going to take small steps, and our combined small steps will get us where we’re going. I had to remind myself that if my brain freezes and I can’t think of a move, my partner has my back.
And we have to trust ourselves—trust that our bodies remember the movements, trust that our practice will empower our performances, trust that we know what we’re doing.
A lack of trust is so much the source of dance-related anxiety. And I realized today, that same lack of trust is the birthplace of so much of my anxiety in 2025, in life as an American citizen.
I struggle to trust that I’m not the only person contacting my representatives, to trust that my community will care for each other when things get more difficult. I have to trust that there are other people fighting for democracy, for people’s rights, for love…other good people who won’t give up.
I struggle to trust myself, in my own ability to persevere, in my skills and knowledge and passion.
I struggle to trust, in my own practice, that the Universe bends toward Goodness. That Goodness will prevail.
Trust is easily broken. Maybe a fellow dancer doesn’t listen to the music before the performance, and their lack of practice causes a flub on stage. Or, worse, maybe a family member votes for people and policies that take away rights over your own body, that increase suicide rates among teenagers, that make it more dangerous for your child to go to school.
Even so…
Goodness is out there.
I have to believe there is more Goodness than evil.
I have to trust.
Trust in that Goodness is the kindling that keeps hope burning.
And we can’t afford for it to go out.
