Inhaling Alongside You✔️

Chapter Thirty-Five: Stepping On Toes

The art of dance is far from a trivial physical sport. The art of dance is something indescribable. A dancer can't construe the emotion he or she feels when the music compels them. The dancer may not be able to project an adjective for the high a dancer receives when the elements of music and spirits coagulate into one. The art of dance is the art of becoming one with your soul. Every instrument controls you and every rhyme compels you farther into a trance. This trance is only broken when the music stops, even then, the dancer still moves. This is the art of dance, compelling passion, soulful grace, and embodied heart.

"She has the grace of a gazelle, but the hunger of a lion" Some compliment. "Jesse Rose Edmond, a talented dancer with captivating stage presence. You can tell she wants it" Others would add lib. Yet, none of their opinions matter. The opinions of others outside of the dance industry never mattered to me. They are on the outside looking in. These journalist can't even decipher half of the effort a dancer puts into their craft, yet people listen to them.

I've always been told that I have a great chance in pushing past my limitations, but there was always an rebuttal. "You can be just as great as Misty Copeland, but you have to fix this" One voice would say. "You can do this girl, but if you keep doing that you will never get it" Another voice would add lib. These are the voices I listened to. The voices that falsely believed in me. That was until I was offered an place in New Yorks best dance company, Gallim Dance.

Along with the efforts of my father, the director of Gallim Dance John Stash, attributed to oblivion of negativity. "Why listen to the ignorance of others when the dance tells you all you need to know?" John would tell me when I stressed my feelings to him. His words spoke truth.

Why should I listen to ignorance? With a new retrospect of my dancing abilities I transfused ignorance into bliss, hence forth acclaiming the motto "When they tell you that you can't, nod and silently prove them wrong". This motto and the encouragement of others gifted me with the will to come this far. I can't thank those persons enough.

"That was really nice Miss Edmond, just hold the swan a little longer next time" Miss Polozzi encourages, moving onward to the next dancer.

I've been in Itay for the entirety of a month, and I will honestly admit I love this place. Asides from it's astonishing views and graceful civilians, Italy has given me the chance to redefine myself. I'm a strong believer of self definition. I believe that when a person is alone, the person should take time to rehabilitate their minds. The cranium is always a place of refuge when the world around you is in bedlam. A person brains allow them the freedoms that the world cunningly steals away.

My venture into Italy as another stepping stone of my career as a dancer is more than just a great opportunity. My venture to Italy adversely began with my longing for Michael to endure this with me, but eventually as days turned into weeks, this new adventure has become a way of self defining. I have learned to become more independent and learn more about myself.

As much as I love being with Michael, I've seemingly forgotten what it feels like to be on my lonesome. Being alone isn't necessarily terrible, I've come to realize that as well.

"You should try to elongate your leg a little more. It's all in the core" A voice directs from behind me.

Oddly enough, the male voice was not of the prevalent Italian accent I have come accustomed to. Instead of the long drawl of Italian, I am astonished by his light and well spoken American accent. Frankly, I'm relieved that there is another American besides me in this program.

I turn to thank the kind stranger. Upon turning, I catch myself holding my breath at the man before me. The memories of me as a young child dreaming of this moment floods my mind. I'm truly taken a back, and so are my words.