I will not remember how many pirouettes you did, how high your leap was or how long you held your leg.
I will remember how that dancer stood downstage right evoking her true joy. I remember the dancer who picked up the petals she dropped and released them with such emotional depth, I was trying to imagine what could have brought her to do that. I remember, from 14 years ago, that ballet duet about a relationship falling apart where at the very end, she gently brushed him as they passed each other to exit opposite sides of the stage.
It’s that magical feeling you get when you know something is reaching you, and when you think about it again even years later, you can still visualize it and feel the emotion of those moments.
That is the gold. I have no idea what else happened in those pieces. I don’t remember any of the compulsory elements, good or not-so-good. When you take the stage, make sure your audience sees you.
