By Lindsey Melancon
Creativity and imagination are integral parts of how we experience life as human beings, not just as children, but also as adults. Many of us, as we go through life, lose our connection to this profound exploration of ourselves. We submerge the ability to imagine and create under all the minutiae of our day to day. I have found in teaching JourneyDance a sustainable outlet for my own creativity, and a profound conduit to assist others in opening their own untapped depths.
I have come to realize through the medium of dance that we are all creationists in our own way. JourneyDance, uses the powerful tool of movement set to music, as a way to explore our own story using imaginative means. This may be done in many different ways such as inner shamanic style healing through a fire dance that burns up everything that holds you back; or chakra healing that helps you imagine energy flowing through the body and removing all obstacles.
JourneyDance, as so many dance and various art forms do, opens up our ability to communicate our story to others without using language. It is pure emotion. When I am teaching and there is a room full of people moving and dancing through their stories, it is incredibly humbling to witness. The sheer power of many beings creating all at once, openly and unabashedly, while sharing who they truly are allows the bridging of differences and forms connection. Every experience I have had while teaching this art form has been different, as each person in the room brings their own unique creative tapestry, their own story. Some are dancers and some are just open to the possibilities in movement. It is an hour to create, imagine, and make connections...to see what wants to unfold from within us.
This guided movement class only takes up a short part of the day, but if participants come with an open awareness, it can be an impactful experience. It is a means, like so many creative outlets, for participants to "dip their toes," or plunge into the depths of themselves; to imagine, and if allowed, to heal. It is up to each participant to find themselves in the movement. Sometimes I guide participants to go left, and they go right; it is completely up to them how they want to create their own journey (which I suppose could be said for a lot of things in life). Ultimately, when we are creating and imagining, whether on or own or collectively with others, in a class such as JourneyDance, we are forming and re-establishing deeply important connections to our self. We are finding our own inner power.
About Lindsey Melancon
Lindsey Melancon is a Certified Guide of JourneyDance ™ trained by Toni Bergins at the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Ayurveda. She has taught throughout the Berkshires and co-facilitated dances in the Boston area. Teaching a safe and cathartic dance experience for all levels, while using varied musical styles and teaching techniques her goal is to create a different but shared ‘journey’ for each participant. Using her creative art and dance background she invigorates each class with energy, and holds space for inner reflection.