THE DANCE

As we walked into the auditorium it felt as if we walked into another world. The lights were dimmed and the temperature was almost cold, in a comforting way. We found our seats and the anticipation was building. The building filled up quickly and everyone spoke with excited whispers. As if on que, a stillness filled the room. We all sat on the edge of our seats and watched as the curtain lifted. The scene before us was beautiful. There were gorgeous bursts of colors and dark and gloomy places that were before our eyes. When just looking at those colors individually, it didn't make sense but from where we were sitting, the colors created a map of sorts. This map seemed alive. The colors grew and danced. There was a burst of lights and gorgeous dancers appeared. She was almost small for a dancer but the way she stood there awaiting the music, gave her an air of confidence that prevented us from taking our eyes off her. Her partner looked at her and she gave him an almost imperceptible smile. The music started. They were gliding across the stage and telling a beautiful story with their movements with the music as their guide. In their eyes it almost seemed as if they had an inner source giving them the next move to make. They were flawless. I held my breath as you could see her gearing up for a diffucult turn and jump. All the sudden, they fell!! They hit the floor, hard. Everyone jumped to the edge of their seat as if to help. Within seconds the lights went out except for one silhouette. It was her. I couldn't tell if she was stunned or if it was part of the dance. Where was he? It seemed as if the entire crowd breathed as one. The lights slowly became brighter but they still had a heaviness in them as she moved into the dance so slowly. I don't even remember if the music stopped. I felt as if I was on the stage with her, in her ear telling her to keep going and finish the dance. When that thought completed in my mind, the colors were almost blinding and she bursts forth in perfect timing with the music. The dance continued on. She had a different look in her eyes now. Again, she was flawless and beautiful as she turned and moved as if fluid in her motions. The look she held now was one of purpose. She seemed to be more tenacious. Although for a time she seemed to think of every move instead of it coming naturally.....
My mind was reeling. I was trying to understand what went wrong. We were dancing flawlessly. The best of our career! All the sudden we were on the floor. The lights went dark all around me and the main music stopped although some soft notes were still heard. My heart was beating so hard it blocked out everything else. The pain in my body was trying to block out the music as it struggled to over power my mind.What do I do? What happened? I turned around and he was gone. He never said a word and I was alone, in pain in front of everyone. All I could think of was DON'T GIVE UP. There is no choice other than to keep going. I could hear the voice of my instructor saying to me, "If you stumble make it part of the dance." I slowly rose. As if I told them to, the lights met my mood. I felt horrible pain and was unsure if I would be able to even take a step. My body just took over and did what it had been trained to do. I had to think of each step and I was praying I didn't look as robotic as I felt. My steps were in tune with the music but I wasn't sure if I could continue the entire dance. Out of the corner of my eyes I saw movement. As if in a dream, a man appeared. This isn't a part of the dance! He isn't my usual partner! Will he know the right steps? Can he step in and make this seem a part of the routine? He met me on the floor in front of the crowd. We locked eyes and immediately I felt calm. He touched my arm and we started our dance. It wasn't planned. I had no idea how to dance with this new partner. He was a great dancer. He gave me a calm that I hadn't felt with my usual partner. He guided me in different steps and lifts than I had practiced. It seemed planned. It felt natural. I felt like the pain melted away as our bodies moved as one. It seemed as if I drew strength from his presence. I could read his mind with just a touch and he did the same with me. It was almost magical. The crowd seemed to be lost in this new arrangement and I believe they thought it was all planned. The lights went down and the curtain fell. Barely a moment passed when a roar was met our ears. It was muffled through the curtain but we knew what it was. The curtain raised enough for us to walk in front of the crowd and they were on their feet! There were tears in some of their eyes. My partner had left. He would never dance with me again. Somehow I knew, that my dancing would be brought to another level with my new partner. It was exhilarating and terrifying. We moved as if we were one body, mind and spirit. We stood side by side and it felt as if he had been there all along. After this dance, I would never be the same dancer again. That fall could have ended my career. Stopping the show could have destroyed the company I danced for. It was so unexpected but I was stronger than I thought. That dance became the moment I knew that my life would never be the same. I didn't know where my new partner came from or how he knew my style of dance but we worked together effortlessly. It hurt me that the partner I had my whole career would no longer dance with me. He gave up in the middle of our dance but I did not. I'm still unsure what the crowd thought. I thought that I was finished. The pain in my body from the fall was blocking my connection to the music. My body was in pain but as if on it's own accord, it didn't quit moving. At first, the movements were robotic and I had to improvise without a partner. I almost felt numb as my muscles did what they were taught. When my new partner appeared and touched my hand, I knew that I would never be the same. The fall that could have ended everything, instead started me on a journey that will never be forgotten.