Groove # 2: The State of Longing

Mood: Reminiscing
Tonight's Song Selection: Claude Debussy - Clair de Lune 

"longing"

noun

long·​ing | \ ˈlȯŋ-iŋ   
Definition of longing
a strong desire especially for something unattainable: craving

"reminiscence"nounrem·​i·​nis·​cence | \ ˌre-mə-ˈni-sᵊn(t)sDefinition of reminiscence     1: the apprehension of a Platonic idea as if it had been known in a previous existence2a: recall to the mind of a long-forgotten experience or fact2b: the process or practice of thinking or telling about past experiences3a: a remembered experience3b: an account of a memorable experience —often used in plural4: something so like another as to be regarded as an unconscious repetition, imitation, or survival

Both definitions are taken from the Merriam-Webster Dictionary. The words portray the exact feeling I have when I listen to music and when I dance, and what it all means to me. 

My introduction to music and my love for it stems from my mother's love for it (in reference to her, let's call her Luna for privacy sake). Luna loves what I would call the 'oldies'- songs from the 1950s to 1980s and also old school R&B and soul music from the 1990s and the early 2000s. Luna's love for music also translates to a love for dance. Though she has never officially attended a class, she wanted her daughters to. So, at the early of around two years old, I began ballet classes. 

Lets us note, nowadays there are various versions of ballet.

The style I studied from ages two to about fourteen years old is called the Cecchetti method. Don't worry, I know the jargon may be a tad bit difficult to understand, so I will explain.

According to Wikipedia: 

"The Cecchetti method is variously defined as a style of classical ballet and as a ballet training method devised by the Italian ballet master Enrico Cecchetti (1850- 1928). The training method seeks to develop essential skills in dancers as well as strength and elasticity. Cecchetti-trained dancers are commonly found in ballet and other dance companies throughout the world."

During my early childhood, I also did creative dance, which is more widely classified as contemporary dance. This is a style that encases modern, jazz, ballet and hip hop dance elements. 

Later on, in my exploration, I would do competitions in modern and contemporary styles for my school - throughout my preparatory education and my secondary education. If I were to have a conversation with my younger self though, I would not have discouraged her against competitions, there was much gained from these experiences. But I would have asked her to have placed more effort into her ballet classes.

   

Years later, I don't miss the competitions, but I do miss the ballet performances. The bright lights, being lost in the notes of Debussy, Chopin, Mozart and all the Greats. The stage became a safe place and a second home. The tutus were an amour. There has never been a point in time throughout my dance career as a child or as a teenager that I could say that I had body positivity; but when the music started and I was on stage in front of people, whether it was twenty or thousands, it never mattered how I looked, everything paused, it was nirvana.

Ballet has influenced my music tastes to this day. Classical music is hands down my favourite genre. I must say though, that I love Twenty One Pilots, Michael Jackson and BTS, just to name a few, and there is something that I have learnt from each of them. But honestly, there will always be a longing to return to my roots which is classical music and it will always hold a special place in my heart even if I never pirouette again. 

I hope you're vibing and grooving, 
With all my love, 
Greylan Wolf.