As part of my employment (how I make money, but not necessarily who I am), I spent all day yesterday at the state Ethics Conference. There was much discussion about ethics in the public sector, how elected officials conduct themselves, and codes of conduct. It got me thinking about ethics in dance, if there is such a thing. There seems to be some unspoken code of conduct to a certain degree -- be respectful, etc. -- and that code is similar to the way we are expected to conduct ourselves in everyday life.
I like the fact that there are no "rules" posted and that we take our cues from our bodies, our gut, our intuition on the dance floor. I like that it can get murky and gray too.
I love to physically connect with other bodies during the dance. I often find myself wanting to go up to dancers and place a hand on their back or embrace them for a moment or lean on them and give them my weight. Yet, if I don't know the person well or haven't contact danced with them before, I more often than not hold back. In fact, I'm always holding back in that department. And there's the mental chatter in my head when I find myself holding back. Questions arise like "Would it be offensive to that person? Or disrepectful of their space?" So I take my cues from my center because that's the most I can ask of myself and I trust that my actions, no matter what they look like to anyone else, come from a place of deep respect for the dance and the other dancer. I like that there are not set "rules" in the dance. I like that it is an ever evolving animal. I like that it is ambiguious sometimes and sometimes crystal clear.
