I am not a great reader. When I was younger I would have to re read pages over and over before it actually sunk in. Even now I don't read as much as I should. When I do read guess what I am drawn to??? You got it dance books. Anything from manuals to historical accounts but what I love most are biographies and auto biographies. I believe it is the perfect blend of history, the integrity of dance tradition and person accounts. Some of my favorites include the popular Dancing on My Grave )Gelsey Kirkland), Holding Onto the Air (Suzanne Farrell), Black and White (Baryshnikov), Push Comes to Shove (Tyla Tharp) Once A Dancer (Allegra Kent) The Art of Making Dances (Doris Humphrey) Martha (Martha Graham) My most recent and definitely a favorite is Every Step You Take (Jock Soto)
I love this book because it touches you with dance but also beyond dance. It is about the steps you take through life and how they shape you as a person. In dance, every step has powerful meaning and commitment behind it from the dancer and portrays a story to the audience. This in my opinion is such a hard lesson to teach students. I am always saying to my kids "it is not what you do it is how you do it that will make it dance" In life, the steps you take tell your story, but do you always understand how you got there?
In the iconic movie Ferris Beuller's Day Off Ferris says “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it”. And that’s exactly what happened in Jock Soto’s case. As a principal dancer with the NYC Ballet, his life consisted of dancing and nothing else. It is his honest look at his life and some of the things he missed while in the grueling position he held with the ballet for so many years. This reflection helps him accept and embrace his past, his heritage, and his choices. As humans we all struggle with the questions of ”did I make the right choice”, “what does my life mean” and “is it worth it”? Jock’s stories tell how he faced these questions at first with fear, but after taking the time to research and think, faced them with an open heart. He says “Did I even know my own life?….Can you figure out where you are going if you have never paused to consider where you came from or where you have been?” It definitely makes one think deeply.
Jock’s story teaches us that it is ok to dream big and go after those dreams. It’s ok to sacrifice for your art. Just remember to take the time to look back and appreciate everyone and everything.
