Connecting through Dance- Tyler Lipina

Of all things I could be good at, there was no way that dancing was going to be one of them. At least, that is what I thought before attending our Brazilian dance class.

We were taught how to do Zouk for most of the class, along with other dance styles like Samba. I was intimidated by both the complexity of the dance and its perceived intimacy. However, our kind instructor and her husband showed us how to do each component of the dance. We started with the foot movement, and then the hip movement, and before we knew it, we danced. Honestly, we all were not that bad for novice dancers!

Dancing with everyone filled my heart with a contagious joy. I would make an unexpected move which would either be a twirl or a twist, and we laughed about whether we did it right or not. I never felt so alive. My joy passed to others, and like a symbiotic relationship, they gave back by accepting me both as the energetic and clumsy person I can be.

I always knew that I could probably figure out dancing, but I did not know how much it could teach me about the aspect of fellowship. I feel so connected with everyone in the group unlike I felt before thanks to opportunities like this. I am beginning to learn that as we travel past the halfway point in our journey, we only have so much more time before we go back home to our ordinary lives that come with its ordinary problems. We must cherish the fun times and the challenging times in this different culture, for we are able to gain insight from both and have fun stories to tell from both. I cannot wait to see what else lies ahead of us!