Nimble; agile; capable of moving in a quick and graceful way
When we are light on our feet, we can change direction quickly, and move with more ease. We’re more adaptable. And we shift with less unnecessary effort, so we move more efficiently.
Watching the deer on the marsh reminds me of the power of being light on our feet. Those large, sometimes massive, creatures cavort as if they were tiny animals. They play expansive games of tag, nimbly sprinting and suddenly reversing direction seamlessly. Or leaping across a rivulet, seemingly effortlessly. It’s such pure movement, everything in the animal serving one purpose.
We can take a page from their book and jettison whatever isn’t serving us on our path. Whether it’s self-doubt, fear, over-thinking, or distraction that trips us up, when we toss those hindrances overboard and focus on our choices, we can be like the deer. We’re at one with our movement, our choices.
This purity makes our “steps” more graceful and de-clutters the vista, clarifying and expanding the possibilities. Whether in our daily lives, or for us dancers, in our dancing.
As I consider what else might need to be tossed, I am reminded of the surprising component of overdoing. Righto. When we exert too much effort, whether in life or in dancing, we have to compensate on the other side. Which slows us down or tires us out too early in the game or makes our shifts clunky.
Then there’s the matter of practice. Like everything we wish to do well, being light on our feet takes practice. The deer are out there “practicing” every day. Even for the deer, some moves are more graceful than others. They just keep at it. As we can.
Sculpture: Gilbert Boro
Sirena Tales 