The world seems to be very similar within the circles you are in, we like to dance salsa, we like to talk about cinema and we love the same clothes. It is beautiful how humans tend to immerse themselves in the culture of the collective. 15 years ago, I remembered how hip-hop dancers would leave their own mark on the social floor popping and breaking within the salsa basics. It was a different unique type of salsa dancing, a style that answered their history to what they are. Somehow today I get to see more and more people on the dance floors but they all look more and more like each other. I do not think there is anything wrong with learning and taking knowledge from people that we look up to, from people that we want to dance like. Yet, in reality, most of the people that we love and like are pretty much themselves.
I like the idea of asking ourselves how it feels when we dance like this or like that. Feels not look like, I am aware that the answer could easily be the same in regards to the feel or look. But very likely we would not know because we do not care about how we feel. It reminds me somehow of all the lip-filling and face-lifting going around, why would anyone want to look exactly the same as someone else, I understand evolving, improving and learning. Why choose changing instead of enhancing? I am not trying to judge cosmetic changes, I am wondering why you would leave your identity behind. I love the richness of the unique beauty that different people bring to the table. I remember when I first came to Australia, specifically to Melbourne, I started teaching dancing as soon as I arrived. This dance business has studios in three different areas with so many different cultures, a very good sample of what you could find in Multicultural Melbourne. I found it gorgeous that Indians and Sri Lankans have dark skin and straight hair, gorgeous, we would have so many tall blonde people with a rainbow of eye colours, some change depending on what they wear. Also, there were so many types of Asians, they are all different. They sound, behave and connect with you in so many different ways to each other. For me, they were only chinos. Including Alfredito, a Japanese-Peruvian-Venezuelan friend. His dad is Japanese-Peruvian, they used to live in the same apartment building where we grew up, and we call him Chino. You only need squinty eyes to be chino in Venezuela. Arriving in Australia opened my mind to how big my world is.
In such an amazing world, the idea that there is only one type of beauty or only one path to create our environment is unreal. This applies in many areas of my life. We all learn from the beginning by imitating first our parents, and our siblings, and later our teachers and friends, always tuned by the media that we consume and please do not forget a lot of the genetics that were already given to us. We are meant to be unique humans, especially if we are lucky enough to travel and study. I mentioned this in my post the way I sounded in English. It is clear that I am South American, or have some sort of Latin background, But I trained so hard to learn to speak properly, I like to believe that I kind of did it. Yet, a few years later I found myself limiting my being, my way of expressing what I am. I only found that out because every time I was going through something exciting or emotional in any way I would express more and more Latin American, and it felt right, it feels right and I love now how I sound. I am glad that I opened myself to explore a more “proper” way to speak Australian English, but I am delighted that I could find a place where I sound like myself. You can always do whatever you want, but why not find how you like to do whatever you want?
Learning to love the difference within and in others’ unique qualities. Observe, listen, just feel, the world around you and inside of you, have a look at the circumstances you are in and then try again. The world is immense and life is short. Learn to love and learn to be loved, let’s learn to appreciate the beauty of any dance style. Ask the people around you what they like, because there is a great chance that you like similar things, especially your parents and friends. Let’s try new things, let’s keep exploring what are the things that we will love to do, read different types of books sometimes, and try different activities. You are in Melbourne Pedro, go and try a different cuisine. Volunteer, not only teach or work for those who can afford you, but help others, find ways of servicing. I am aware that all of these tips bring a few logistical realities. But I think that in order to find your rhythm, you need to try your best, to listen to the world and dance to different beats, to then find the one that shakes your heart and your booty, like there is no tomorrow or yesterday, just now.
Gracias for reading,
Pedro