“You have to love dancing to stick to it. It gives you nothing back, no manuscripts
to store away, no paintings to show on walls and maybe hang in museums, no poems
to be printed and sold, nothing but that single fleeting moment when you feel alive. It is not
for unsteady souls.” - - Merce Cunningham (1919-2009)
We’re pulling together our BAM fall season and I found this quote in the festival brochure. It reminds me of my grandmother who I miss pretty much every day. She danced for American Ballet Theater and was one of the steadiest souls I’ve known.
I love to dance, but oddly perhaps, I almost love watching dance on stage more. Dancers transfer that fleeting moment to the audience. They’re the most irresistible artists.
I still recall the first time I saw Pilobolus and Bill T. Jones. They got all up in my soul and never left. I also loved the few times I drummed for dancers. That’s also exhilaration. What a good life I’ve had. Anyway, this quote reminds me to do the things I need to do to feel alive. Again and again. Most things I'm drawn to aren't for unsteady souls. Alas.