2013年11月12日火曜日 - 
Mark - A Passion for Dance
Dance started as my hobby and slowly became
one of my greatest passions in life. I started dance about ten years ago. I was
a high school student at the time and my dance education was limited to
watching other people do the steps and then copying them. Being a New York City native, Hip Hop
culture, music, and dance influenced my upbringing, but I didn't have the love
of music and dance that I do now. Back then, dance and music were just things I
did to pass time. Like most teenagers, I was busy with academic studies and had
little time for anything else. Things began to change when I first came to
Japan.
Sometime during my first stay in Japan, I
took my first dance lesson. I met a dance teacher that changed my perspective
on dance forever. His movement was so beautiful and I remember crying during
the first master class I observed. He used his body to tell a story and share the meaning that the artist of the song was trying to convey.
The meaning that this teacher put in each of his dance lessons was what
moved me most. The purpose of his dance was to help people. He wanted to show
the world that everyone is worth something and that anything is possible.
Studying under that teacher increased my skills and understanding of music and
dance ten times over. I also gained the patience, understanding and diligence
needed to further other aspects of my life; like my academic studies and how I
interact with people.
copying: まねをする
influenced: 影響を受けた
to pass time: 時間つぶしのために
perspective: 視点
to convey: 伝えようとする
patience: 我慢強さ
diligence: 勤勉な
interact: 交流する
further my ～: ～を進める
associate: つきあう
creative: クリエイティブな
passionate: 情熱的な