#communiy

some people are like ‘oh my blog is safe and accepting of lesbians’ or ‘oh my blog supports trans people’ and they can get hate for that

and then some are like ‘oh this is a safe spot for straights’ and they get backlash sometimes

but my point here is-i accept all of you. i don’t care if you’re straight. asexual. nonbinary. gay. i will welcome you into the communities i am a part of with complete joy.

i don’t really care who you are. 

your race. gender. economic status. sexuality. i will welcome you with open arms. 

and if you’re a ‘normal’ person who’s straight and middle class, i’ll welcome you too.

(that is, i will welcome you unless you’re a dick in which case please leave )

i belive everyone should be accepted and loved by the communities we are a part of. to be honest, tumblr could be a lifeline for us, where we can help each other as much as we can, laugh at each other’s posts, and share so many wonderful creative ideas.

i hope you try and help make the communities you are a in a better place.

so. 

I was at a church service a while ago and it came time for the community to recite the Apostles’ Creed.  The individual leading worship was supposed to say, “we now confess our faith, using the words of the Apostles’ Creed” but he misspoke and said, “We now confess our sins, using the words of the Apostles’ Creed”.    

We usual recite the Apostles’ Creed in church as a means of stating who we are and what we are all about as Christians.  The creeds of the Church are meant to succinctly articulate what God is like and what we as Christians stand for.  

And yet, does the way we live our life actually reflect these beliefs that we confess every Sunday?

It all makes me think… maybe we really are confessing our sins when we recite the Creed together

Think about it…

The Apostles’ Creed begins with this statement: “I believe in One God, the Father, the Almighty…” and yet don’t we all serve other gods from time to time?  Don’t we all have a tendency to worship the gods of wealth, status, control, and self?  

From there the creed articulates a belief in Jesus’ death, resurrection, and victory over death.  But do we actually live like people who believe this?  Aren’t we all terrified of losing a loved one or the thought of our own death?

Then, the creed concludes with statements about the Holy Spirit, and the “holy catholic church” (note: the term “catholic” here means “united” or “unified”) and yet don’t we all seem to constantly be pointing our fingers at “other Christians” whose practice of faith we view as less viable then ours?

There are a lot of other statements in the Apostles’ Creed that seem to be in conflict with our practice of faith.  In a lot of ways, when we confess the Apostles’ Creed, I think we really are confession our sins.

But here is the thing, the Creed represents an ideal, an ideal set of believes that we will never be able to perfectly live out on our own.  

That’s why, when we confess the Creed during our Sunday worship service, we say the words together.   We need the support of one another if we are ever going to live out these beliefs.  

And not only that, but notice also that when we confess the Apostles’ Creed in church it’s said like a prayer.  When we get to the end of the Creed we all say together “Amen” because we are asking God for help in living out these ideal beliefs.  

I know some people don’t really like having the Creed as a part of the worship service, but for me, its one of my favorite parts because it reminds me of the ways that I could do better but more importantly, it reminds me that as a community and with God’s help, we will do better.

Dance is art. And a beautiful expression of movement and meaning. But it doesn’t stop there. (And no, I’m not in this photo).

The last time I updated this blog was January 23rd. Eleven months have passed and I believe a lot of things have happened within that time that enabled me to grow as a better person. There are many experiences in Sydney that shaped me to become a stronger, more resilient woman and dance is one of the highlights. I want to dedicate this post to my Sydney dance community. The people I met within this community are not only supportive, but also knowledgeable and inspiring in my growth as a dancer, and a better person. 

I am 24, Chinese-Indonesian, female, a provisional psychologist, and I am part of Sydney’s street dance community. I am not ashamed to state this to the public simply because I know that dance empowers me to become a better person. Some of us may associate street dance with a downtown culture, and sadly this image may not be classified as “clean” or “appropriate”. Although the roots of street dance may come from the streets, this does not mean that its members are unlawful, uncivilized, crude or inappropriate contrary to other stereotypes I’ve heard and encountered along the way. It is funny how I overheard so many whispers by the lines of:

“These dancers don’t know when to stop...”

“They are a distraction in our university.”

And other things, not limited to the use of drugs, overconsumption of alcohol, inappropriate clothing, etc. I would like to speak for the majority of the people I met in my Sydney dance community. 

No, we won’t comply with these negative stereotypes. And no, no one has the right to identify our community through these labels, with the exception of being formerly part of it themselves.

It is disappointing to see how label-ridden our beautiful community is. To all the dancers who dedicated their days and nights practicing at the ICC, we have the right to practice safely and with the support and protection of the City of Sydney. To all my university friends who sacrifice their time away from studying, we have the right to explore our creativity within our pre-designated spaces. 

Readers, we are far from these negative stereotypes. A lot of the dancers I know are very rule-conscious, law-abiding, healthy (and some are vegan activists), and hard-working. We are not disrespectful, intolerant, dismissing or prejudiced. How can you trust me? Because I used to be one of you who believed about these stereotypes. I used to think that street dancers are prejudiced and law-breaking (not all). The moment I stepped foot at Macquarie University’s O-Week at the beginning of this year, I was taken aback at the loud noise coming from Macquarie Dance Academy’s orientation stall. But friends, I joined. I chose to test these assumptions and see the truth for myself, and thank goodness I made that decision. Eleven months down the track, I have grown to become more resilient, and more daring in pushing the limits of my compassion and love for others. 

How does dancing “expand” my compassion for others?

When you are in a community of dancers, you inevitably see a lot of dancing. By seeing a lot of dance, it is more likely that you will be inspired by others in some ways or another. The more inspired you feel, the more likely you are to devote your time to practice and improve your dance, and the faster you grow as a dancer. However, every single one of us was not born a professional dancer. We all took the long steps to get to where we are today. We vividly remember how we first started out - those awkward, uncoordinated few steps, that lack of flexibility, or our poor sense of balance. We knew how it feels to be "the newbie” in a class of capable dancers learning a complex choreography. We know that feeling of embarrassment and fear when dancing before an audience, especially before those that we admire or feel inspired from.

After taking a good amount of classes, I started to realize how each of us could learn something by observing another dancer, no matter how advanced or beginner they may be. No matter their skill or ability, each one of us moves differently. I believe a good dancer is someone who is always curious to extend their boundaries, to explore their movement and ways to diversify their dance vocabulary. Attending class is one thing but we would learn so much more if only we pay critical attention to our classmates and the way they move. 

Dancing enabled me to see one’s strengths more clearly than their challenges. Whenever I look at a classmate or teacher dance, I pay attention to the position of their torso, their legs, arms but not just that. Their pace, power, texture - all the various elements that make a certain choreography very well-executed. There would always be something that differs from the way I move my body and I seek to understand how that is possible - and how having an element of their way of movement would complement or the choreography. The dancefloor is also a scary place for many new beginners, and I can attest to that myself. It softens my heart to see new dancers expressing their worries through facial expressions. More often than not, people don’t pay attention to these things, but I want to be there for them. I know how it feels to ‘stuff-up’ a choreography and I don’t want them to feel ashamed of it. 

The support I receive within my dance community is only possible because people readily open-up their experiences with me. When I encounter them and ask about their dancing, they reveal about their struggles. I guess that’s the beautiful aspect of human nature. Trust. Allowing yourself to be vulnerable for others to understand and support you. 

This culture of exhortation is not inbuilt in our increasingly self-centered, egotistical society. We are cultured and taught from school to be competitive. That to be content and feel powerful, we need to assume the power of others and possess greater ownership than our surroundings. However, the dance community I know seeks to differ. I am so thankful for every single person who celebrated wins together with me. But I am more thankful for those who reveal their struggles to me, allowing me to exhort them, to console and empower them. It is not natural to see someone’s embarrassment and transform them to a strength they can utilize in other aspects of their life. I guess dance has enabled me to expand my compassion in this way. To affix a strength-focused mindset as a personal attitude and philosophy, readily transferable to other aspects of life beyond dance. 

Dance also enabled me to become more resilient and confident. 

Self-esteem is muddy water in psychology. We can be confident in a particular environment, but be truly thrown-off the boat in a foreign environment. Dance allows me to further explore my identity as a young woman in a culturally-diverse society. My values may differ from my fellow dancers, but it does not mean that I am any less or any more. My self-esteem arises from a feeling of personal accomplishment, capability, and efficacy. It is certainly challenging to develop a good sense of self-efficacy in dance when you can’t memorize choreography particularly well either. But after observing fellow dancers, I soon realized that the emphasis is not on what I can achieve or how good I am, in relation to other dancers. It’s all on self-improvement. This focus really puts a relief on other stressors in my life, e.g. the tendency to be anxious approaching exams. I began to question my intentions in the decisions I made. What am I seeking to gain out of this experience or this activity? Knowing that I just need to be better than my yesterday puts me into a focused state of mind where I am compelled to improve and excel, to make myself proud. Not for the purpose of social comparison. This was how I regained my self-esteem despite major stuff-ups during dance events. I may not be the best, but I certainly gave my best at that particular point in time. This is a crucial mindset especially us, young adults, need to have. In a society that is becoming restrictive and competitive, we need to remind ourselves that our self-esteem arises from a sense of personal accomplishment in being better than ‘yesterday’. 

I encourage all of us to try something completely left-wing, once in a while. Whether that is dancing for some of you, scuba-diving or bungee-jumping, it is good to get that dose of adrenaline in your system from time to time and bond with a group of like-minded individuals.

So far, my experience learning how to dance has been one of growth and self-discovery and nothing less. I enjoyed the ups and downs, the thrills, even the dullest moments. They are all beautiful, insightful, and being part of this Sydney dance community really opened up my horizons in finding people with similar mindsets and purpose like me. It really made me glad to know them, to be able to talk to them, to help them grow as a person, or just to know them deeper. I felt so blessed to be in a trusted position to provide direction, exhort, and empower those who may feel shattered, lost, or afraid. And no - it’s not because I’m aspiring to be a psychologist. Anyone is as capable in doing these things, as long as we carefully heed to what others say and pay attention to how they say it. 

So yes, once again to my Sydney dance family, I love you from the bottom of my heart. You are a sincere group of individuals and please, never stop growing - wherever you are, whether you are in Sydney or not. Stay authentic and never submit to stereotypes that do not deserve your attention. 

To my MDA friends,