#usopendancers

Today was a good day. A blessed day to be clear. Okay, I’m being modest --today was one of the best days of my life. I watched God turn a hope into a reality, and he did it front of 36,000 people. Today God blessed me with an opportunity to perform at the 2014 US Open, flawlessly! I’m just saying :)

  Standing backstage in the stadium before show time felt electrical. Myself, alongside 19 other dancers bounced around giddily in a long hallway and watched as Mayor D’Blasio, some statuesque athletes and few other highlighted guests walked by as we impatiently waited for the announcer to give us our cue. The game plan was to perform with Fitz And The Tantrums as part of the event’s opening ceremonial act. We spent the past week or so working under the creative direction of Alonzo Williams who pieced together and explosive performance. Visually it was astounding to watch, but performing was another type of wonderful. It was LIFE as I have never known –sorry horrible grammar but no other wording will suffice.

  Here’s the blessing of it all though. Two months ago I was at a Beyoncé concert (well actually it was the On The Run Tour, but eh tomato tomato) and sat there ogling in adoration wondering what those dancers must have felt like beasting in front of such an infinite body of people. Today I learned what that feeling was.

  It was LOVE. In every sense of the word.

  Happiness. Acceptance. Peace. Endless laughter. Physical pleasure. Aesthetically pleasing. Great energy. Plus the weather was nice. This is what it feels like to bask in the essence of Love. Plus, our outfits looked kayuute! Ha! I learned why they say God is Love. Because God is everything good. And Evil is everything not. And it’s just that simple, especially when you know right from wrong. Which I do… Today was right.

  Fitz hit that note --our cue, and the wait was over. We ran out onto the stadium and hit the performance floor. The run felt like an obstacle course, we literally were bobbing through the bricks and stones that build a televised a performance: there were camera men and women on the floor, cameras floating above us, winding chords that lead to teleprompters, bursting flames of pyro, and the people. So many damn people that I just wanted to stop stare in awe. But I had to force myself to stay on path because we a good run before reaching our spots to break into the choreo.

  While marveling over power productions in the past, I used to always wonder how dancers could keep the energy up for so long and never mess up. Now I realize it’s the adrenaline rush. The New Orleans Marching band that’s pumping in your veins and making your emotions throws a party so your body to has to dance. Literally, it has to move. Because the feeling is too good to be contained. So, no I didn’t get tired nor did I mess up. I went OFF. Pardon, I went FUCKIN OFF and so did everybody else. We were flawless and it was great. There was a point where I even started singing the song mad loud while performing, like I’m Beyoncé and this was my concert lol! Ohhhh! This is what it must feel like to be Beyoncé! Lol! Yes all these jokes about Beyoncé being God is temptingly delicious humor I love to entertain, but sacrilegious lol. No, she’s not God but damn she can feel him. And the fact that she can stand on stage night after night giving her all relentlessly, I can only conclude and hope are her endless attempts toward expressing the glory of God. And he feels good, he looks good, that’s where all this Creativity is coming from. That’s certainly been my testimony. Dancing well in front of an assembly for God is motivating.

While we were dancing, and I was wailing lol, and the rest of us were going OFF I looked up into the sky. Past the arching stadium filled with people, and beyond the shooting flames of pyro. I looked up and saw a glumbotron focused on us while we were doing the Nae Nae!!! Ayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye!!!!! Glory be to God in the HIGHEST! My heart exploded in that moment! I kid you not lol. It’s like watching a clip of you in your finest hour while it’s actually happening live, and it’s on a huge screen in the sky with fireworks and planes and pyro bursting behind it. Messing up wouldn’t even be a thought in your mind. You’d be so in tuned and touched by the art of it all, the grand expression of Love consuming your whole body, a sentiment so sacred it needs to be expressed in movement, a feeling so enthralling you’d want to do is seep into it. You couldn’t mess up. You wouldn’t dare. A matter of fact you’d dance harder and more precise than you ever did before. Deeper and harder, pushing your body beyond its comfort zone. Pushing toward greatness. Anything to contribute to the art of the moment. Now I know what it feels like to be a stroke of paint in a masterpiece. Such a very pretty picture, and you’re blessed enough to be part of it.

 Although I’ve been in many performances throughout my life this one felt unique. I feel like this helped me really overcome a battle I’ve been having with insecurity. And truly learning how pleasurable being in the moment and in tune with your self feels. And not being antagonized by how you think the world sees you. The outside world is chaotic. Internalizing that chaos is too damn much. Chill and let your soul express it self. The people there are here to enjoy it, not to judge you. If they are judging you, that’s none of your business. Nothing more nothing less. Just Live. Just Be. And that I did. I let my natural fineness come out. My coolness. My in the pocketness of the moment. The presence. The life outside of being outside of yourself. Good stuff I tellya. Gotta thank Alonzo Williams of Rhythm City, Domo and Team #Domozworld for the divine experience.

 And to my main supporter, thank you God for blessing me with one of the best days of my life. Guys, remember to pray. The lesson of today is to pray. And give God the glory when he grants it to you, and when you’re granted that moment, live in it, because it’s the meaning of life. I felt God tonight. I felt what a life being committed to him would feel like. I got to hug the feeling the soul is searching for in this twistingly distracting world of false idols. I found my groove and got in its pocket. The frequency of God that some people are blessed to feel. It’s therapeutic. It’s my moment of heaven. Bye, all. Follow your passion. It took me to God.

As Always, Guerdley

*When you find what you love in life, go dance with it.