Jack-of-all-trades
What is a woman? I assure you, I do not know…I do not believe that anybody can know until she has expressed herself in all the arts and professions open to human skill.
Virginia Woolf (1882-1941)
I like this quote today. This week I’ve been performing at the Springville World Folk Festival. It has been so much fun, even if I did learn the dances the morning before our first show! Dancing is something that defines me, in a way. It has almost always been a part of my life, generally a very big part of it. I’ve danced and performed for over 20 years! Tonight, though, I was reminded that even though I have so much experience in dance, I’m more of a jack-of-all-trades, rather than a specialist in one form. We have an amazing ballerina in our group and she is honestly the embodiment of my childhood dreams! I love seeing her dance. Another two girls are exceptional Irish dancers. Yet another girl is a beautiful lyrical dancer. As I watched the various dance specialists doing their thing tonight, I felt a little twinge of sadness about my own abilities. I really do know tons of different dance styles, and am good in just about all of them. But I don’t know if I’m really great in one, more than the rest.
Then I came across that quote by Virginia Woolf. I like what she implies… that we must try everything and express ourselves in as many ways possible before we can define who and what we are. I am a dancer; that is undeniable. And it is okay that I don’t really have something special that sets me apart. Being able to successfully do so many styles of dance is special in itself!
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