Macklemore’s music fills every bit of my veins with energy. His words, his passion, his conviction. He is so true to who he is and shares his message with the world through impactful lyrics. I admire his ability to create music that resonates so deeply.
Take “Same Love” for example…
a song about being free to love who we want to love & not being confined to stereotypes that cripple our ability to keep an open mind about how life “should” be lived. His song “Good Ole Days” shares the message that we need to live for today; stay in the moment and enjoy the journey instead of rushing to get to the next moment. “Glorious” is filling my soul with all the words I need right now:
“I feel glorious, glorious
Got a chance to start again
I was born for this, born for this
It’s who I am, how could I forget?”
As I began the new year with renewed energy and optimism, I knew that I wanted to use this song to inspire others through music, dance & movement. It’s easy to lose inspiration when things seem to be falling apart, but teaching dance continues to remind me that the arts have the power to heal and transform hearts and minds.
I teach an adult hip hop class at my dance studio, Ohana School of Performing Arts and this year we have turned it into a performance team. This group fills my bucket each and every week. These adults are all juggling their own lives… as teachers, entrepreneurs, parents, healthcare workers, first responders; all coming from the chaos of their own lives once a week to dance together. One student even logs in to class virtually from Florida. They practice the choreography while at work, in a parking lot, in their kitchen making dinner for their family or in their head while driving.
We all come together to connect, learn and to allow dance to heal our souls.
Unfortunately, there haven’t been many opportunities to perform due to state restrictions surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. In an effort to continue to carry out our mission of spreading peace & positivity through performance, we put together a video to showcase their passion and to inspire others.
No matter what sets your soul on fire … be it dancing, painting with watercolors, shooting hoops, playing an instrument … never lose sight of it. It’s never too late to try something new and you are never too old to do what brings you joy.
This song has so many important reminders for us to hear:
…things are just things, they don’t make you who you are.
…when I leave here on this earth, did I take more than I gave?
…I got my breath, I got my faith and I remember why I came.
…every day is a chance to start again, and no matter how dark the journey gets, the sun will come out and shine for us all.
Our wish for you is that you see the sunlight, even in the hardest times. And always remember, this life is glorious.
Seeing Tanis made me smile!!! 😍
Between your beautiful written words, that meaningful song and then seeing all those beautiful women express themselves through dance, this brought me to full-on tears. It was so refreshing to see “non-cookie-cutter” women enjoying dance.
Keep up the good work!