On Performing

Today we were at Suntec Dance 2010's finals, performing a short segment while the judges tabulated results. While waiting for our turn, one of the contestants did a relatively contemporary piece (which we actually stopped practice to watch) to a Coldplay song which I really enjoyed.

After we did our show however, I met a friend working there and he was telling me how the contemporary dancer obviously doesn't stand a chance at winning simply because all of the judges seem to come from a more hiphop orientated background and would probably score hiphop pieces better. At that point I felt really sad for her being disadvantaged on the score cards.

Fast forward I'm taking the train home feeling sad while thinking about our conversation. I thought, the dancer herself probably knows about her disadvantage better then both of us. Then somehow, a more encouraging perspective dawned on me. You know, maybe she wasn't looking to win. Maybe she was just looking to express herself. Maybe she was just looking for people that would appreciate her work.

Maybe she just wanted to perform.