When I heard in late 2018 that Columbia Dance was looking for a new Director, I was intrigued. I loved the job I had at Marin Ballet in the SF Bay Area, but my husband and I had always talked about relocating to the pacific northwest. So when the Board of Trustees invited me up for a 4 day interview in January 2019 I came to see if this might be a good fit for my family. I told my husband that my hope was that after those 4 days I would know with 100% certainty whether I wanted the job or not. Well, I knew in about an hour that I absolutely positively wanted to be at Columbia Dance. What I found that week was an incredible community with a long history of mentoring youth and instilling powerful life lessons from within the studio walls. They needed someone to ensure that legacy endured and I wholeheartedly wanted to be that person.
I have never regretted that decision for an instant. As I watched other organizational leaders battle complaint after complaint during the pandemic, I kept pinching myself that this was not my reality. The decisions I was making at Columbia Dance could not have been everyone's first choice, but the community respected them and adhered to them with grace. Instead of "hate mail" in my email inbox, I often found letters of support and gratitude.
The students are always a bright light in my day, inspiring me constantly. Every time world and national news brings me down, these kids bring me back up. They give me so much hope for the future. They bring an open-mindedness to their dancing and to their fellow dancers. They practice patience with themselves in every dance class they take, understanding that perfection is a myth, and that striving for continual infinitesimal growth is a healthy addiction. This patience they practice first on themselves extends to others. They are role models in empathy and in examining things from someone else's perspective before passing judgement. Each class I watch their motivation from within and their perseverance with things that don't come easily. I watch them root for one another and take care of friends who are having a rough day. I watch them stray outside of their comfort zone and challenge their bodies and brains. I watch them and I feel incredibly excited about the adults they will grow into.
Watching them during the pandemic was like seeing all of these skills on overdrive. There is so much focus right now on what kids lost during the pandemic and I know those conversations are important. But I also think we should celebrate what they gained during the pandemic. Because from my perspective, they gained a lot. The Columbia Dance students learned the power of being internally motivated like never before. There were no promises of performances or audiences to push them onward and reward them at the finish line. They had to draw on intrinsic goal setting and the sweet taste of pride when they reached those goals. They had to put their empathy and inclusivity to the stress test. With each family navigating masking and social distancing differently they had to work hard to respect and support their friends' choices. I watched these dancers learn mental health lessons that most don't learn until their mid-twenties or later. They learned to recognize when their mental health was sagging and which strategies helped them recover. This new awareness of their emotional health is absolutely phenomenal. I really could go on and on.
The pandemic could have boxed them in, but they continually pushed outside the box. I hope you can join us from your home on March 26th at 4pm PST for a livestreamed event to celebrate these incredible young people and the non-profit organization that helps foster their growth and well-being. These young dancers have so much to give and I hope you will be able to tune in to support them!
