No 15. Changing Lives through Dancing
By David Earl Woodbury
Friday, April 10, 2015
The Legend of the Noble Bamboo
The Thais have a wonderful legend about the bamboo plant. In the beginning, the Bamboo was the most beautiful plant of all. But in the corners of the garden, there were dry beds. A spring in the center of the gardens could not reach to the dry earth.
The Master of the garden called the great Bamboo to be used for a special purpose. The Master cut down the Bamboo and hacked off its branches and stripped it of its leaves, cleaved him into and then cut out his heart. The Master laid one end of the Bamboo at the spring and then laid out the Bamboo’s torn open body end to end, as a channel for water reaching to the dry ground, flowing to the edges of the garden. The now watered ground yielded a great harvest.
The once glorious Bamboo became even more glorious in his brokenness and humility. It is clear to me that I can have everything I want in my life if I am willing to help get others what they want in life. Also, for me to be the leader I want to become, I must become a servant to all, learning how to give to others.
We have high hopes and dreams. We are the greatest and most beautiful plant in the garden of life, and then we are called into service. We are cut down, stripped, cleaved into and our hearts are cut out. If you don’t believe this, you haven’t lived long enough. Life will test us and call us into service at some point.
Do you want to be a dance champion? Be ready for all the practice, and the practice, and the practice. The many, many lessons. The physical grooming and changes in diet and exercise, meditation and time management. The commitment that must be made to another person, to your dancing, to your coach. Being able to get through four rounds to get to a final and still be at your best, trying to win the competition.
For an amateur dancer, you find your dream Arthur Murray Dance Center, your best Arthur Murray Pro Partner. You master the closed patterns and technique in your level and then you perfect your open category and scholarship dancing. For the Arthur Murray Professional, you master your dancing skills, certify through the highest levels, compete professionally, achieve the highest levels in the Arthur Murray world, and you mentor other dancers. It is not a job, or a career, it is a lifestyle!
The great coaches in the world are sometimes great with years. You see someone in their 70’s walk in and they are your coach. You begin dancing with them, and suddenly your coach is once again young and they can out dance you. They have amazing style, technique, poise, and grace. You feel your dancing go up to a new level and at the end, you have found a new dancing mentor.
Remember the great Bamboo and what he experienced first being the most glorious plant in the garden, to becoming the most humble and useful plant in the garden. Be ready to let the water of life flow through you to nurture others and to help them yield a great harvest.
Keep on Dancing!
David Woodbury