Spa Experience For My Dance Soul

Project Motivate 2005

This is an excerpt from a recent posting @ danceart.com, forwarded to us from Rebecca Walsh (author) from Australia who attended Project Motivate in Orlando. All of us at the Rhee Gold Company and Project Motivate thank her for her kind words and support. This is one of the nicest compliments we've ever received.

Wow .... Wow .... Wow ....

What an amazing incredible few days I have had at Project Motivate. What I have learned, what I have had reinforced, what has been given to me, shown to me and shared with me has been so nurturing for my 'dance soul'. I'm on a high, I'm buoyant, I'm psyched and I'm inspired.

Months ago, Felicia was posting about cleaning out her closets :) and I decided that I was going to 'clean out' the studio cupboards and buy a plane ticket to Orlando. So I did. For months. Costumes we'd never used, props I didn't want, sets I no longer needed. And I can honestly tell you I had to clean a lot of cupboards to get that plane ticket :). Fortunately, the ‘little dancer’ in my head said I was worth a trip to Orlando for a conference, even though I'm sure some thought I was crazy to travel half way around the world.

For those who want the update, I really can't say exactly what it is that was so fabulous.

It just IS.

It's FAR GREATER than the sum of the individual parts.

It's the EXPERIENCE.

It's the way the sense of community gets into your psyche; it's the way that Rhee guides us with questions, with problems, with answers, into valuing what we do.

I struggle to write a breakdown that will do PM justice.

There is a tangible SPIRIT of love of dance that fills the room; there is a sense of CAMARADERIE that comes from knowing there are others who are 'loving what they do and doing it because they love it', there is reiteration of WORTHINESS that comes from hearing that we DESERVE to make a living from what we love, that we have a RIGHT to take a place, our place, and earn a living.

There was reiteration for me that passion and poverty are not linked, that valuing my time does not devalue my passion. I believe in Rhee’s philosophy that passion needs to be the first and foremost driving force, that if you’re passionate the rest will fall into place. PM definitely renews our passion and sense of purpose in what we choose to do.

We had discussions, quotes, business information, and topic speakers. We watched some of Rennie's work, wow! - pure visual beauty that reached out and 'owned' your focus from beginning pose to final position. It was like 'rich chocolate' for the soul :). We also observed and/or interacted in a preschool training program and observed and/or interacted in a small modern skills workshop.

During the three and half days there were a couple of times when I chose not to participate in an activity that didn't interest me. Upon reflection, I realize that similar to the way that we as studio owners can't be all things to all people, PM cannot fill every attendee’s every minute with personalized information. It's a bit like a group dance class situation, occasionally you go over a step that a couple of students don't need to work on. Just as a student who may not need the technical practice can use the time to work on their emotion, or expression or technique, in the same way, Rhee had re-ignited so much passion and excitement in us that the couple of times when there was a section some of us weren't interested in, we used the time to ask others questions, to listen, to laugh, to bond and to share.

It was humbling, it was uplifting, it was cathartic, it was replenishing. It was thirst quenching, it was eye opening, it was binding.

It was everything I knew I needed and most importantly, everything that I didn't know I so DESPERATELY needed.

I feel like a car with a full tank of gas (with the special stuff you pour in to make it run even better!), I feel empowered, I feel energized and I feel fantastic.

It actually didn't hit me until after everyone had left just how MUCH it had lifted my spirits. When you're there you know that it's good, it's very, very good, but when it's over you realize the ENORMITY of the self growth, self respect and self acceptance that has occurred. I caught myself walking past a mirror and I was literally bouncing, I'm SO ready to share this renewal with the students.

Project Motivate was truly like a 'spa experience for my dance soul'.

It was worth every cupboard I had to sort, every item I had to list and sell, every costume I had to press and pack. It was worth all the dust in the attic that I disturbed; the cobwebs I had to brush away and the boxes I had to haul to the dump. It truly was the BEST THING to date I have done for my 'inner dancer'.

To anyone who doesn't think they can afford it, find the little voice inside that says ‘you’re WORTH it’, keep that little voice in a precious place, listen to it often and go and open your cupboards! :)

--Rebecca Walsh, Turramurra, Australia

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