The first woman, an African-American in space, Dr. Mae Jemison often talks about how much dancing helped her in her career. We wrote about it on our blog here (Space and Dance).
This text gave us the idea to do interviews with dancers from all across the world. We would like them to tell us how the dance helped them in their work and life.
The first interviewed here is a dear friend Ildikó Nádas, from Budapest, Hungary.
PLEASE INTRODUCE YOURSELF BRIEFLY FOR OUR READERS (WHERE DO YOU COME FROM, WHAT DO YOU DO FOR LIVING, WHAT ARE YOU HOBBIES AND ANYTHING ELSE YOU WOULD LIKE TO TELL US)
I’m a Hungarian economist working as project manager & service designer for multinational companies in the IT/Telco sector. Typical job: you are one little droid in the system, never see the results of your work.
My hobbies cover all missing colour from my work: travel & foreign politics, trekking, gardening, cooking, artworks, running, dancing, swimming and learn electricity.
SINCE WHEN YOU DANCE AND WHY? WHO WAS YOUR INSPIRATION IN DANCING?
Since I was very young I loved gimnastics, but never had the chance to take classes. In the communist era possibilities for sport in Hungary were very limited. Later in my 30’s I’ve found an adult jazz-dance class and than I’ve ended up in an adult classical ballet class (amateur level obviously).
I’ve spent approx. 6 yrs there – 2 evenings per week – and it was such a relief to work with my body again after sitting in the office for 8-10 hours. Our Master and the owner of the school is a great teacher, she loves to teach and ballet is her passion, which has made us addicted too.
What I love about ballet is that it has structure and discipline – these are necessary for the quality performance. However at the same time it teaches you to – I know it is a cliché – express yourself in a different way. Since we are not professionals, it was quite funny to see how many „variants can we invent“ for one simple move, like a plié…. but when we’ve managed to do the exercise in harmony – it was kind of euphoria. Together we create something nice that the audience may enjoy.
WHAT HAVE YOU TAKEN AND USED IN LIFE FROM DANCING, HOW IT WAS USEFUL FOR YOU?
First of all balance. If you don’t find your perfect vertical centerline or axis, the movements will go astray. In ballet you find your balance by constantly reaching towards the sky – I know it sounds „spiri-ezo-stuff“, but that is the only way it works.
The other important „rule“ is that you start every motion from your inner core. Somehow this will make the motion whole, forceful and harmonious. As I grew older, I’ve realised that those decisions proved to be beneficial for me, that I’ve made based on my inner feelings. You somehow feel in your centre which way you have to go, but sometimes that is not logical, nor it meets the approval of others around you. Those are the blessed decisions – and those endeavours are the ones you’ve initiated from „your core“.
WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT DANICING AND WHY YOU RECOMMEND PEOPLE TO DANCE?
See the above. Otherwise just do what you like – as long as it doesn’t hurt/annoys anyone else, it’s fine.
