Whenever I am right in the thick of sewing costumes for upcoming performances, I use heavy brocades, ethereal tulle, sparkly sequins and jewels….so many different fabrics and materials that tell different stories and create images for those who are going to wear them. Although I always try to keep all the clues of creation confined to my sewing room, traces of what I’m working on seem to leave telltale signs all over my house. As I fold clean laundry, I see remnants of tulle that had stuck to my socks even through the washer and dryer. When I turn the lights on in a room, I see errant sparkles popping up through the carpet fibers, or I am having to pick up loose threads that had been snipped off in the refining process – all to make the creations as beautiful and expressive as possible.
Normally, I am obsessive about keeping my house neat and tidy (it helps lower my stress level!). However, these remnants make me smile, because they leave a pleasant taste in my mouth over a creation completed and progress being made. HOWEVER, and this is a big “however,” sometimes there are other things left behind that are not so pleasant. Sometimes, a pin has fallen, undetected, in the carpet until my foot detects it. Sometimes, a staple from a card of buttons has been swished accidentally onto the floor, and again, my foot detects it long before my eyes can. It makes me nervous to walk around without my shoes on, because I don’t want any unwelcome surprises.
So, my question is this: What remnants do we leave behind? When we as students, dancers, teachers, or “normal” people are creating and relating to other people, do our remnants leave a smile in someone else’s memory, and do we leave those people in a newly created, more refined state? Or do we leave pins and staples lurking underfoot that make others afraid to walk near us unprotected? Unavoidable mistakes occur, and we try to fix them as much as we can, but what is our ratio of fun remnants and memories to painful pins and staples? Are we known for the work and creations that the remnants represent, or are we known for the pins and staples that cause pain and fear?
From the times we are born, our families raise us with various values, priorities, and attitudes. Many of our opinions are formed by how we were influenced as children. Then we grow, we experience life with various people, we become autonomous, and often our opinions and priorities change and adapt to who we become. What remnants have we held on to from our upbringing? What have we decided to throw away? Does the person I have become create division, discord, and hate, or does the remnant of my life make people want to relive the experience and have more?
No one is so sweet, wonderful, and perfect that everyone agrees with everything they say. It’s true freedom to know that, although one person’s passion is different from someone else’s, we all come from the Supreme artist’s paintbrush and are crucial parts of His painting. Wonderful memories make people relive them with joy as they think about or use what remnant we leave. The memory of the painful pins and staples that harshly jab lasts forever, so we tread very hesitantly forward…or not at all.
What are your remnants?
Dance on.
Grace Notes 