“The process and practice of studying any aspect of dance seriously, including pedagogy and administration, involves extreme concentration and incredible problem solving skills to push away distraction. Dance really teached me to concentrate, calm down and focus. 

“Auto-pilot is a failure of mindfulness. In dance, there is a lot of nuance and latitude where you are making decisions and choices real-time about tone, mood, intensity, and emphasis. You are creating in the moment.

“At a time when you feel like you’re disconnected from yourself, when you’re not in the flow of life, when you are surrounded by deadlines and distractions, immerse yourself in dance. 

“When you dance – when you move – you are reconnecting with yourself. 

“You are focusing your energy and your whole spirit on something artistic, expressive, emotional and physical. Dance is a statement of yourself. You lose yourself in it, but you find yourself, too.”

-- Gina Gibney, 2024

LEAD-IN IMAGE

Gibney & Photographer Amy J. Gardner