I just got back from dancing in Jaguars Temple . i’d been wanting to develop a schedule of rehearsing outside for awhile, but had been putting it off. obviously it’s a convenient thing to do in some ways–no need to get a studio, no times i have to commit to–but i’ve also been attracted to the basic idea of dancing outside for some time. i love the idea of incorporating dance into everyday life, and incorporating everyday life into whatever i create.It was hard, though. i came down there warmed up and ready to go, and there weren’t many people around, which was nice. but still, the cars would stop at the light and, i imagined, watch me, and there was a constant procession of folks walking their dogs. at first i was so self conscious that my breath wasn’t coming quite normally, and my body felt tight.But i focused on just moving, and little by little my body relaxed and i was able to be more present. and eventually, to my surprise, i was actually able to create some set choreography! i hadn’t expected that at all, but it came quite easily and i even liked what i did. i’d hoped that somehow the traffic of pedestrians and bench sitters might weave its way into my movement, but that didn’t really happen, though i did remain aware of the comings and goings of people throughout.Instead, what did find its way into my dance was the sky, and the trees, and the open space and the traffic lights and the grass. it was a beautiful day, and being outside made it so easy to “see the space” and let my chest open up to take it all in.And as i became comfortable in that place, and confident, the people became extraneous. in a way, i was performing for them in my mind, but i was most of all there with myself, in my body, in a space that had become mine.