{"id":9397,"date":"2017-06-13T23:14:29","date_gmt":"2017-06-13T23:14:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dancemogul.com\/news\/?p=9397"},"modified":"2025-12-17T18:38:28","modified_gmt":"2025-12-17T23:38:28","slug":"shate-l-edwards-paying-it-forward","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.dancemogul.com\/news\/shate-l-edwards-paying-it-forward\/","title":{"rendered":"
Shate\u2019 L. Edwards | Paying it Forward<\/center>"},"content":{"rendered":"

Looking Back and Paying It Forward:<\/span>
\n<\/em>The importance of Acknowledging Dancers Who\u2019ve Come Before<\/em>
\nyou and of Giving Back to Those to Come <\/em>By Shate\u2019 L. Edwards<\/h3>\n

\"\"<\/a>Just like other art forms, dance is ever-evolving. There will always be what was, what is, and what\u2019s to come. Take dance forms within Hip-Hop culture, for example.<\/span> Street styles within the culture began in the late 70\u2019s and early 80\u2019s with breaking from crews like Rock Steady Crew and funk styles from crews like the Lockers. While those styles still exist, dance forms within the culture have evolved to include styles like Krumping, Flexing, Jookin\u2019, and much more.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Or let\u2019s take a look at modern dance. Movement aesthetics that began with pioneers like Martha Graham or Denishawn, branched off into a range of new techniques from Horton to Limon to Dunham (just to name a few), which then evolved into post-modern aesthetics, and so on. Again, while traditional modern dance techniques are still practiced today, the movement has evolved into what\u2019s commonly referred to as contemporary, which we all know to be a fusion of styles or basically anything the choreographer or mover would like it to be. That\u2019s where we are in our culture today. We\u2019re at the point where anything goes.<\/p>\n

The great news is that \u201canything goes\u201d is the essence of art making. It\u2019s subjective and open for interpretation. After all, one of the perks of being an art maker is that your work doesn\u2019t necessarily need to make sense to anyone except you. Although it\u2019s appealing to merge styles or art forms to create something of your own, the truth of the matter is that just about everything being \u201ccreated\u201d these days can be traced back to an earlier influence.<\/p>\n

Having an aesthetic or body of work that\u2019s the result of an earlier influence isn\u2019t a bad thing either. It\u2019s not something at which we should turn up our noses. Work is actually much stronger when it\u2019s grounded in history and truth. Not only that but drawing from past influences also helps us keep the art form alive and thriving.<\/p>\n

In fact, think about the dancers or choreographers who you respect and admire most? Aside from their talent, might one of the reasons they appeal to you be because of their history in the dance field? And if they have a proven history within the community, they\u2019re probably also doing their part to give back to the next generation in some way as well\u2026right?<\/p>\n

There\u2019s a quote that reads:<\/strong><\/em> \u201cWe all stand on the shoulders of those who have come before us. And those who come after us will stand upon our shoulders.\u201d Because we\u2019re ever-evolving, we\u2019re always right in the middle of where we once were and where we\u2019ve yet to go. We\u2019re in the perfect place to look back at how far we\u2019ve come while also paying it forward to those who will follow in our footsteps.<\/p>\n

With that, here are three simple ways you can look back and pay it forward in your own dance life.<\/p>\n

Know the History<\/span>
\nBeing an expert is about more than just your talent. If you\u2019re serious about your work in any industry, you\u2019ll do more than just develop skills. You\u2019ll also invest in knowing the history of your craft or trade.<\/em><\/h3>\n

Fashion designers know styles and trends from decades ago. Interior designers know architecture and design aesthetics from over a century ago. So you see, true experts in a given industry know exactly who came before them and how they contributed to their field.<\/p>\n

Dance is no exception.<\/strong> <\/em>
\nWe must also acknowledge those who\u2019ve contributed to the advancement of our art form. And it\u2019s okay if you\u2019ve never been in a position to learn dance history in a class setting or otherwise. In that case, you can do the research on your own by asking someone you admire or by searching the internet for reliable sources. The more you know, the more you\u2019ll grow.<\/p>\n

Give Credit Where It\u2019s Due<\/strong><\/em>
\nGiving credit to those who\u2019ve influenced your work is key for one very simple yet incredibly important reason: It preserves the history and passes it on. Before we get into how you can credit your influencers, let\u2019s first address the fact that this step feeds off the previous one. You can only give credit if you\u2019re informed about what you\u2019re doing and who did it first. So, if you\u2019re looking for a quick workaround for that one, there isn\u2019t one. You\u2019ve just got to remain immersed in the community and position yourself as a life-long learner, like the rest of us.<\/p>\n

Back to giving credit where it\u2019s due. We\u2019ve discussed why now let\u2019s address how. Crediting your influencers can be as easy as citing a credit in the description of your video, in your program, or even before you teach the movement in class or rehearsal. The point is to acknowledge that what you\u2019re doing may not have begun with you and that you\u2019re standing on the shoulders of those who came before you.<\/p>\n

Teach What You Know<\/strong><\/em>
\nAs you continue to do your research and acknowledge those who\u2019ve paved the way, it\u2019s also important to begin leaving your mark on the dance community as well. You can pay it forward by teaching what you\u2019ve learned. To teach, you don\u2019t necessarily need to be the head of a formal class. Teaching is just sharing what you know. In fact, we all teach and lead by the way we live our lives. You teach by what you share on social media. You teach by the conversations you have with other dancers, and you also teach when you give credit where\u2019s it due.<\/p>\n

By crediting pioneers, you\u2019re also helping others to learn who they are and what they\u2019ve done. By sharing who\u2019s influenced your work, your showing others what the forerunners have contributed, and you\u2019re also teaching others to do the same. By doing your part, you\u2019re empowering your peers and newcomers to do their part too.<\/p>\n

So, the moral of the story is that we didn\u2019t get here alone. We stand on the shoulders of countless dancers who were fearless enough to leave a part of themselves for us to witness. Their contributions have helped shaped dance as it is, and they show us how to make our own contributions to the generation of dancers who\u2019ll follow.<\/p>\n

About the Author
\n<\/strong>Shate‘ L. Edwards is a dance artist, educator, and entrepreneur.\u00a0 In addition to choreographing productions and teaching classes both domestically and abroad, she also educates dancers about creating sustainable careers through her personal development company, The Working Dancer.\u00a0 For free career resources, visit: www.theworkingdancer.com<\/em><\/p>\n

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