“Kubyina”: to dance

I have danced in Rwanda. Yes, we have Peace Corps dance parties. We jump around and form a big circle, pushing random people into the center for their 10 seconds of freestyle fame. But nothing compares to standing in first position, hand on the barre (er, back of the lecture benches) and beginning my first demi plie in Rwanda. It was a simple barre, with short center work, but it was still an hour where all the stress over language and tech classes and site assignments melted away. It’s been quite awhile since I’ve been in a ballet class. Yes, Mrs. Schwinn, it was last with you; in what, June of 2008 maybe? But it is incredible to observe all of the muscle memory ability that the human body has. The technique’s still there, the placement, the turnout, and most surprisingly, even the short term memory. However, long gone are the flexibility, the strength, and the extension. I even found my arch tiring from contracting to point my toes. But the feeling and result never changes; I walked out with a clearer head, a happier outlook on my day and the realization that tomorrow I will be really really sore. There are several dancers in our training group (3 ballet dancers, a jazz dancer, a ballroom dancer, a yoga instructor and many people who want to learn!) so our hope is to do class a couple of times a week, rotating genres and teachers. I’m excited…to say the least!

I plan on dance being an integral part of my service in Rwanda; particularly because of how integral dance is in the culture of Rwanda. Did I mention that the dance groups that we watched on International Women’s Day were in fact the Intore dancers, who perform nationally and internationally and who have existed for centuries, even prior to European arrival in Rwanda? Yeah, I now realize why they were so insanely good. And yet, pretty much every Rwandan has three times the rhythm and natural dance ability that your average American has. And a better voice for that matter. Sorry, I must speak the truth. But considering how much they sing and dance here, I’m thankful that everyone is so artistically blessed! Some of you already know this, but my hope is to be able to start a girls dance group in my community. I know I’ll learn just as much as I’ll teach (particularly some African dance!) and hope that it will allow me a platform to begin discussions on other issues, such as nutrition, education and leadership, but most importantly youth empowerment. Rwanda has an extremely young population, considering its history; and the children really do need nurtured, led and educated, while allowing them ample space and time to explore their interests/passions and realize their potential in this world. I know, I know. I’m an idealist, I’m talking motivational fluff, but I believe in it. It’s why I’m here, why I’m doing Peace Corps. I realize my overall impact will be limited during my time in Rwanda, but if I can affect the children in a positive way, I’ll consider it a victory.

Alright, enough of my rambling, I’ll write again soon. There’s a strong possibility that tomorrow we’ll be finding out our site assignments (*fingers crossed and crazy happy dance) and that’s causing a lot of whispers, excitement and anxiety. Promise I’ll let you all know as soon as I find out! Until then...