When Life Dances…

I am a dancer. I jump. I twirl. I turn. I leap. I pivot from one direction to another. I pause to check my balance. The rate of my heart beat changes constantly, rapidly, excitedly, passionately, and continuously. I breathe quickly, sometimes deeply, sometimes slowly, calmly, other times heavily or quickly, and if I have a moment to stand still, it only seems to last for a moment. Every dancer anticipates the next movement. I am constantly moving, whether moving is to move or to be moved, to feel moved…whether a motion is merely an action or the motion itself is caused by emotions…I never quite stop feeling. Who dances and doesn’t feel anything? I am a dancer, and I have realized that this is how my life has been spent…dancing…literally, ideally, and figuratively.

Many years ago, I decided to set out on a journey, a journey to dance. It is often said, “To lose yourself in a journey is unfortunate, but to lose your reason for the journey is a fate more cruel.” With this thought in mind, I began my journey fearlessly, confident that I could never truly get lost, and as long as I was always mindful of my purpose, I would arrive at my destination. Here are moments through my journey:

April 2007

I decided to go on a ride, on a road separated from the one I've taken and began to stroll along a path, so long been taken. The fork in the road confused me, confuses me, confronts me, gives me no choice but to choose, seemingly complicated but simple, and I leaned in opposition from where my present direction was heading…My unhidden doubt encouraged curiosity, and my restlessness demanded bravery and with such courage, I was consumed by strength to perhaps walk down the path I have yet not taken, whether right or wrong, just necessary, like the entrance into a major freeway, connecting two cities together, which leads me to turn not just onto a random street, but the exit that leads to the forefront of my destiny, more profound than any other destination... So, I hope...

January 2008

SHOCKED…That realization has left me thinking of all those moments of triumphs that fill our lives, making us proud of our existence, and of all the successes that we hope to experience in life, and of all the things that matter, and of all the things that don’t matter at all.

October 2006

Funny! I knew of this world when I was 8, 9, and 10. Even lived in it when I was 16, 17, and 18... and all those numbers in between, before, even a few years after. I already knew this world existed. Understood it. Why revisit it? Only because I keep leaving... because I've missed it…


I have come to realize that I have lost and found myself at many points in my life, as I will continue to do so throughout my journey…because no journey is ever a straight path. It is not always smooth or flat. It is not always narrow and clear. It is never predictable. I stumble upon happiness like I stumble upon sadness. There are setbacks, twists in the road, turns I must take quickly, gracefully, surely, sometimes cautiously, and at times unwillingly.

I have also realized that through every experience my journey has led me to, dance has always been present. Dancing has been a permanence in my life. I have always been leaping, jumping, twirling, twisting and turning, breathing deeply, heart racing, pivoting from one direction to another, balancing, falling, extending myself in all different directions, staying flexible, building strength, maintaining balance, sometimes leaning off balance, falling, tired during moments in between, becoming restless, moving gracefully, awkwardly, weakly, but always feeling, learning, and living.

Many years ago, I set out on a journey to dance. It seems silly to me now, to think of it that way. The point is, for me, to live is to dance…to feel is to live…and once again, really, who dances and doesn’t feel anything? And when there comes a day, when my body may not be able to handle the turns, twists, leaps and falls, I find comfort in knowing that my spirit will endure as a dancer, to view life as if I am always dancing, unafraid to take on the next step, constantly moving, feeling, learning, free, presently being, engaged in the moment and most importantly, never standing still to simply let life pass me by.

Along this journey, as a byproduct of this jumping, twirling, moving, and creating, I founded the XPOSE Dance Theater Company. The purpose of XPOSE Dance is to create and share the various and limitless avenues of dance, to entertain, educate, and expose possibilities in dance. XPOSE Dance is not only for those who have spent their life dancing, literally, physically, but for those who choose to embrace dance as someone would embrace life and all the possibilities it has to offer. XPOSE Dance is not limited to the professional dancer, amateur dancer, or dance lover…it exists for everyone, every single body that inspires to and chooses to experience life with the spirit of a dancer. Because when you do, when you approach life with the spirit of a dancer, life does dance… And although a life that dances is filled with leaps and turns, jumps and twirls, balance and chaos, passion and uncertainties, most distinctly and profoundly, it becomes a work of art, filled with emotion, filled with knowledge, and ultimately, filled with meaning. Personally, I believe a life of dance is the life to live.

And, as I and my dancers share ourselves through XPOSE Dance, reflecting a variety of experiences, emotions, and purpose, one thing that you can expect is that we will always be dancing…literally, ideally, and figuratively. Our stories, our projects, our performances, and our works of art will continually reflect that notion that life is a dance, that life itself is that constant movement and variation of steps, full of emotion, full of experiences, and, most importantly, full of inspiration.

-Meredith Flores, Artistic Director of XPOSE Dance Theater Company