Dancing is breathing with the whole body.

One of our students, Sarah Elena Deppeler writes passionately about dance when she applies for an audition. We have persuaded her to let us publish her most recent letter of motivation. Read her words and take inspiration from her thoughts about the process and purpose of dancing.

Dancing is breathing with the whole body.

We live in a highly engineered world conducted by mind. Every day, people pour over numbers and letters. Our brain is sophisticated and beyond doubt, it allows us to handle the complexity of everyday life. But we can also use this capacity to express ourselves variably. Thousands of words form a language. To be able to communicate in a foreign language you have to learn long lists of vocabulary and phrases. During my language studies I realized that no matter how well you know a language, you are rarely or never capable of expressing exactly what you think or feel. It seems, that some inside processes are not expressible through language. But what if those thoughts constitute the deepest interests of human being? 

How can we survive without taking heed of what provides the basis of our existence and stimulation – our emotions? 

While dreaming we sometimes have the impression of understand whatever holds the world together in its inmost folds. Dreaming is a state of half awareness where hidden fragments of the world and we appear in a different light. With closed eyes and deep breath we find a language that is unmistakable. I believe that dancing comes very close to this state of mind. Before children learn to speak, they make themselves understandable through movements. In highly emotional situations, people mostly don’t talk but move – tremble, convulse, run or jump. The body language is international, leaves room for interpretation and is nevertheless unambiguous. I want to dance because I want to find a different approach to my thoughts. Intensity and emotions, colours, fragrances, moods and atmospheres are nowhere as united as in dance. Good dancers captivate the senses of the spectator in an impressive way. Dancing is everything but indifferent. A dance performance affects everyone in a certain way no matter whether the message is readily identifiable or abstract. No words in the world can touch as deep as dance can. 

Without any background in dance I discovered two years ago the richness of contemporary dance, which I’m more grateful for than I can put into words. 

After some hesitation I see my non-dancer-background now as an interesting strength that can contribute to the diversity of dance. 

I would like to continue my (never ending) journey. Work as a professional dancer and choreographer, to reflect upon my thoughts using the body, to tell stories and encourage an audience to face up to the world and themselves.