The Dancing Man

Ruth Bornstein's The Dancing Man is of a wonderful story about a little boy who was fond of dancing. One day, he met an old man and gave him silver shoes as a present. When he was old enough to wear them, he ventured far away and danced for everyone. He made his way from one town to the next, meeting good people who appreciated his dancing and touching their lives. Until one day when he was tired and weary, he knew what to do and decided to continue the legacy of the Dancing Man by leaving the shoes to a young boy whose dream was to dance and see the world.

I was fortunate enough to be invited to a charity performance presented by Point Studio based here in Bangkok. It was the studio's fifth anniversary and they decided to showcase their dancers and students with a production called Fun+.

The entire show was mesmerizing as the dancers gave their brilliant performance interpreting various styles of dancing. It provided the audience with different aspects of Thai society seen today and in the entertainment field. Of outstanding value to me was the interpretation that reflected the dark side of Thai society featuring the night club dancers, the garbage collectors, the beggars and the hungry. Scene after scene, the dancers captured the audience with the intensity of their dancing and artistic rendition of different roles. It was a feast to the senses.

We are the dancing men and the road we traverse is the road to our goal or dream. The people we met along the way are the experiences of our lives, the failures and the happiness. The passing of the shoes means the love we can pass to others as we travel the road to our self-fulfillment. We become messengers, providers, and receivers and we do our job in many ways. For some, it is in dancing that they convey their sentiments. The Dancing Man and the dancers at Point Studio speaks of the same things: love to one's craft and the pursuit of one's dream.