Dance. Harvey Edwards' photograph, Leg Warmers, is posted up on the wall of my dance studio. Every time I pass it, it catches my eye. I love that photograph. Each time I pass it, I have to stop and stare. Each time, a crooked little smile always escapes me.
I come from a martial arts background. Have you heard of the story behind the black belt tradition? Back in the old days, there were no fancy colored belts. Martial arts students were given only one belt, a white belt, that you would never wash. Over time, the belt would get darker and darker as they trained. Eventually, after enough training, the belt would become so dirty and worn, it would look black. The long hours of training, the passion, the commitment, the love of martial arts was wrapped around their waist. A dirty and worn belt was worn proudly.
There's love in that photograph. It tells the truth about a dancer's love for his or her art. The dirty shoes and torn legwarmers tell me a story of a dancers passion and the painstaking hours of commitment behind it. The dirty and worn down ones are the best.
