I AM ALL UP ANJA /onya/

Sometimes, in life, it is good to just take a step back. Take, for instance, the baggage claim area at any given airport. As soon as that belt starts rolling, people frantically squeeze in towards the belt as close as possible…making it impossible for themselves to accurately detect their own luggage and simultaneously blocking the way for all others who spotted their luggage from the back. If everyone just took a nice step back, the baggage claim would be less of a zoo providing everyone with accurate vision and enough room to take further steps into action.

The same principle applies for life, I have found. At times we all get wrapped up in a million different things at once. There’s work, there are hobbies, there are social obligations and finally somewhere buried underneath all of these things there are our dreams, our goals, our aspirations. Everyone has something they have always wanted to do, something they have always wanted to try, but as society proves us on a daily basis, there seems to never be enough time for any of that. So we just pretend to forget about it. But the thing with “dreams” and callings is that they never really go away. FORTUNATELY, they don’t! You will always hear that little voice inside of you reminding you that there is something more out there for you. However, humanity comes with free will so as far as the universe is concerned, you can choose to ignore your hopes and dreams for the entirety of your life and nothing will happen- except you will never feel completely happy and satisfied. You could blame everything on society and work and hence lack of time, but the bottom line is, you have to take a step back, re-evaluate everything you’re currently doing and simply MAKE the time. Whatever you need to drop from your regular “to-do” list in order to make room for your new adventure, DO IT!

It will be so worth it!

If I had to list my two biggest passions in life, I would say: Athletics and Dance. Oddly enough, the former is being celebrated and recognized all over the world (especially now as billions of people watch the Olympics 2012) while the latter is just being looked upon as a “hobby” or an “artform” at best. Yes, people have gotten to embrace dance and dancers more thanks to nationally televised shows such as “So You Think You Can Dance” but once again it’s more like a pageantry rather than a fierce athletic contest. But why? Because if you have only taken one “real” dance class, if you’ve tried one breakdancing move, if you have tried to “krump” you will clearly agree that “DANCERS ARE ATHLETES”, too!

Finally someone has had the courage to make this motto come to life! Please read below:

“My entire life I have considered dancers as athletes. We train for years, while investing countless hours training in sessions, classes and rehearsals. We hone our craft, exercise all of our physical capabilities and sometimes defy them, pushing past the limits of the human body. As dancers, we withstand injuries and endure both treatment and rehabilitation. I would strongly contest with anyone who argued that dancers are not athletes. Sports, by definition are all forms of competitive physical activity, which through casual or organized participation, aim to use, maintain or improve physical fitness and provide entertainment to participants; to be a professional dancer is to do and be all of these things. The foundation of the UDL is based on precisely that. Unfortunately, having a successful professional career in the dance world is not always determined by skill and hard work. The entertainment industry has criteria that some dancers do not fit. Physical shape and features or the politics of friendships and social affiliations all play a role in the hiring process. In the sports world however, you are guaranteed reward for shear ability” ~ Anthony “AntBoogie” Rue II

Of course undertaking a journey like building a league where dancers showcase their physical abilities and are able to compete takes monetary funds. I will definitely support this cause and I hope that more people will find this important enough to give dancers a platform to express their physical abilities rather than their social skills!

Here is the link to donate:

http://www.gofundme.com/zin28

Good luck, AntBoogie & crew - you’re doing a GREAT thing!