Three Things Dance Taught Me: Claire Dowden
"Three Things Dance Taught Me," is a blog series dedicated to exploring the profound impact of dance. In this series, we'll hear from a diverse range of voices, each sharing three invaluable lessons they've learned through their dance journey.
Three Things Dance Taught Me: Claire Dowden
Claire Dowden is an associate lawyer with Cox & Palmer’s St. John’s office and is a former pupil of Lynn Panting and prides herself on being, in part, a product of Miss Lynn’s wisdom, passion, and community. Coincidentally, Claire has recently decided to join a dance class at LPD and looks forward to the nostalgia and community she knows she’ll find therein.
Commitment and Teamwork
Dance taught me to honour my commitments and show up as the best version of myself. Especially as recital preparation would kick into high gear, dance taught me the importance of keeping the promises I made to myself and to others in showing up, learning choreography, and working together as a team to deliver the utmost possible performance at the year-end showing.
Patience and Consistency
Another lesson I learned throughout my years dancing was that all good things take time: Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither was a dancer’s technique and ability. In a world characterized by instant gratification, dance taught me the importance of hard work and dedication in skill development. It showed me that while a skill may take time and consistency to perfect, the process of doing so can be both enjoyable and invaluable. More than that, though, dance taught me the importance of constructive criticism — and how to take it. Miss Lynn’s feedback came as a welcome opportunity to grow and taught me that good things will come from listening to those with experience and expertise. If my introduction to receiving corrections, adjustments, and comments had not been so positive, I cannot imagine I would have sought out constructive feedback as I grew older.
Community and Support
While not the most tangible of lessons, my overwhelming takeaway from the years I spent dancing is gratitude for the sense of safety that dance brought to my life and the mutually supportive community surrounding same. Throughout the turbulence of adolescence, Miss Lynn’s dimly lit classroom served as a safe harbour where I could be myself, express myself, and escape myself. I made friends around whom I felt at ease and with whom I was encouraged to share. At a time when I was plagued by poor body image, a victim of bullying, and feeling low (in the way most pubescent girls do), dance allowed me to focus solely on the present and ultimately healed me from the inside out — for that, I will be forever grateful.
