COMMUNITY: WE ARE STILL HERE

COMMUNITY: WE ARE STILL HERE

Lilah Wallach

11 th Grade • University Chicago Laboratory Schools

Community is the dance studio’s throbbing heart, Vibrant music and shining light, Spinning legs, missed cues, Bursts of laughter, sighs and groans. Just one more runthrough– really, just one more– Our own hearts poured out into the space, over and over, Night after night, Year After Year.

Community isn’t a bright, quiet, empty day, Walking by the bright, quiet, empty studio, Curtains fluttering in the window like lost hands, waving, And I can’t help but imagine My teacher standing there, Gazing out of that window And drawing the curtain, Waiting for her quarantined dancers to return, waiting For the studio To fill again.

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Community is a carved message In the pavement outside the dance school, Secret, and little seen. Ballet rocks! Nutcracker rocks! Because we are still here, Not looking out of the window, or drawing the curtains, But everywhere, quiet but moving, Because we make the world vibrant, We know our music, we own our light, Dancing on our own– The same tune, different worlds. We do not move apart; we move together. Because this Is what a community Is.

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