Stringing together stock dance moves is secure — I know which moves can go together and I know which moves might ‘impress’ my partner or look good to the outside but that is a tenth of the thrill of truly creating something unique and in the moment.

One of my favourite parts of dance, in particular fusion dancing and contact improvisation, is the aspect of mutual creation with a partner. It’s like creating a shared mandala. Something beautiful and unique that only lives for as long as the process of creating it, then cast out onto the wind.

I want to experiment when I dance and have my partners experiment with me. Creation requires risk, failure, mistakes, all which allow for moments of brilliance. I have a really hard time in an overly choreographed environment, at least in social dance. I want to feel the fundamentals of movement and be supported by my ability to be musical, control my body, and to communicate with my partner, but I don’t want to be constrained by techniques. When a dance becomes a series of moves, I feel trapped in it and disconnected from the creative process.

If I’m not making mistakes I’m not dancing. The form of dance I thrive on requires movement into new territory. I want my partner to experiment and send their experiments out to me. I want to have them make mistakes so that I can transform them into something beautiful, and I want them to be empowered to take my mistakes and make them into magic.

If you’re a dancer or a creator of any kind welcome mistakes from yourself and your partners. Celebrate them, laugh at them, revel in them and learn from them. Learn to thrive in discomfort. There is nothing more vulnerable than a well made mistake and there is no art more powerful than art born from vulnerability.