Dancing Through Life & Finding Balance
What does it mean to dance through life?
When the first Wicked movie came out in November 2024, my stress felt insurmountable.
I can’t quite remember what specifically bogged me down, but I’m willing to bet it was some combination of quickly approaching paper and project deadlines. That November-to-December period was crunch time, and as finals and the end of the semester approached, stress intensified, and sleep decreased. Ah, to be a fall-semester junior again… no thanks.
But when Wicked came out, I knew I had to see it as soon as possible. How could I not? Wicked was the first Broadway show I ever went to – my mom and I saw it at the Hippodrome Theatre in Baltimore during my sophomore year of high school.
I grew up singing the music in elementary and middle school choirs, so I was obsessed with the show before I set foot in the Hippodrome. When I left the theater, I was amazed by the actors’ powerful performances, the beautiful music, and the thrill of seeing it all live. My obsession amplified and stayed with me.
So, on November 23, 2024, the day after the movie came out, my friends and I filed into our local theater and excitedly prepared ourselves to travel to Oz.
As I sat in my seat, I was hyperaware that going to the movie meant spending an evening away from my laptop, its blank Word documents, and its many, many, many open tabs. While I really wanted to watch this movie with my friends, I became increasingly anxious about how I should be using this time to work on my papers and projects.
Then, the movie started, and as soon as I heard the first line, I was captivated. How could I not be? It was Wicked!
I was stunned by how beautifully the filmmakers created the world of Oz on the big screen. Did you know that they actually planted nine million real tulips to bring Munchkinland to life? That careful attention to detail was evident throughout the film, and I thought it honored the Broadway show with a very intentional, well-done adaptation.
So, just like that, Wicked took hold of me again, and I was fully immersed in its magical story, eagerly anticipating every song and scene. And of course, like every straight woman and gay man in the room, I couldn’t wait for Jonathan Bailey to come on screen. (When he did, it was glorious. No notes.)
Bailey’s character, Fiyero, is a privileged prince who arrives at Shiz University mid-year without a care in the world. While Elphaba (the protagonist and eventual Wicked Witch of the West) focuses diligently on her responsibilities and studies at school, Fiyero is a free spirit who floats aimlessly from party to party.
When Fiyero first arrives at Shiz, there is no party to be found, much to his dismay, so he takes it upon himself to “corrupt [his] fellow students” in a song called “Dancing Through Life.”
As I watched the elaborate choreography and listened to the song, it hit me – in all my stress and anxiety, I was trudging through life, not dancing.
When I think back on that moment, two lines in particular stick with me:
“Nothing matters but knowing nothing matters / It’s just life, so keep dancing through.”
Of course, I am not saying that life is meaningless, and we should coast by on low effort to avoid pain or difficulty.
However, for me, “Dancing Through Life” was a much-needed reminder that at the end of the day, life isn’t always meant to be taken seriously; it is essential that we carve out time to dance.
School, work, and the obligations that fill our schedule are important, but they should never overwhelm us to the extent that we eliminate fun and rest. Stress should not drive us; life was not meant to be a never-ending sprint.
I can’t explain the relief that washed over me in that movie theater. Yes, life is important, but it’s just life! You can substitute any word in for “life” – “school,” “work,” “broccoli,” etc. Well, maybe not broccoli; that diverts from my point a bit. But you get the picture.
To me, dancing through life means prioritizing things we genuinely enjoy outside of work. Take your work seriously, and don’t shy away from difficulty, but intentionally make time to have fun along the way.
And if it relieves your stress, remember that no single assignment, project, or task will define you. “Nothing matters but knowing nothing matters,” right? So what, you scored lower on a paper than you would have liked to. In the grand scheme of things, that grade matters very little. Acknowledge the disappointment, but don’t let it ruin your day. Try to find the joy in life even when it feels impossible.
If you try to sprint the whole race of life, you’ll find yourself trudging in no time. However, when you balance sprinting with walking, jogging, and some dancing every now and then, you’ll be in much better shape.
One way I dance through life is by taking breaks from homework to chat with my housemates in our living room. Sometimes those breaks last longer than they probably should, and I end up doing homework later that I would have if I’d stayed in my room, glued to my laptop.
But when I look back on my time in college, I won’t remember how efficiently I completed my work. Instead, I’ll think about the quality time I spent with my friends, and if making those memories means sacrificing my productivity from time to time, so be it. It’s just college! Why not dance through?
It is essential that we find a balance between work and play. When the stars align, work can even become play, but not everyone has that luxury.
So, no matter what work looks like for you, I hope you remember to dance. Find the fun and pursue it, even if it’s just during a 15-minute break in the middle of a slow Monday morning.
Go see that movie with your friends. Carve out time in your schedule to grab coffee with someone you haven’t seen in a while. Whatever dancing through life looks like for you, intentionally pursue it with the same dedication you give your work.
Remember, it’s just life! So, keep dancing through.
P.S. - Honorable Mention Quotes
“Never take life too seriously. You will never get out of it alive.” (Elbert Hubbard)
“Don’t get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life.” (Dolly Parton)
“I only do this because I’m having fun. The day I stop having fun, I’ll just walk away.” (Heath Ledger)
“Life is far too important a thing ever to talk seriously about” (Oscar Wilde, Lady Windermere’s Fan)