Dancer of Light: Amber Joy Rava
Amber Joy Rava is an artist who fascinates people and touches their hearts with her independent dance performances, as well as her performance experiences at Cirque Du Soliel, Cirque Eloize and Circo De Bakuza for 9 years. It brings us together with one of the most beautiful ways of embodying the felt body energy through movement.
How did your journey with dance begin?
This is an important question. I can say that I have been dancing since I was 3 years old. If you ask my mother she will say that I already started dancing in the womb. But I started taking my first dance lessons as a little 3-year-old girl at a ballet studio in Brooklyn. Then dance became something I could find everywhere. Now I dance all the time; with sound, with nature, with my experiences. It's like a non-stop game for me. I mean, I've danced all my life and I can say I do.
Is dance a way to touch the soul? How would you define this for yourself?
Dancing is my soul. My soul is what is dancing and I don’t get in the way of my body expressing what my soul feels most comfortable doing. I think that’s what connects me more to my authenticity and what people enjoy about my dance. Cause I don’t hold back the soulful energy.
What emotions can we experience through dancing?
All of the emotions and beyond emotions. As we dance freely, we embody our own reality with our physical realization. For me, I am trancing at that moment. The best way that I could explain all of the emotions. You can pass through sadness, the spear, elation, bliss, mistrusting. There can be fear, there can be courage. It's all moving through with your body. The point that I have got in to after all these years of dancing and working with people and being on stage, is that if you just keep dancing the emotions will also change. As you watch yourself moving through emotions you recognize that it all really boils down into one. And then you are beyond emotion. Thats when you step out the reactionary, you step out of the duality and you kind really oneness.
How does this affect you?
I don't let my emotions control me, but I don't control them either. In my opinion, the best thing to do is to be in the flow, to be able to go through it by being aware of it and accepting it.
Is it possible to think and dance at the same time?
When I am performing, choreographing, or organizing different aspects, I must keep part of myself awake to recognize what I am doing exactly. I am not as free as always to be beyond my thoughts. But when I do have that luxury and opportunity, then I allow myself to be totally free. Even if I am having thoughts, which is completely normal, I keep breathing. Once you are breathing you can’t help but be in your body, and then those thoughts naturally can’t grab a hold of you and you are able to transcend. It is a kind of meditation and direct medicine.
Do you believe that a world where all humanity dances would be a better place?
This is my dream for humanity. People will feel better and they will recognize that we are really united and that we are really the same. Because on the dance floor everyone is equal. We charm each other by being natural and by being energetically open. This can be big healing our planet.
About the author:
Alara Dolunay – Be People Editor
Alara Dolunay, who completed her undergraduate education at the Department of Media and Communication Systems at Bilgi University, completed her internships as an assistant to the project manager of ICM Turkey Digital Marketing Agency and Doğan Paksoy Gallery Young Art Magazine Writer. In 2020, she joined the Sotheby's Art Institute, Art History program. He has been working as Creative Editor at Be People since January 2021.