Looseness within the tension

When Jerome Robbins's original cast of West Side Story performed the explosive, rage-filled song and dance "Cool" for the camera in 1961, it wasn't with maximum muscle tension. They danced with all the relaxation they could muster.

And when actress Shirley MacLaine wailed "Give my daughter the shot!" through the hospital scene in Terms of Endearment in 1983, it wasn't with jaw clenched and abdomen locked. Her voice and body appeared remarkably free.

I wasn't in the performers' minds when they filmed these scenes, but I'm willing to bet they were clear and fairly empty. That's the artist's state.

When we go through periods of fast pace and high intensity, a great balancing act is required from us: to be simultaneously impactful and effortless, caught-up and untethered, vigorous and calm, firm and loose.

Sometimes it's as simple as feeling your feet on the ground as you buzz along.

Without looseness, we're bound to injure something.