Transquilergy
December 8, 2015 By: Jessica Morey
Transquilergy (n): the feeling of calmness and exuberance simultaneously, or very close to one another (trank-wil-ur-jee).
The lights start to fade in the house. Various spotlights beam on me as I am walking across the stage, causing the people in the audience to fade away and merge into this one figure of darkness. This one figure of mysteriousness. This one figure of the unknown. I know they are all watching me, even though I cannot see their faces. Pressure’s on, right? Wrong. In fact, I am not at all nervous by the idea that there are hundreds of unfamiliar faces watching me on stage. Why is that? Why can’t I stand in front of a class of 30 and present a project, but I can perform in front of hundreds of people? The music starts and although I have a set routine choreographed, I move across the stage without even thinking about the steps or what comes next. I just dance. Whatever this feeling is that I obtain from dancing and performing- it is indescribable. A feeling of power and self-confidence, of pure joy and happiness, of complete invincibility- it is the absolute greatest feeling in the world. I feel extremely energized, and at the same time I also feel liberated.
The word that describes this feeling I am talking about must sound like a burst of energy, but at the same time sound soothing, calming and peaceful. It should sound as though you are finding your inner peace while taking a breath of fresh air. But at the same time, it should sound like the pumping of adrenaline throughout your body. This is because when I am dancing, I feel at peace with myself, but I also feel that rush of liveliness come over me and travel through me. When I am dancing or performing, I feel so alive. But I also never feel calmer. This word should sound long and smooth, not choppy or short. It should glide across your tongue and should sound like music when you say the word. Almost as if the word itself is what you are dancing to. The word should have a powerful connotation and should paint a picture of a moment frozen in time, or someone moving in slow motion. The word should convey the same feeling as if one was standing at the top of the Grand Canyon, looking at the utter magnificence and observing the breathtaking view. It should feel as though your soul is stretching out as far as it can reach. The word should make you feel as free as a bird soaring through the air. If I could convey all of these feelings in one single word in English- one word that illustrates everything I am describing- that word would be tranquilergy.
The word tranquilergy has been around for a long time, and many dancers experience this feeling. The origin of the word comes from 6000 B.C., where Egyptians performed a certain type of dance where they balanced on one foot- almost like a meditation ritual. This type of dance was said to be very relaxing; all participants had this feeling of tranquility. However, at times while performing this dance, they also felt extremely intense, powerful and energized. Therefore, they decided to describe this feeling while performing this specific type of dance by using the word tranquilergy, which is derived from the words tranquil and energy- the adjective form being tranquilergetic. A dancer may experience a feeling of tranquilergy when performing on stage. Not even just on stage. They could even simply be dancing in their own kitchen. It doesn’t matter where you are, it’s all about the feelings you experience. A synonym for tranquilergy is livelaxed, which is derived from the words lively and relaxed. This word, livelaxed, has a positive connotation just like tranquilergy, because it almost sounds like “lilac,” and flowers make people very joyful. Whether someone gives flowers to a loved one, or just picks a handful from their backyard, they are a very lovely representation of nature. Some antonyms for tranquilergy are tenseness, anxiety, weakness, and powerlessness.
The word tranquilergy is be used by dancers all around the world, even professionals, when they want to describe dance in a way so that people will understand how they feel when performing. When people ask professional dancers what they do for a living, why they do it, or what dancing feels like, they can respond with this word if they are having trouble finding the right way to explain it. If someone doesn’t understand the meaning of dance, if they don’t understand what it feels like to be up on that stage, a dancer can use this word and it will all make sense.
Whenever I perform, I feel like I am on top of the world; I feel most confident when I am performing. I feel my adrenaline pumping backstage as I prepare to perform, and throughout my whole performance. I feel the rush. The instant I step onto that stage, I forget all of my problems and everything else around me. I feel as though I have no limit. I feel invincible. Dance is such a creative art that allows dancers to explore their movement in so many ways. It is all about feeling something, expressing your emotions, and creating meaning for your movement. Whenever I am dancing, no matter where I am, I am able to express myself in any way, shape or form. I let my heart and soul take over as I move across the room, or stage. The word tranquilergy describes all of these feelings, and it will help people better understand dance.
There are not really that many controversies for this word, but there are a few misinterpretations, which could possibly lead to people using it incorrectly. For example, people might believe that the word simply means that you have experienced feelings of both calmness and exuberance in your life, not necessarily at the same time or even remotely close to each other. Also, it’s possible that people could think the word meant experiencing these feelings when they are doing anything that they love doing, not just dancing or performing on stage. Someone might want to use this word to describe drawing, photography, maybe even baking, knitting, hiking, or fishing. The list could expand forever. This might also be how the use of the word will change over time. People might generalize tranquilergy and use it for anything they are passionate about (not just dancing or performing), because they think that they experience the same feelings that the word is describing- and maybe they do.
Contributor's Note: Jessica Morey is a sophomore nursing major at Salem State University. She was one of two co-winners for first-place for the 2014-2015 First-Year Writing Competition.