to wind up the springs of one's life

[lukre]

"These dancers, spinning as if they were trying to wind up the springs of their life, turn a deaf ear to the noisy wrecking machines that are attacking the city."

1. What is the meaning of the bold part?
2. How would you paraphrase it to keep the 'poetic' style?

Thanks a lot!

 

[lukre]

Is it an idiom of some sort?

 

[freezeframe]

"These dancers, spinning as if they were trying to wind up the springs of their life, turn a deaf ear to the noisy wrecking machines that are attacking the city."

1. What is the meaning of the bold part?
2. How would you paraphrase it to keep the 'poetic' style?

Thanks a lot!

It's not idiomatic. It's just a figurative way of saying that they were really passionate about their dancing.

You wind up springs of an old fashioned clock so that it can keep running/working. Or you can wind up a toy that needs to have a spring turned in order to run.

These dancers were spinning as if they had a spring that needs to be wound up, similarly to a clock or a wind-up toy, to stay alive.