Dancing
Overview
"Faster the drum sounds as the spirits move closer, the rattle shakes and we dance."
~ Chief Dan George, My Heart Soars
~ Zimbabwe proverb
"If you can talk you can sing, if you can walk you can dance."
First and formost, dancing is great fun!
Human community is defined by who we touch and who we warmly greet. We all want to be seen, heard and appreciated. Touch builds trust which opens our hearts as well as our relationships and builds a strong sense of belonging. It is one of the pillars of community. It connects us to others with touch, eye contact, smiles and the willingness to co-operate.
A hop, a skip and off we go
Happy ear and merry toe
Up and down and in and out
This way, that way round about
Bend like grasses in the breeze
Wave your arms like wind-blown trees
Dart like swallows, glide like fish
Dance like anything you wish!
– Eleanor Farjeon
Our desire to be seen, heard, respected and accepted is often met on the dance floor, It adds fitness to our lives in a friendly and sociable manner.
“Rhythm is active and produces effects. It is the unifying power of language, music & movement.
– Carl Orff
Dance is rhythmic movement that encourages tactile and energetic contact that is often difficult to find in other areas of life. Many friendships and romances have evolved out of its floor play.
"Disease is inertia. Healing is movement. Shamanic work is about dancing from within. If you put the body in motion you will change. You are meant to move: from stacccato through the chaos into lyric and back into the stillness from which all movement comes."
~ Gabrielle Roth, Maps to Ecstasy
In my experience, dancing is the fastest way to connect with other people. Touch builds trust. By dancing socially with others, relationships are formed and smiles and eye contact are abundant.
Last and always, it is great fun!
See Also:
Family Dances Contra Dancing Walker & Wheelchair Dancing