TL;DR
- Dance connects to Self: Enhances brain health through warm-ups that boost blood flow and improve motor control and memory. Offers opportunities for self-awareness and creative expression through choreography, freestyle, and follow-along segments.
- Dance connects to Others: Promotes synchronized unity within groups, fostering a sense of community and support. Activities like group performances and flash mobs enhance connection and mutual encouragement among participants.
- Dance connects to Other Cultures around the World: Provides a platform for cultural expression and understanding. Through some example dance styles from India (Bollywood) and Philippines (Tinikling), individuals can explore and appreciate diverse cultural identities and histories.
- A Call to Celebrate: Challenges misconceptions about dancing by emphasizing its inclusivity and celebration of the physical body. Encourages participation as a means to connect with oneself and others in a joyful and supportive environment.
And one, and two, and three…
Boom Kack!
Whether it takes place inside a dance studio or your own living room, the art of dance offers numerous opportunities to connect you to both your internal world and your external world.
Dance connects to Self: Hello, Brain Health
Class usually begins with a warm-up section where the teacher guides you with a full body stretch. Dance is a form of cardiovascular exercise for it pumps blood throughout the heart and blood vessels, so stretching prepares the joints and muscles to physically move more effectively for the duration of the class. This can help decrease risk of injury and soreness.
In addition, there are mental benefits. Studies have shown that dance helps with motor control, memory, and focus; even reducing risk for dementia in the elderly. Choreography classes, for example, involve memorizing several eight counts that repeat until everyone feels more in sync by associating specific counts to assigned movements. It is also a chance to look in the mirror and be self-aware of how your body responds to instruction. Sometimes, the instructor mixes it up and offers an eight count of freestyle where you can come up with whatever movement you want to express in the moment. That allows you to put forth your own originality and take on the melody and beat, beyond the teacher’s instruction — a wonderful avenue for self-expression.
Another type of class is follow along, of which you go with the flow. If you do not get the moves right away, it is okay, because you just keep going! With that comes endurance in just enjoying the music instead of dwelling too much on getting the counts precisely right. There are a variety of song genres: some are upbeat and raise the vibration (and sweat!), and some tunes are more slowed down, giving you the chance to really tap into what is going on inside emotionally.
Dance connects to Others: Hello, Synchronized Unity
Everyone brings their unique energy to the table. The instructor’s role is to guide and lead the class. It is the group’s role to find the ebb and flow where they aim to synchronize with the teacher and, more importantly, each other. If the students are doing the same move at the same time, it contributes to something bigger than themselves. It is no longer just their own point of view (“me”), and becomes an “us” for all the dancers connected through this shared experience.
This mirroring effect helps raise the overall energy and connection of the group. Sometimes, the teacher will break people up into groups – one group cheering and the other group performing. This creates an environment of support and acknowledgment of each other, which can bring people closer. In one class I attended, the teacher had people move around the room and freestyle to the music. This was a chance to get to know all the different spirits sharing that space with me whilst learning the same routine.
Other examples of groups working together for a greater purpose can be flashmobs (where a group does a surprise dance performance in public), a wedding dance (a dance that honors and celebrates the newly married couple’s union), and cultural performance — which I will explore further in the next section. The rehearsal process can bond people as they spend time making sure they are in sync for the big performance. If there is a move that is uncomfortable or unfamiliar, each person can get the support they need to help them better understand the movement.
Dance connects to Other Cultures: Hello, World
Like the variety of genres that exist in music, the world is made up of diverse cultures. Language is an expression of cultural identity, and that can be expressed not only verbally, but also with movement.
I once took a Bollywood class where the teacher spent the beginning of class explaining that the dance that would be taught would be about the deity Krishna, who enjoys mischief. She revealed Krishna’s pranks via hand movements (a type of sign language referred to as ‘mudra’), neck and head movements, facial expressions (silly and playful), and rhythmic foot movements to follow. I respected the clear intentionality behind each move for it felt like I was repeating back what I heard from the story through physical expression. In other words, it was akin to building a bridge of understanding through active listening.
Dance can also deepen your own understanding of your culture. In college, there was a Filipino club I joined where we put together annual dance shows called “Filipino culture night”. We learned of a dance called “tinikling”. The background story is that rice farmers on the island of Leyte set bamboo traps on their fields to protect them from the tikling birds — where the name Tinikling comes from. The farmers imitated the movement of the tikling birds as they slyly dodged the bamboo traps.
So, the dance includes one or more individuals dancing between two large bamboo poles that clap together in rhythm. The main goal is to be on beat so your ankles do not get caught in the mix. I remember being so nervous about that part, yet I learned to trust my fellow club members to do their very best. Cultural dances connect you to the history of the culture and help you practice trust towards others in your team.
A Call to Celebrate
There were a couple of times that I heard that you have to be “good at dancing” and/or “look good” in order to dance. I challenge that outlook. What if you dance to celebrate the sacred physical body, the very vehicle that allows you to experience life — and all that it has to offer?
For there is a light that exists in all of us.
Cue that spinning, sparkly disco ball that reflects that
and let’s all meet on the dance floor!
Dear Cheryl Vivo, Thank you for describing how dance can benefit us as individuals, communities, and cultures. “Art is a form of nourishment of consciousness of the spirit.”—Susan Sontag. “Art is a kind of spiritual anchor when the certitudes in life are unhinged.”—Wassily Kandinsky. “Art forms a living bridge between our minds and the universal spirit of humanity.”-Larry Culliford. May we find transcendence in the playfulness of dance.