I'm not the first to taut the benefits of dance, nor will I be the last. Dancing has been a source of a great many things to me, not the least of which is how it has helped me connect to myself. Through dance, I have grown in confidence and strength. Dancing has helped me develop a strong sense of self and has helped me understand how powerful it is to be able to let go and move my body to express what I feel when I am dancing to music.
When I dance, there is a purity of being fully present in the moment: of letting go of the normal analysis in my head and just reacting to and providing my own voice to a dance partnership that is set to music. Through dance I can be coy, I can be a diva, I can be a cool hipsta, I can be flirtatiously fun, I can be whoever I please. I can be close enough to hear someone's heartbeat and I can be far enough to let my feet jam along as part of the band. I can celebrate who I am and get immediate feedback about how fully and wholeheartedly my dance partner enjoys dancing with me.
Dance is sensual. The whole framework is setup based on touch, feeling and expression that's not taboo or awkward: just two people having fun together. Partner dancing allows us to communicate without words through our movements and our touch. Its powerful when there's a connection, when I feel that my partner and I are on the same wavelength. At the very least its two people sharing in the joy of movement through dance. At its best its a visceral interaction that makes me feel so vibrant and alive because in that brief moment of the song, my partner and I are fluidly moving together: as one, in response to one another. There is comfort in another person's embrace: I think everyone needs that kind of touch in their lives.
Sure, every now and again, there's a lemon or two: that interaction that's not quite so fun or satisfying. In the grand scheme of things though, I believe its all about the greater joy. One shouldn't let the lemon's dictate what's best for you. [I have more to say on this but another time.]
Dance is dynamic and fluid: I listen to the music that's playing, follow the leads that my partner initiates, make sure my own balance and response matches and move to the music. Think about how many synapses are firing just to make that all happen. Pretty brilliant if you ask me. Its like lighting up your brain and watching the fireworks fly!
Dance is so accessible, its always there for anyone to try. Just watch little babies and children as they respond to music: its a pretty primal instinct in all of us. Dance is ageless and crosses boundaries. Dance is in us, our blood moves to the pulse that's based on the beating of our heart. Its as simple as tapping your feet or bopping your head of the rhythm of the music.
I dance to free myself and to be in the moment. I dance to celebrate who I am and express what I feel in the music through movement in my body. I dance to celebrate the joy of being able to express with someone else what we hear in the music that we dance to.
I teach dance to help others get through that initial hurdle of learning to dance and to eventually see how much dancing can help them to be all that they can be.
