Why We Dance _______________________________________

http://www.dancehelp.com/articles/modern-dance/modern-dance-primal.aspx 

Man has danced since the beginning of time. Dance is an age-old necessity of the spirit. Today we put an order to it so we can manifest technique. This is due to survival of the art and we breed competition for the very dancers’ careers that succeed it. When it comes right down to it though, we find that dance soothes the soul and inspires the heart. We dance for the joy of it.

Movement is a quiet therapy without words; so much can be learned and gained through movement. Dance develops agility, discipline, focus, determination, courage, strength, grace, as well as honor, energy, spiritual depth, creativity, commitment…I could go on and on. The basic need to dance is what’s interesting; it is inborn in us. It is an outlet, a stage for human desire, a place for one to emote. Allegro cannot be executed without joy in the spirit, modern cannot be executed without emotional depth, jazz needs attitude and a sense of sensuality. All these styles developed out of raw human compulsion.

Modern is one style that seems to dig the deepest. There are no restraints like pointe shoes, or severe technique. Modern is dance left in its purest form. We learn to fall and to rise.  We learn to move with the wind in our soul – beauty and repulsion can exist in the same vein, at the same moment.

Modern is flexible, it can encompass anything from African tribal and contemporary ballet to natural reactions and childhood mimic. The rules are veiled and the order comes last. We don’t fight against the body- we flow with it. Thanks to Martha, Doris and Isadora, modern was validated.

Human existence today, seems so safe and unrevealing, how many outlets do we have to grow spiritually? They usually lie in the arts, and modern dance is the rawest form of life appreciation. Only when we learn to dance, can we learn to let go and live in the moment. We learn who we really are beyond just our tastes, preferences and relations alone. Instead of continuing to gain control of our image, reputation and financial success, we let it all go and we let our quiet being become elevated. Our spirit has more potential than most people are willing to recognize. When we dance, our spirits do too.