...Shall we dance...?

"Think of the magic of the foot, comparatively small, upon which your whole weight rests. It's a miracle and the dance is a celebration of that miracle."

— Martha Graham

Dance... the very word seems to have a youthful vibrancy to it. Be it any form of dance, there is something about this whole act that instantly uplifts the soul, obliterates all traces of sadness, pain and anger. Dance can be helpful and therapeutic; dance can be a release for the soul; dance can be one’s passion and one’s love; dance can be a lot more than what appears to the eye. It is like a secret language of the soul that whispers in soothing notes to one’s ears and transports the soul far away from this world. There is a charm, vitality, poignancy and ardour, all combined with the wonderful feeling of fun to this beautiful form of art known as dance. No matter whether one is young or old, male or female; when it comes to dance, there is no barrier, there is no restraint, and there is no reason.

Recently I happened to come across this wonderful video called “A million ways” by Ok Go. Probably it was a choreographed act, but nonetheless, the dance in itself seemed like an effortless act. And if one chose to, one could easily dance along without much of an effort. What struck me about it was the way the guys were doing this wonderful dance without a care in the world. It was stylish and charming in a wonderfully simple way. There are various dance videos to be found on YouTube that range from funny to weird to simply outrageous. Watching some of these videos can be an enriching experience in itself as not only does one have a great time laughing while watching some of them but also one can learn to appreciate dance as an art form. It might seem like an intended pun to a few of you, but on a serious note, I sincerely feel that dance is something that is personal and that is abstract.

As Martha Graham said – “Dance is the hidden language of the soul”, so why should one not dance the way one’s heart feels like? Why should one not dance without any sort of consciousness? Why should one not dance like a free and wild child? It’s absolutely brilliant to be able to dance just for the sheer joy of it and to be able to enjoy it at the same time.

No doubt, there is a lot to the whole act of dancing, whether in terms of technicalities or in terms of presentation or in terms of understanding physical cues of one’s partner. I am in no way trying to undermine the benefits of sequenced dancing or trained dancing. But what I am trying to stress upon here, is the simplicity and pleasure of dancing, sans any routine. How often do we find people actually de-stressing by doing an impromptu dance? Why is it that a lot of us shy away from dancing even though our heart craves to simply twirl to the notes of a song? For once, spare yourself from the habit of needing a reason to do something. Stop for a moment, think not about perfection, think not about appreciation, think not about anything but the fact that you are dancing for yourself, for your soul. 

One does not need a reason to dance, one dances because one feels like dancing. Free yourself from all thoughts and dance because you want to; dance because it is a celebration of the joy of being alive and to be alive in itself is a grand thing. So think no more my friends, but simply put on your dancing shoes and leave the thoughts for another day. Feel life for now and let dance be your link to the divine.

-by Samriddhi Tanti