Thursday, June 9, 2011

For the love of dance

The first of my top decisions was learning to dance.  I love it for a load of reasons, but I thought it would be interesting to ask my dance friends why they dance.  Here are some of the answers courtesy of Facebook:
Leonard - fitness, friends, fun. Dance for Life. :)

Tova - I started for rotator cuff rehabilitation! I have full range of motion now thank you, instead of my predicted 30% maximum. I stayed for the friendly people, the challenge and the chance to do some exercise indoors in winter!

Wendy - i got the music in me, i got the music in me, i got the music in meeee. Oh and it helps with my rusty hips. :-) i love dancing with my hubby too..so many reasons!

Lauren - Fun, friends, fitness and fabulous fashion! Lots of good 'f' words! 

Kylie - It got me out of my shell and talking to new people when I first moved to Canberra and didn't know anyone; after that it became an escape from the world, everything goes away when the music starts!! 

Mark - It gives me a reason to go out, meet people, talk to people and have fun with people. It forces me to relax from cogitating, and I get some moderate exercise as well!

Lee - It's my Zen time... I just live in the moment, feel the rhythm, the only things to think about is your connection (hopefully) and the music... Transendance! 

Shannon - First you learn ze dance, then you get ze women

Freya - The endorphins from a good dance and/or a fun dance take away the pain from the medical issues aggravated by my doing it :P  As Lee said, it's also a moving meditation, a moment where you forget about double-thinking everything and just enjoy said moment.  And there's so many lovely people I would never have met were it not for dancing, so many many friends...

All my reasons have been covered in what my friends said.  I don't think I could have put it any better than Freya's "moving meditation" or Lee's "Transendance" (I think I want that on a t-shirt).  There are moments when the music, your movement and your partner's movement all merge into one and it is like you have moved to a different plane.  I love all sorts of music and the feeling of being able to move my body to it is brilliant.  It doesn't even have to be a formal dance style, or with a partner.  I get a huge amount of joy from my random twirlings around the house - although nothing beats a great connected dance with a special partner.

Life is busy, sometimes stressful, but when I dance I can shut down that ticking, talking part of my brain.  While I might feel physically tired after a good dance session, I will often feel hugely mentally refreshed.

For a variety of reasons I never really did much physical activity as a kid or teenager.  So dance has had an enormous physical impact on me.  It has helped with my back issues, got me stronger and now the feeling of moving my body makes me feel great.

But the best thing about dance, is the people.  The wonderful, gorgeous, supportive people who enrich my life in so many ways.

1 comment:

  1. Another awesome reason from a friend of mine:

    Red - It assists us (well many people) through our cultural aversion to physical contact. Many people live in a professional world of zero contact - apart from, maybe, a handshake. Some people are married. Some people date. Some people have extra-curricular activities. Many people are physically isolated and feel emotionally muted. Dancing is a release without... complications.


    Hmmm, maybe this also explains why so many dancers also give excellent hugs.

    ReplyDelete