There is a freedom in dance undiscovered by anyone who chooses to stand still. The liberation of the mind, body, and spirit celebrated with each movement gives us the power to dream and believe. Dance gives us control over our lives and the ability to see and feel who we truly are. Dance is everything.
Life is a vicious circle – we work, eat, sleep, repeat. The stress of daily living tightens the shoulders, clogs up the mind, and dampens the spirit.
As society continues down this stressful path, our human bodies have trouble adapting. What was once perceived as a stressor – being attacked by a bear – is no longer a realistic threat. Nowadays, being late for work and losing your car keys are considered stressful situations.
When the human body responds to a stressor, our sympathetic nervous systems begin to kick in. This means that, among other symptoms, your heart speeds up, pupils dilate, bladder relaxes, and adrenaline is pumped into your bloodstream. All of these things are great when a bear is attacking you, but not so much an angry boss.
With such stress baring us from feeling genuine emotions and enjoying life, we begin to lose who we are.
There are many ways to work through this stress and rediscover our true selves. But none are quite as powerful as dance.
The mind
You can describe dance as moving meditation.
The goal of meditation is to create a positive shift in an individual's mindset and calm the brain. This is achieved by letting go of all stressors and expressing emotion in the form of movement. You don't have to be a good dancer to show how you feel; the only necessity is a willingness to try.
Both music and meditation allow for a deeper connection to our emotions by putting a stopper on the negative mental prejudice that typically chokes our thoughts. One simply has to concentrate on the flow of their bodies in time to the music.
When we let go and dance, the brain produces a hormone called serotonin, the happy hormone. This floods our brains with positive energy and allows us to feel good about ourselves and express pure emotion.
The body
Not only is dancing great fun but its also an excellent way to stay healthy. Dancing encompasses the five main components of fitness: muscular strength, cardiovascular stamina, flexibility, body composition, and endurance. Other forms of exercise, like running and swimming, can strengthen endurance and muscles. Dance covers all bases, including balance, coordination, agility, and more.
When our bodies are at their best, we feel our best. Dance is an excellent way to achieve this.
The soul
Dance is food for the soul. Allow the music and rhythm to fill you up and shine through each movement your body makes.
Dance can be an expression of love, fear, anger, or any emotion under the sun. Suppressing these feelings can dampen your outlook on life. But express them, and there's no need to keep all that energy pent up and unexplored. Channel your spirit through movement and permit yourself the sense of freedom that will help you grow in self-confidence and self-belief.
Let the world of dance whisk you away to a place of real emotion and self-discovery.
Happy dancing!