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The Three Aspects of Dancing
The surge in dance competition shows and the ever-evolving skills of
dance competitors make some perceive dancing to generally be a sport
(i.e. it’s currently being considered for Olympic competitions). With
that in mind, there is no doubt dancing at the competitive level
requires the physical endurance and skills of a consummate athlete.
However, dancing has two other aspects worth remembering:
Dancing as an “art form”, and dancing as a “social grace”.
As an art form, dancing puts us in touch with our most intimate self.
Much like a painter or a poet, it allows us to express our emotions
and helps us celebrate our joys. There is truly magic in dancing.
As a social grace, dancing allows us to share our joy with others.
It allows us to celebrate our cultural heritage, as well as to
experience the spirit of other cultures through their dances.
Here are some helpful tips for developing these three main
aspects of dancing:
Developing your dance skills: Select your teacher with care.
The best teachers put emphasis on the quality of movement rather
than quantity of steps. They are also encouraging and make the
learning fun. Build a good foundation from the start and you can
take your dancing to amazing heights. A good teacher is essential!
Developing your artistic side to dance: Have solo dance time.
Take time to dance by yourself, when nobody is around. Put on
music that inspires you! Then let yourself go and dance to your
heart’s content. Also, take time to experience stillness; slow
down your movements and feel each action being under your
control – “it is in a moment of stillness that the dance begins”.
Developing your social dance grace: This aspect of dancing has
the most range of exploration. Here, we are not only dealing with
our own dance skills and emotions, we are actually interconnected
with the dance skills and emotional expressions of other people.
To get the most out of the social aspect of dancing, it’s helpful
to remember that dancing socially is about celebration. You need
a willingness to experience the joy of other cultures through their
dances. You need courage and persistence if you’re a beginner dancer,
and you need patience and kindness if you’re an advanced dancer.
Becoming aware of these three aspects of dancing allows us to make
the most of our dance experience. While working towards our goal of
improving our skills and dance performance, let the music touch your
soul. Let dancing be a personal celebration, and then share that
celebration with others when social dancing.
Happy Dancing,
Blanche & Emilio
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