Why Dance?

I ask because is it not dancing that shows the true expressions of how you feel. Through dance you cannot really hide your feelings. Is it not the unspoken word that means more than the spoken word. Is dancing a true expression of self?

I wouldn't say it's a true expression of self but it's definatly a part of you, more the performing side. but dancing does help u vibe out some emotions for sure, the same as singing does, but I don't think it has the more personal side of singing actual words you've wirtten and are feeling xxxxxx

I don't dance. At all. Not even waltz. I don't like it, I don't feel like it's a form of self expression for me at all. Dance might be a form of expression for some people, but definitely not all.

For me, it's playing an instrument. Give me a piano and I can convey any emotion I'm feeling at the time no matter the song.

Hmmm, maybe it's music that causes someone to express themselves? Dance usually uses some form of music.

Well, dancing has always been an important part of my life. I have danced forever and it's something that my wife and I, my family and friends really enjoy. We dance at home, at parties and out socially at various events and dance clubs and belong to some dance groups.

Since man began, he has always danced. Dances have been used for ritual purposes, for story telling, to worship and praise what ever deities he believed in, to celebrate crops or weather, as part of a mating ritual, for fun, just for so many reasons.

Dancing to me is full of self-expression and creativity. It is personal, it can be social, it can be private, it can be public. In ballroom dancing for instance, even in competitions, where there are rules and certain steps must be performed, every dancer and every couple has their own unique style. All professional dancers adhere to the basics and then build upon them and create their own steps and their own style. Freestyle is the best example of this, but you will see this in every type of dance.

Dancing to me has always been very intimate and romantic. It affirms (and this is not sexist nor meant to be so don't hate me lol) the role of a man and a woman. What I mean by that, is that in dancing, the women follows the man and he leads. Now she has to trust him and he has to be responsible and accountable. In ballroom dancing (cha cha, rumba, tango, waltz quickstep, foxtrot and even in California swing and country two step, etc., the man is always the FRAME and the woman is always the PICTURE in that frame. It is his job to show her off, as it were. She is the centerpiece. That is the basis of all dancing where partners are connected physically. It's beautiful.

Dancing is wonderful exercise. It takes practice and coordination. It takes rhythm and timing. You build an understanding with your partner. It's very subtle, yet very strong. It's the pressure of a hip, the pressure of a hand or an arm, the movement and shifting of weight, the turn of a foot.

Holding a woman in your arms, pinned to your hip and guiding her across and around a dance floor to some romantic music, is the most wonderful connection and expression of love and partnership. It's is very expressive and you communicate physically with no words at all. You are in sync and become and move fluidly as one. It is pure joy and freedom. It lifts your spirit. You can enjoy each other, the music, others aorund you, if oyu are in a social situation and it's damn fun! I can't ell you how many times I have grabbed Sue when I hear a song I like or we are just fooling around, in the yard, in the kitchen or where ever and we dance. I have danced with her on the beach, on piers, in parks, in restaurants, on the street, in the grocery store, lol anywhere the mood strikes me.

It is the coming together and the re-connection and affirmation of your devotion and partnership with one another. It is physical, mental, emotional and spiritual.

It's never about performing (unless you are dancing professionally and then that is a part and only a part of it), it's much to intimate for that. It is very personal and you make the dance your own, you create your style and your signature. You create whatever mood you want- fun, romantic, serious, classy, graceful, sensual, elegant, joyous, whatever you want the dance to be and where ever you want it to go. There are no limits.

And as you can see below, yes-there is even tango in the park! lmao

Why dance?... is a simple yet complicated question that Theo brings up.

When you think of it, it is primal, as PIOTB pointed out. Even a mother rocking her child, without even realizing it, is a dance of sorts, an instinctual dance. And kids still in diapers dance before they walk. They sway and move and rock about when they hear songs, especially songs they like.

We can dance with a complete stranger and feel a connection; a bond, even if just for the dance, can't be denied. It's a happy feeling that you get when dancing with, almost no matter who, your partner.

Of course, if you are dancing with the one you love the bond is different than that with dancing with a stranger at a wedding, for instance. Nothing sweeter than dancing with your soul-mate and words are not necessary to convey your thoughts. You are expressing your heart through your moves with each other.

I think Lisa brings up an interesting point, too:
"...maybe it's music that causes someone to express themselves? Dance usually uses some form of music."

You can't be sad while eating ice cream, is an old saying. I would say the same is true of dancing!

It's funny that you bring up babies and music and dance. All infants, even a few months old, will love music, react to it and move their tiny bodies, arms and legs. I love seeing toddlers dance! lmao I mean the head is bobbing, the feet are stepping, the hips are swaying. They all do this! And, this do this all on their own. Before they can walk they will sit on the couch and hear music and start to couch dance. lol I think dancing and some sort of music is indeed very very primal. Even before there were "real" instruments, man made percussion tools and beat out rhythms and danced and moved to the sounds. It is just something instinctual and it always lifts your spirit and makes you happy. It's incredibly self expressive.

There was a great vid of a toddler dancing...real, not fake computerized digital crap like some of them out there. Let me see if I can dig it up.

Great! I hope you find it! Tiny children dancing have always cracked me up, warmed my heart and made me smile. The fact that they do this so spontaneously, so unafraid and unabashed, is just wonderful.

Found it! His parents are so filled with joy. I just love this!

OMG!! ROTFL!!! I loved the leg kicks!! LMAO!!! That is so funny, so sweet and so cute! That is exactly what I mean! Cripes, I have watched it 4 times now! That is so fun! I love dancing with my grandkids, putting on the music and freestyling. I used to dance with my own children all the time and all of them had lessons eventually and can dance quit well as adults. I used to carry my daughter around in my arms when she was tiny and we would dance to music all over the house and I would dip her and twirl her. She loved it. Thanks for that video, I am going to share it.

My Mother taught ballroom dancing part-time and my brother and sister and I all learned at an early age. Some of my fondest memories are of her and my Dad always dancing around the house to music.

I love that video! It is very cute! We have one where we went to Joe's Crabshack and the employees did a line dance to "Car Wash", our daughter got up and totally started dancing with them. I think she was 3 at the time. lol

Unfortunately I am just not a dancer. It makes me uncomfortable and I'm really clumsy on the dance floor.

I have dated women in the past that felt the same. But, once you have a man that is a good dancer himself and can lead you and show you, you would be amazed at what can happen. It's all in having a good partner really. I bet I could teach you some moves. I have taught several women, even just friends and co-workers and it always turned out better than they could have ever imagined and they enjoyed themselves.

It's sad, because when I was a kid, dance was taught in school and all the dancing was the "old fashioned", connected type of proper dancing. Now, kids miss out on all of that and they never get the real experience of dance and feel they are too clumsy and are shy.

I always loved to hear of couples in their senior years deciding to learn to dance and taking lessons together. It's really such a joy. It's something you can do together forever.

Two weeks ago, we were shopping for groceries in Trader Joes and Frank came on singing Fly Me To The Moon (one of my all time faves) and Sue and I just started doing the FoxTrot in the aisle! lmao It was great! Everyone loved it. It's all about the joy.

I used to dance with my kids too, especially to Hernando's Hide Away from The Pajama Game. We loved dancing to this!