The Magic of Dance

By Lucy Nganga

Have you ever found yourself subconsciously moving your body, tapping your feet, or nodding your head to a rhythm? Perhaps not, but you must have swirled your body, clapped your hands and raised them up in excitement. This is the magic of dance—it reveals the hidden, beautiful, and unashamed expressions of our bodies. Sometimes, we just find ourselves doing little dances randomly in the shower, kitchen, doing house chores.

Dance is the rhythmic movement of the body, often following a sequence of steps set to music. Its origins date back to around 8000 BCE in India, where carvings of people dancing under the sun were discovered. Historically, dance was performed in cultural practices, spiritual rituals, and entertainment.

Over the years, and just like music, dance has evolved giving rise to new styles cutting across the different types of dance (modern, contemporary, folk and waacking). Music, as the heartbeat of dance, inspires these creative movements.

Importance

Dance offers physical relief and serves as an exercise. A simple hip movement in a salsa dance can ease joint stiffness and muscle tension. Beyond the physical benefits, ‘Dance refreshes your mind, makes you confident and kills the negativity with you.’ Whether you're sad or anxious, dancing diverts your focus to something joyful other than stressing over things.
Dance preserves cultural heritage. Dance performances welcome foreign visitors to a country or community, celebrate weddings, or mark significant events like childbirth. Folk dances, in particular, tell stories that highlight cultural values and traditions.
Dance is a key source of entertainment. Events like Red Bull Dance Your Style competitions, music festivals and parties draw crowds all to get entertained. You find people staring at street dancers, gathering around to watch in awe of this amazing art.
Dance transcends barriers. It is a Universal Language. In 2020 “Jerusalema” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11e4sW-Q4Ns, a dance challenge united people worldwide through its captivating movements without people understanding meaning, origin or language. Similarly, Michael Jackson’s Moonwalk left a lasting global impression in the early 20th century.
Dance fosters teamwork. Beyond performances and behind every routine, a team works together to create magic. Films like Born to Dance reflect the collective effort that goes into producing the art of dance.

Focus

Let’s have a closer look at Ballet a dance style that is intricate, extreme yet striking. Just like there are so many types of dances, Ballet too is classified into: Contemporary, Romantic, Neoclassical and Classical. Let’s focus on contemporary ballet which is characterized by a blend of classical ballet (graceful, flowing movements and precise footwork) with modern dance influences. It is a dynamic and evolving dance that pushes boundaries and challenges narratives allowing self-expression and embracing individuality. The Complexions Contemporary Ballet, founded in 1994, shares that ‘’……..dance should be about removing boundaries, not reinforcing them. Whether it be the limiting traditions of a single style, period, venue, or culture….”

Contemporary ballet allows the choreographer/dancer to explicitly tell a story withholding nothing. It’s also a dance that requires one to be physically ‘fragile’, meticulously doing moves like plié, jeté, passé, demi pointe etc is not just a thing for everyone, it is an art only those agile and fluid can execute. Ruth St. Denis, ‘Dance is communication between body and soul, expressing what is too deep for words.

Fun Fact

In 2008, ballet classes were introduced for Police Officers in western Romania to help them move more elegantly while directing traffic.

Dance makes you feel younger, brings vibrance and color to life. Celebrate this day by dancing passionately -two feet legged or meticulously- do it like no one is watching!

Happy International Dance Day!

The Magic of Dance

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