It’s deep winter; the days are short and the nights are long.
What better time to launch my book, Dance for Life?
I was lucky to be invited by Onlinevents.co.uk to launch the book into the world via their online platform the ‘Home for live and on-demand professional development tailored for helping professionals’.
No Dancing down the Red Carpet
Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t have said no to the red carpet treatment at a central London bookstore, crowds cheering and eager readers holding out their copies for the possibility of an author signature. Alas, that wasn’t on the cards this time.
In truth I had imagined that the launch might involve some opportunity to lead a group into some movement, partly as a taster to those new to conscious dance and to demonstrate what the book is all about. Again alas, this time it was not meant to be.
Onlinevents
That said, I was more than lucky to be interviewed by John Wilson, who along with his sister Sandra, runs the Onlinevents platform. John, himself a therapist, has an extraordinarily calm and open manner, and in that sense I could not have been more warmly welcomed and given the space to share my enthusiasm.
'Dance for Life' An Invitation to Dance
John began the discussion with why I wanted to write the book and what is the core idea, to which I was able to say loud and clear that the book is an invitation to everyone to get dancing. It’s a birthright; dance has been around in all societies at all times and has played an important role in human bonding, survival and success.
We need more space for dance in our lives...the evidence is overwhelming: it’s good for us, mind, body and soul.
Conscious vs Unconscious Dance
John asked about what conscious dance is. I was able to explain that it wasn’t the opposite of unconscious dance but the opposite of self-conscious dance. The ipractice begins with putting our attention and awareness into breath and body. There are no drugs or alcohol involved.
As we go more deeply into the dance, with the help of a facilitator, we begin to loosen our inhibition and eventually find that we are moving without having to think about what we’re doing; we are in a flow state, moving and including whatever arises in our field of consciousness: parts of the body, thoughts, feelings etc
Evidence
There have been many studies on dance, including how beneficial it is for combatting isolation and promoting human connection. I spoke of research on the use of dance for the prevention and treatment of dementia, and its success for those suffering with Parkinson’s disease. There was also a large study in 2021 into conscious dance in which 98% of participants said it improved their mood and large numbers reported ‘therapeutic benefits’.
Extracts
I read a few extracts of the book which was enjoyable. A whole book on a whole subject I realised can be quite intense and the richness and depth can get lost in the great sea of information. Extracting a few ‘choice’ parts made the tasting all the richer, and even I heard the words differently as I read them out.
Q&A
As a therapist, I am used to being the one asking questions and in a sense the spotlight is on my clients, not on me. This new format where I was publicly being asked questions and people had gathered to hear my voice felt somewhat alien. John had said to me that really what people wanted to feel was my enthusiasm; as he pointed out at the beginning, writing a book is no small task. What was the fire that had driven this?
Right at the start of the book I write:
‘It all starts with a love of dance…everything else is an afterthought’.
This is profoundly true for me. Dancing is the thing that I am passionate. The book is about my journey, my interest, my experiences, my work and my life as it has coalesced around this central truth.
Some interesting questions came up. One person questioned whether the dance floor is routinely a place of connection and community. She had had some lonely times attending conscious dance sessions in which had not managed to connect with anyone. Another questions concerned what to do when you find a discordance between your movement style and the person or people you are dancing with.
Feedback
The feedback to the book launch was positive and encouraging. People said that it was
fascinating material to explore both on an individual and group/collective level.
They commented on the openness and inclusivity in the approach and how communication was spot on.
I was happy to hear that my passion as presenter was remarked on, and that I had an ease and confidence with the material.
Another book?
Well, yes, no, maybe…
Writing a book is a bit like having a baby. No sooner have you produced one, the question is raised about another one. I look at Dance for Life and can see that there’s places I can add to it and wonder how a new book could be possible whilst the first is still ‘unfinished’. And maybe that will always be how it is.
Dance is an endlessly fascinating topic, and for me conscious dance takes the subject to another level. Ours is a troubled world and if I can contribute something that improves peoples’ lives, I am happy.
Take care,
Julia
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