My new book, Dance for Life (2024), reveals that dancing is as old as the hills, and also a reminder that it is very good for us. The scientific community agrees and is now focussed on stretching our understanding of how dance works at the human level. It’s good for mind, body, and soul. It takes us out of defeating patterns and helps us generate new energy, ideas, relationships and attitudes. My book explores the essence of dance: what it offers for people today, and the role it has played historically in bringing humans together to foster collective bonding.
Social Health
In the West, the role of dance in human flourishing got distorted in the late middle ages. In the modern era, the received culture around dancing has been narrow and associated largely with parties, holidays, alcohol, occasional celebrations, or focussed on picking someone up. It has not been focussed on dance as form of social health in the ways that walking, meditation, or attending a place of worship are understood.
Collective Dance
More recently, as dance has been rediscovered, there are now generations of people who have had the joyous experience of dance as a large group experience: at raves, festivals, carnival and other massive events. Many have experienced the wonder of collective movement, and now want that sense of connection and belonging, without staying up all night, or using drugs/alcohol to facilitate the experience.
The conscious dance movement, and in particular Ecstatic Dance, has grown from this place.
Conscious Vs Self Conscious dance
In Dance for Life, I introduce conscious dance and highlight a number of features that are common to them all. But first, I explain that Conscious Dance is not the opposite of Unconscious Dance, but rather of Self-conscious Dance. This way of dancing is designed to facilitate a letting go of movement inhibitions and a self-critical mindset by taking us into a shared dance experience that is safe and facilitated. It’s more like a gym sessions or a yoga class, but where the breathing and movement is combined with music and rhythm.
10 traits of Conscious Dance
I’ve identified 10 traits of Conscious Dance that I hope are useful for those who may be keen to accept my invitation to come and join us. They are:
i. Intention and Leadership
Conscious Dance is led by a qualified teacher with intention. That person ‘holds the space’ and leads the shape of the session. That intention is towards health and wellbeing, more like a yoga class or workshop.
ii. Timing and Shape
The practices can happen at any time in the day but are unlikely to be late into the night. There is a clear beginning and end to a session, and there is often a movement cycle or pattern that takes the dancer through different moods, pace, and tempo, related to the music that is being played.
iii. Free dance & Few Lyrics
There are no fixed steps to learn, this is free dance. The experience is about following your own energy levels and movement impulses. Conscious dance practices often preference instrumental music, though not exclusively, in order to bring the dancer’s attention to the wider sound rather than to fix on the words and their meaning in a track.
iv. Non verbal
Sessions are held without participants talking. The idea is to tune in to the language of the body, and out of the language of the mind. This also reduces the felt obligation to socialise. This clarity can be a challenging at first; we are so used to social space being filled with words. Lack of talking allows attention to other forms of communication and breaking habitual social patterns.
v. No booze or drugs
Conscious Dance is done sober, with no numbing of feelings. Dance induces dopamine and can create a natural self of wellbeing. Many people are burnt out by drugs and alcohol from the rave scene. The option to dance and be around others without a bar or people offering drugs is a clear message that the experience is one of wellbeing and the natural high that comes from dancing with others.
vi. A Community
Conscious dance is about moving and being with a community of people. There is no performative element, no spectators, no experts, or right way of perfecting a technique. In our digitised, fragmented world, the opportunity to get together and be present together in movement is invaluable and healing.
vii. In the body
The emphasis in sessions is very much to connect with breath and body. Far from trying to ‘get out of it’, conscious dance is about ‘getting into’ our sensate bodies and breath. Finding ways to be physically, emotionally and mentally present.
viii. Inclusion and diversity
The practices are about showing up as you are, regardless of age, ability, race, culture, sexual orientation etc No groups are preferred or excluded, and no ways of moving are prohibited. Everyone is welcome, and the greater the diversity the richer the collective experience.
ix. No dress code.
There is no need to dress up or look a certain way at a conscious dance practice. The encouragement is to wear clothes that are comfortable to dance in, and where possible to dance in bare feet to connect to the earth.
x. Welcome what you bring and how you are today.
Conscious Dance is not about only showing up only when you are ‘in the mood’, happy, or ready to party. This is a form of dance where everything you feel from tiredness to stress, anxiety or anger, sadness and sorrow, are all welcome. You’ll be encouraged to become aware of how you experience yourself in the space and to find ways to move with it so that it is not resisted or hidden. There are also quieter times in a session, for integration or meditation.
Cultural Leap
It can feel like a cultural leap dancing in the sober light of day, not being able to chat, or imbibe, and largely not knowing the people who you are dancing with. But once this strangeness is accepted and welcomed the treat is that you can connect with other people without the obligation to socialise or the need to explain yourself.
This is your invitation, come and join us.
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