There is a certain joy in letting go of your body and letting it turn and twist, spin and twirl freely like a butterfly or a peacock. If you are a shy soul, simply close the door, switch on the music and whirl about like there is no one watching. Don’t judge yourself, don’t hold back, purely step in and out to the rhythm of music and enjoy the momentum created by your body. Just dance for the joy. Once the song stops, the sense of exhilaration is beyond description.
Is it actually possible to raise your spirits through dancing? Yes, states scientific studies. Dancing can boost the mood and stimulate the body physically and emotionally. It is a chance to feel young and carefree, lithe and weightless. Dancing, like any other physical form of exercise, releases endorphins, albeit at a higher degree due to the connections it forms in the emotional centers of the mind.
‘Why do we need wings when we can dance?’ is one quote we have often heard. A dance is sometimes worth a thousand words. Expressing delight through small jigs come naturally to even babies when they listen to music.
Why Do People Dance?
Public theatres and art centers remain closed at this time. It’s like the day planned to picnic, turned out to be a rainy day! Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass, it’s about learning to dance in the rain. Each home was transformed into mini stages this holiday season; the family members became the film crew. The cinematographer in-house moved around the house, rearranged the decor, and scouted for perfection locations! The daughter turned into the light boy, the hubby transformed into the cameraman and the son took charge of direction!
This festival of colours, our motley bunch of dance lovers were thus blessed to perform pieces in the confines of our house and the industrious ones among us stitched and edited the pieces into the selected music!
Every day new ideas were floated and fresh stories were created. There is nothing like the bonds that develop among women of different age groups. Our dance group is led by a wonderful woman who likes to dance and is over 65 years old. She is our “Joe Biden”.
Her presence, patience and providence guide us like a loving teacher and mother-figure. Our ages range from 18 to 60, but this does not prevent us from having a great time, whether we are together physically or in an online group. Dance and music touch the depths of our soul and connect us like siblings.
Dance brings happiness
The art, fame and precision come later to ordinary dance lovers like us. Dance brings happiness to us. It helps us to express ourselves and build confidence. It’s a way to rely and relax in camaraderie, play with our hands in mudras ((hand gestures), experiment with our footwork and test our flexibility and agility and form strong bonds of friendship among woman who enjoy the excitement and the feel-good endorphin associated with physical activity! Dance does what art does best: it changes how you feel.
Let’s write poems with our feet and bond with like-minded woman without inhibitions through dance! Let’s dance, dear friends. Let’s love what is all around us.
Feby Imthias is a freelance writer based in Abu Dhabi. Twitter: @Feby_Imthias
