Dance: The Beautiful Art

It is natural to want to dance and move wheneverdress in garments of grey and drop our heads to
we hear music. With the drum beat of a militaryrespond in heavy deliberate movements to show
march, we want to march in time; the smooth circleswhat the music intends.For the professional dancer, it
of a waltz have the power to make us feel likeis music which dictates the mood and demands that
twirling forever; and a lullaby makes us lilt our bodiesa dancer surrenders his body to that music, not just
into sleep. Dance is a natural expression and is afor his own pleasure, but for the sake of a wider
natural response to music that is heard externally orpurpose. Then the dancer surrenders to music as if it
sometimes but rarely, it is in resonance with thewere the conductor, as he seeks to make his body
sounds of inner joy, to which only the individual isits complete or final instrument .The dancer can only
privy.Most people wish to dance, or enjoy dancing. Itsurrender to the music if he wishes his body to
is a feature in the life of most people throughout theserve to express its influence. To dance to a rhythm
world who reveal the differences in their culturewithout conscious thought is a pure reaction - it is
through the different types of music and thenot an art.Dancers are agents of the music - there to
different styles of dance movement they develop inexpress something of the spirit of his inspiration of
their traditional art. There is a different between thethe composer. If we like the music we are asked to
dance of a country barn dance or western line-updance to, there is an easy relationship and harmony
with a country band and the rap dancing with itsbetween the music, the source of it and our bodies.
accompanying intonation and sounds; between theIt is all in tune and the dancer can add the ingredient
tap dancers metallic beat to a popular tune and theof his own intelligence and pour his feeling through his
ballet dancers soft pointed feet describing thebody language. If we are not attracted to the music
patterns of a classical piece; the passionate guitar andthen the dancer is a mere puppet. In the future, to
strong heel beats of a Spanish flamenco and theuse a dancer without him having conscious desire to
smooth swirls of an Austrian circular waltz to theexpress the music will be seen as dancer abuse! It is
strains of a violin.Music provides the powerfulnot a true and fine example of the art form at all
influence which we seek to express in movementunless music and dancer are as one.If we hear
and dance. In addition, if our own emotions arediscordant sound and it is the fashion to move to it,
moved, we can convey how we feel by injecting ourone must be very skilled or insensitive or perhaps
emotions into our physical movements. If musicboth in wishing to express chaos and discord. Life's
uplifts us, we may dance but wish we could fly andreal discordant notes are only too well known in the
the best we can do is to raise our arms and elevatereality of living without having to bold type it all.
our bodies from the floor as best we can. If theModern times are difficult with little rhythm, melody
music on the other hand is sombre, we would ratheror harmony in any popular music.