The Encyclopedia of Crystals, Herbs, and New Age Elements: An A to Z Guide to New Age Elements and How to Use Them - Adams Media 2016

Dance
The Power of Movement

ORIGINS

Dance is one of our most beautiful and satisfying modes of expression. From ballet to hip hop, there is a type of dance for every mood or occasion. In the New Age realm, dance appears in a variety of practices, usually as a form of tension release or physical expression; an example of this is active meditation (see entry in this chapter). Typically, music and dance go hand in hand, as discussed in Chapter 6: The Power of Sound.

HISTORY/LORE

It is likely that humans have been dancing since our very beginning, but the earliest known documentation of dance is found in 9,000-year-old cave paintings discovered at the Bhimbetka rock shelters in Madhya Pradesh, India. Chinese pottery from the Neolithic period features images of people dancing in lines holding hands. In the ancient Egyptian, Greek, and Roman civilizations, dance was a part of life and was incorporated into many ceremonies and rituals, including funerals.

USES

The options are limitless when it comes to dance. Dancing by yourself in the privacy of your own home is a great way to blow off steam and have a little fun, but group classes and workshops offer an opportunity to learn from experienced teachers and to try dances that involve partners or larger groups of people. Many gyms, meditation centers, yoga studios, and other places where you may already have a membership also offer dance classes. Dance/movement therapy is another option you might be interested in checking out. The American Dance Therapy Association defines dance/movement therapy as “the psychotherapeutic use of movement to further the emotional, cognitive, physical and social integration of the individual.” Their website (www.adta.org) has lots of helpful resources and information.