Most movement is dance, but most people seem to think of dance as a kind of intentional movement that is designed to express an idea, as opposed to movement for a utilitarian sake. An additional component is that dance has a primary purpose of expressing relationships between people. It is the body language of seduction.
However, dance also serves a spiritual purpose. There is sacred dance which is more formal, and is prescribed and repetitive. There is also dance that is designed to get people out of their heads and into their bodies, which is where most spiritual experiences occur.
For me, dance is the last. It is how I experience the numinous. It connects me to a place that gives me the wherewithal to do the impossible. It’s really quite amazing to find yourself doing things you can not do.
Most recently, I found myself, at the age of 54, make a series of leaps high into the air. It felt like my legs were springs, and I became aware of myself as I was doing it, and I watched myself do it from a far enough distance that I didn’t wreck my concentration.
A lot of people commented on that after the dance. It’s an amazing thing to witness yourself doing the impossible. I had a series of people following me at that point, and they were all supposed to do the same thing, but I doubt if they were in the same space I was. It would have been nice to be able to transfer this energy to others so we all could jump like that.
Through dancing I have had a number of extraordinary experiences. Well, three, I think. But still, they are experiences I will never forget. Sound is generally an integral part of dance, and I have also had experiences of a similar nature though making music.