Every dance (with the exception of possible exception s of the hustle, the swim, the jerk, the Freddy, The Fight, The Shing-a-Ling, the Monkey, the twist and the mashed potato -- all of my personal favorites [sigh]) is actually a symbolic and ritualized form of, or tribute to a seduction between two people. It is, as is good music and fine poetry, a form of lovespeak.
It involves gestures of advance, retreat, advance, retreat... and finally the seductive embrace. It is intensely physical, with choreographed moves and counter-moves, a back and forth invasion and minimization of personal space, and an acceleration of familiarity. The music makes conversation unnecessary, and adds potency to fully sensorial effect.
It is one of the only social encounter forms that permits immediate touch and communication on multiple levels. It accelerates intimacy and synchronized physical movements more directly and socially acceptably than in any other type of social ritual. And it dates back hundreds of years.
It is indeed sending signals - an incredibly powerful form of communication, person to person.
Dancing is very like the sport of fencing -- except the object is a far different form of touch to achieve a far different end.
As a great female musician and philosopher once sang, eons ago: "Blame It On The Bossa Nova."
Douglas E. Castle for The Sending Signals Blog
No comments:
Post a Comment