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Last Night a DJ Saved My Life

(Last Weekend Really, and More So Improved in Myriad Ways, Than Actually Saved)

By Holly HartPublished 5 years ago 8 min read
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Dancing is very important. Here's why...

Throwing shapes on a dance floor is absolutely one of my favourite activities of all time. Whether it’s getting freaky to a bangin’ four/four or contorting limbs and torso to some far out psychedelic grooves, engaging my body in sync with music never fails to make life all the sweeter, both in that moment, and more often than not, for many days after.

Dance is such an instinctual, primal act to engage in. It demonstrates vigour and vitality, creative flair, and rhythmic ability. From ceremonies and rituals, to celebrations, entertainment, sexual selection, and more, dance has been integral part of the evolution of human culture and society. As soon as an infant has developed enough muscle tone to control their own body, rhythmic movements are ubiquitously enjoyed. Dance is as inherent in humans as tears and laughter.

Dancing is good for your brain, and good for your body. It is good for uniting your brain with your body. It take a whole lot of processing for your grey matter to register the rhythm, beats, and melody of what you are listening to and then transmute those sounds into physical representations. Herein lies dance's enormous power of expression. Your dance moves are the visual counterpart to the musician's musings. The melody makers need you, and your dancing, as much as you need them to lend structure to your visual offerings.

The physical nature of dance ensures that we are actually using our bodies, which can so often be seen simply as a means of transportation for one's brain. Dance can be as energetic and cardiovascular as you wish it to be. Whether choreographed or improvised, the human body is designed to be in motion. Our lymphatic system relies upon movement to keep itself circulating, our bones become stronger as our muscles develop, and our lungs are utilised to their full capacity when we exert ourselves physically. There are of course other activities that can have the same positive impact on our physical selves, but dancing is near-on effortless fun, and it’s good for the brain.

At one end of the spectrum we are seeing increasing amounts of research from the likes of Piaget, Gardner and other cognitive theorists that point towards dance being an essential activity, providing the scaffold for much of the learning that occurs during infancy and early childhood. The predominant learning style of children is often kinesthetic, that is, to learn through motion. Dancing provides the opportunity for self expression, social bonding, and physical coordination, the exploration of which is vital in the early years of life for healthy development, both psychologically and physically. Dancing is also thought to assist in the development of language itself, though more research needs to be done in this area to ascertain the extent to, and the process by which, this occurs.

At the other end of the spectrum, there is a wealth of fascinating research documenting how a lifelong love affair with dance can possibly become our salvation as we age.

A longitudinal study conducted at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City indicates that people who dance on a regular basis can reduce their probability of suffering dementia later in life by an incredibly impressive 76 percent. This is because dancing lends itself well to maintaining the neuroplasticity of the brain. When we dance, we are consistently making split second decisions about how to instruct our bodies response to musical stimuli, whether it be familiar or not. In doing so, we are keeping our brains in a state of constant rewiring, which increases the complexity of our neural synapses, thus slowing down the aging process, improving our bodily responses to external provocations, and boosting memory.

Dance is also of great social importance. Many a friendship has been sparked, and solidified, on a dance floor. From catching the eye of someone equally as moved by the music, to sharing shapes with an, as of yet, unmet friend who’s feeling all the good vibrations in just the same way you do. Then there’s the unintentional dance off, where one person's absurd kinetic offering bursts forth from their body, sparks fire in the next person, and thus a showcasing of all that is possible with the human form ensues. Dance helps to break down barriers of isolation, is an accessible form of self expression, and can instill confidence. In this regard, it has definite therapeutic value, and its significance in times of celebration, ritual, and beyond, should not be underestimated.

We dance intuitively and we dance constructively, each of which grants access to a different part of the human psyche. A choreographed flamenco can lament a feeling that transcends oral language, thus instilling an element of emotional recognition in those who witness such traditions. A ceilidh consisting of many individuals enforces the importance of maintaining strong group connections and positive morale. The trans-continental rumba serves as a reminder that people of every race, faith and tradition, enjoy the festivities of dancing, party, and fun times. We use dance to express, to celebrate, and to transcend. The latter can be seen perhaps most clearly, in the mesmerising repetitive motion of the Sufi whirl. Spinning and spinning, ever graceful and en masse, this simple, singular movement sees those who partake transcend the confines of their earthly bodies to connect with their higher self.

Personally, I like to dance like nobody's watching. I live by this old cliché that you should just let loose, and move your body in whichever way you please. The modern twist is that no one is watching you anyway, because they’re all too self absorbed, but by far the kinder and more enchanting reality is that people are watching you, and absolutely loving what they see. One of my favourite activities is to people watch, and witnessing dance moves is a splendid and enlightening take on this age old pass-time. You can see such expression shine through people and their rhythmic locomotion, from the party pixie passing through the crowds, igniting energetic force fields as they weave their way around a dance floor to the minimal air pusher, stuck in their loop of gently pushing an unseen button whilst engaging in some sort of Punjabi head wobble. Then there’s the raving boppers, ready to pop with excitement, literally bouncing off of people left and right as they continually burst at the seams with joy, and never forget the classic old school Euro raver, aggressively punching the air, face clenched, seemingly letting off motion through a pressure valve... to everything else in between.

Dance is a unique form of expression that everyone can participate in. We all have bodies, and most of us are fortunate enough to have ones that work remarkably well, especially considering the amount of alcohol it takes for many a folk to let loose with the moves. Allowing your body to be free is such a blessing, and watching others enjoy that blessing is yet another blessing unto itself. A compound blessing, if you will. Being in the presence of people gleefully moving their body to some phat beats is a special type of infectious joy. Responding to others movements is almost like a reflex: how can you not reciprocate their visual offering of musical accompaniment?

Dance is a joy that is not limited, or space specific. You can dance with just your fingers, you can dance with just one hand. You can dance only from the knees down a la, “Lord of the Dance,” or from the neck up like a nodding dog. You can sing and dance, laugh and dance, walk and dance, drive and dance. You can perform a dance for the entertainment of others, or you can get totally lost in your own trance dance.

There really is no reason why we should not be making use of our bodies and dancing the days away. There is music to which to dance woven into the very tapestry of our universe, if only we care to listen. Anyone who's ever camped near a generator at a festival can testify to this. Nietzsche is famously quoted to have said, “And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music,” though perhaps this is based upon more nuanced situations that the aforementioned.

If you have a body that can be consciously commanded, then embrace that privilege, and move it. Whether you’re an experienced ballet dancer exercising precision and control of your movements, or a radical freestyler letting loose with shapes that geometrists have never before conceived of, the joys and benefits of dance are such that it should be built into the structure of our daily lives. From morning time boogies in the nuddie to late night smooth grooves, hardcore head banging and more, be sure to engage your body, and your mind, and commit even just a slither of each day to this wonderful act of expression and self love. Your body, your brain, and your future self will thank you for it.

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About the Creator

Holly Hart

Long time writer of everything important - Reviews / Shopping Lists / Poetry / Dating App Profiles / Visa Applications / Opinion Pieces / Copy / Articles / Alt-Right Trolling / Letters to my Mama

www.wordup-hollyhart.com

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