Erika Bambas
Dance 261
Movement
Philosophy
As
art, science, education, tradition, expression, and culture, dance is a
versatile and complicated activity. For
some, walking across a stage is a dance, while others must see a ballerina
performing feats on pointe to consider the performance as true dance. I believe that dance is a matter of the
individual heart and can never be the same for all people. My personal definition of dance as well as
reasons to perform, choreograph, and teach dance, are particular and unique.
Dance
is organized movement performed with a specific intent. However, it is also an art form with
aesthetic qualities. Another definition
of dance is “…art that deals with the motions of the human body” (Feibleman
302). A movable, living, and changing
art, dance is created through the human body.
“Dance is human movement which is designed in time, space, and quality
of motion” (Bond 86). A broad spectrum
of movement can be categorized as dance, so identifying what is and is not
dance is an individual and subjective matter.
I
have many reasons for dancing, yet a prevailing motivation is the physical,
mental, and spiritual health that I gain from dancing. As movement of the body, dance energizes both
body and soul and helps to maintain physical health. Physical health and mental health are
unbreakably tied together; therefore, the health of one influences the
other. President Ezra Taft Benson stated,
“The condition of the physical body can affect the spirit…Wholesome recreation
is part of our religion and is a necessary change of pace; even its
anticipation can lift the spirit” (Benson 4).
Physical exercise brings joy and promotes happiness with the body. Physical health also enhances abilities of
expression. Dancing is a means of
communication and expression, and “… the condition of the body limits, largely,
the expression of the spirit. The spirit speaks through the body and only as
the body permits (Widtsoe 171). Through
dance, my instrument, or my body, is enhanced and strengthened so that I can
communicate clearly and with passion.
I
also dance to praise God for the healthy and able body that I have been blessed
with. We are commanded to “praise his
name in the dance” (Psalm 149:3), and I feel privileged to do so. The joy that I experience when dancing is
unique and inspiring, and arouses feelings of gratitude. Dance is again mentioned in scripture as a
form of thankfulness in the Doctrine and Covenants, “If thou art merry, praise
the Lord with singing, with music, with dancing, and with a prayer of praise
and thanksgiving” (D&C 136: 28). In
addition, as a child of God, my body is a tabernacle and temple for His Spirit
(D&C 93:35). As I dance in a form of
worship with a spirit of gratitude, I can invite the Spirit to reside in me as
is described in Corinthians, “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God
Because
of its positive repercussions for me, I yearn to share dance with others. I desire for others to feel the same way
about movement that Martha Graham expressed, “What I long for is the eagerness
to meet life, the curiosity, the wonder that you feel when you can really move”
(Graham 120). The sense of wonder and
excitement communicated through dance can influence or change the viewer
forever, leaving vivid, lasting impressions.
A powerful mode of communication, dance is to communicate that the
dancer knows what his or her own body feels (Fowler 2). Every opportunity to dance is an opportunity
to share with others the eagerness, curiosity, and wonder that stem from
movement (Graham 120). Additionally,
dance is a talent from God. Although
everyone can dance, not everyone has the determination, desire, or capacity to
train successfully in dance studies. To
gain more talents, we are commanded to develop those talents that we do have
before we can receive more (D&C 82: 18).
So, training, practicing, learning and applying principles, and sharing
talents is imperative to our growth and development. There have been many times during my dance
training when I have thought that I am not good enough to pursue dance or that
I have nothing to offer the dance field.
However, after much soul searching and prayer, I have come to realize
that I have been blessed with a love for dance, an ability to dance, and a
strong desire to do so, and any comparison to another dancer’s talents is
belittling my own gifts. I perform to
share my love for dance and my God-given talents.
As
a choreographer, I create dance in emulation of The Creator, Jesus Christ. I am one of His creations, and the act of
creation is a divine heritage. “The
desire to create is one of the deepest yearnings of the human soul. No matter
our talents, education, backgrounds, or abilities, we each have an inherent
wish to create something that did not exist before”(Uchtdorf 118). I view choreography as a challenge to make
something that has not been before with unique characteristics that reflect my
personality, intent, and style. I learn
new things about myself, my beliefs, movement potential, and the topics that I
choreograph about every time I create a new dance. “Creation brings deep satisfaction and
fulfillment. We develop ourselves and
others when we take unorganized matter into our hands and mold it into
something of beauty” (Uchtdorf 118).
There is a great sense fulfillment when you watch a dance that you
choreographed, look on it with satisfaction, and can say that it is good
(Genesis 1:18).
Teaching,
by giving new thoughts and ideas to minds, is another form of creation. I teach because I enjoy observing the growth
of others as they learn how to more fully access their body’s potential. This is especially true with children. As children learn to move creatively and
safely, they make connections between dance and other activities. Creativity learned through dance can help
with school and work projects, critical thinking, and service in the future. Dance educator Joan Russell said, “We are
concerned with…fostering the child’s love of movement, and with giving scope
for discovery, imagination, and intuition” (Musil 126). Teaching a child to dance gives him or her tools
for creativity and healthy movement for life.
In
addition to teaching dance movement, I hope to teach dance kinesiology in a
university setting to help dancers use their bodies without hurting them. Because of traditions, many dance practices
are unsound and should be modified, such as stretching before class and large
amounts of deep knee work in class. The
study of human movement, kinesiology can help dancers to make informed choices
for their bodies. “Dance science has
made an enormous contribution to dancers’ well-being and athletic abilities by
offering a wealth of information on body conditioning, by challenging
established teaching and technique, and by offering modified protocols” (Batson
66). Sally Fitt, a dance kinesiology
instructor at the University
of Utah
As
an activity that is dear to my heart, sacred to me, and my chosen profession,
my views on dance are constantly growing and changing and cover a broad
spectrum. I dance to maintain physical
and spiritual health, to perform, to create, and to teach. Dance affects my soul and helps me to find
alternate means of expression. It is an art form where human beings are the
medium and living movement is the work.
As a means of expression, communication, teaching, and creation, dance
inspires me to become more than I ever dreamed I would become.
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