Dance is liberating

"Dance and music has always been a part of all cultures. Dance is used to express joy and sorrow; it is used for ceremonial purpose and to strengthen the sense of community. Small children move spontaneously when they hear music and young people dance a lot. As we grow into adulthood, the occasions for dancing wear off. This is unfortunate, because dancing affects both body and mind in a positive way. Dancing involves our entire being: The body, our emotions and our consciousness. Dance provides exercise, which strengthens the body and the immune response. Further, dance contributes joy, which disengages positive chemical responses in the body, which again counteracts the effects of stress. Dancing leads to enhanced body-consciousness, and we get access to parts of our body, which may seem dormant. Dancing has the ability to penetrate our body-armor. Soft movement can help us feel tensions and avert them in time. Through dance we can express different emotions without the need for words, which sometimes can channel unconscious feelings and limber up inhibitions. This enables larger portions of energy to run free. It is a liberating and healing proces.

Unexpressed emotions can cause disease. The more we can feel and express our emotions in a responsible way, the fewer our unconscious affective explosions.

The popularity of dances like salsa, tango and samba can be a sign that we have become more tolerant of emotional expression. Our Nordic guardedness is in need of a little Latin pulse and expression."
Ehdin, Sussanna: "Det selvhelbredende menneske" (Edited)