Live a western adventure


Dance: The Beautiful Art

It is natural to want to dance and movein garments of grey and drop our heads to
whenever we hear music. With the drum beatrespond in heavy deliberate movements to show
of a military march, we want to march inwhat the music intends.For the professional
time; the smooth circles of a waltz have thedancer, it is music which dictates the mood
power to make us feel like twirling forever;and demands that a dancer surrenders his body
and a lullaby makes us lilt our bodies intoto that music, not just for his own pleasure,
sleep. Dance is a natural expression and isbut for the sake of a wider purpose. Then
a natural response to music that is heardthe dancer surrenders to music as if it were
externally or sometimes but rarely, it is inthe conductor, as he seeks to make his body
resonance with the sounds of inner joy, toits complete or final instrument .The dancer
which only the individual is privy.Mostcan only surrender to the music if he wishes
people wish to dance, or enjoy dancing. Ithis body to serve to express its influence.
is a feature in the life of most peopleTo dance to a rhythm without conscious
throughout the world who reveal thethought is a pure reaction - it is not an
differences in their culture through theart.Dancers are agents of the music - there
different types of music and the differentto express something of the spirit of his
styles of dance movement they develop ininspiration of the composer. If we like the
their traditional art. There is a differentmusic we are asked to dance to, there is an
between the dance of a country barn dance oreasy relationship and harmony between the
western line-up with a country band and themusic, the source of it and our bodies. It
rap dancing with its accompanying intonationis all in tune and the dancer can add the
and sounds; between the tap dancers metallicingredient of his own intelligence and pour
beat to a popular tune and the ballet dancershis feeling through his body language. If we
soft pointed feet describing the patterns ofare not attracted to the music then the
a classical piece; the passionate guitar anddancer is a mere puppet. In the future, to
strong heel beats of a Spanish flamenco anduse a dancer without him having conscious
the smooth swirls of an Austrian circulardesire to express the music will be seen as
waltz to the strains of a violin.Musicdancer abuse! It is not a true and fine
provides the powerful influence which we seekexample of the art form at all unless music
to express in movement and dance. Inand dancer are as one.If we hear discordant
addition, if our own emotions are moved, wesound and it is the fashion to move to it,
can convey how we feel by injecting ourone must be very skilled or insensitive or
emotions into our physical movements. Ifperhaps both in wishing to express chaos and
music uplifts us, we may dance but wish wediscord. Life's real discordant notes are
could fly and the best we can do is to raiseonly too well known in the reality of living
our arms and elevate our bodies from thewithout having to bold type it all. Modern
floor as best we can. If the music on thetimes are difficult with little rhythm,
other hand is sombre, we would rather dressmelody or harmony in any popular music.



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