I love to dance because....

[Joyful Dancer]

If there is an existing thread on this subject, please merge. I did a search and found a few similar, yet not exactly the same.

As I fall more and more in love with dancing, I've wondered what makes others fall in love with dancing or how they become interested in dancing, what their first impressions were and why they continued... so here goes with my story... please share yours if you wish... I look forward to reading these

My church offers basic group classes as part of our recreational activities. I signed up for the class with trepidation as I didn't have partner and wasn't sure I'd know anyone there. Fortunately, upon arriving I saw a new friend who was serving as an assistant to our instructor. I loved it from the first step of the Foxtrot. (It is no wonder that the Foxtrot remains my favorite dance)

This friend later invited me to attend "guest night" at the studio in which he was taking lessons. He introduced me to my current instructor and 2 1/2 years later I continue to love dancing. I love the friendships that have ensued and I am a more confident and happy woman as a result of my dancing.

I've done a few mini matches and I'm currently preparing for another showcase. Dancing is pure joy for me, thus my on line name "Joyful Dancer" ;)

My only regret concerning dancing is not having started sooner.

[Phil Owl]

The answer is contained in my signature :mrgreen:

On top of that, I LOVE the social interaction, the friendships that develop from it, and of course all the mental and physical benefits of it.

[Oldgeezer]

There are many reasons why I love dance, I'll start with "not really love of dance" but, It was one of the first things that I was better at than my brother.

[sambanada]

I feel free.

[Leonid Turetsky]

Freedom of expression.

[Spitfire]

For the love of connection, the love of musicality and the fear of no dancing! :cool:

[ldavila]

What a great question!
It makes you dig inside to find out what's going on.
:)

In my case I've always loved to dance, yet only started learning last year.
I knew I loved it before learned it: Watching others dance I could feel the passion, motion, expression. Now it feels even better as I immerse myself in the music.

But that leads me to question other aspects of dancing...
I know I like some styles better than others.
For example 'hip hop' has never done anything to me, but 'rumba' mesmerizes me.
So that gets me thinking that for me it is also getting lost in the particular emotion of a dance: the fun/energy of the salsa/jive/samba/quickstep/chacha, the grace/romanticism/flow of the rumba/walt/foxtrot, the tension/closeness/tenderness of an Argentine tango... I get something slightly different from each one - and I get upset if I don't get to experience them all regularly!

Other things mentioned are also true: I love all the new friendships since I took up dancing, and my social life has never been busier! Or this fun!!

For instance... my wife (who is also my DP) and I went on a cruise a couple of months ago. Through dancing we instantly made new friends - we had a common interest/connection and we had a ball! Dancers attract dancers.

I really love this dancing stuff!
Disclaimer: Your mileage may vary.
:cool:

Cheers
Laz

[danceronice]

Well, for a start, if I want male attention it's pretty clear I'll have to pay for it and dancing is at least legal. ;) Plus, social dances are easier to get out of than bad dates.

It's like theater only no auditions and I'm always the star.

Unlike skating, you don't usually have to get up at 4am because the ice time is at 5.

Unlike riding, the odds of injury are low, it usually doesn't bother my allergies, and the dress doesn't cost anything if you have to leave it hanging in the closet for six months.

It's good for business networking.

If I stick to Rhythm, Latin, and Smooth I usually like the music.

I get to wear pretty dresses.

[Sagitta]

For the connection, seeking that feeling of oneness with the partner and the music. Two people and music yet one. Not thinking, just moving....just being...

With one partner it may be embracing the percussion of the cuban salsa. For the next it might be the flow of romantic salsa, all curves and wavy line - no sharp edges. With the third, a newbie, the comfort of just going back to the beginning, like the cradling of a baby in a parent's arms with just the basic - front and back, side to side, fifth position breaks - making sure to intentionally connect with every inch of the rhythmic groove - the feeling of the dance in the basic. With a fourth...joyful play and trickery... So it goes

[GGinrhinestones]

When I dance, I find myself.

The more I dance, the more I love.
The more I love, the more I understand,
And the more I understand, the more I want to dance.

[pygmalion]

Because I thought I was rotten at sports, when I was a kid. As an adult, I discovered dance and my abilty to be athletic.

I love it.

[Sagitta]

When I dance, I find myself.

The more I dance, the more I love.
The more I love, the more I understand,
And the more I understand, the more I want to dance.

Very nice! In dancing I find that I can be more open, and thus find more about myself. I like the way you word it. :cool:

[fascination]

let me count the ways;

was a distraction during a critical time in my life...and still can be
has made me cultivate many personal skills and characteristics that were very weak (such as patience, deliberation, precision, and cooperation)

taught me alot about the difference between illusion and reality...


taught me how to lose gracefully, how to maintain a sense of balance in my life

helped me to lose 40 pounds

but the last and most important reason is that my soul longs to dance...it is a way for me to express all that is within me in a beautiful way...

[sambanada]

expression

[Br0nze]

Dance provides me with two things nothing else does: the ability to connect [with another person on a significantly intimate level] and the ability to express [myself]. Some things in this world allow for the former, but not the latter. Some for the latter, but not the former. Some come close to blending the two, but dance relies on them, is based on them.

Granted, I do not do the former with everyone. As a teacher of dance, when with my students, I focus on the latter and its variations; self-expression for them through the movements, and my ability to put those movements and expressions in a parameter.

When with my partner, then I connect on a level uncanny and not duplicated elsewhere. It's a process and a journey, and I am thankful she is taking it with me.

Those are the biggest reasons I love dancing. One of the other reasons, although not as huge on my favorites list is humility. Everything we achieve while dancing is constantly an ego check because we must remember where we started (from zero), what we knew (nothing), and what is left to discover (a hell of a lot). Every step, every pattern, every technique "mastered" opens doors to greater and more exciting things; they do not give me the permission to be arrogant, belittling to others or some other negative aspects that some dancers exhibit when they get better.

Dance teaches me about me, me about others, and people about themselves. It allows for a kind of self-exploration and self-realization that I think only meditation, religion and/or spirituality come close to. (If that is blasphemous, I apologize; it's how I feel based on my life experience)

[fascination]

that...is an awesome post

[sigurd]

I find it very strange about my dancing at the moment.

For the past few years, I found that I got physically tired very easily. I came to office feeling sleepy, tired through out the day, despite the fact that I have good sleep at night for reasonable hours and eat regularly. I got off work and went to dance practice, still very tired, thinking that I can't survive through the whole practice. Then, when the music starts and I moves on the dance floor, my energy comes back. Suddenly everything comes back to focus again. I feel that I am actually alive, not half dead or just constantly drafting around. Even my dp is more of a verbally abusive kind and the practice doesn't always go well, but my energy level stays as long as I am on the dance floor.

Is that love? I don't know, but dancing has been something very special for me.

[Ecclesiastes3_4]

I get to play dress-up.

Dancing brings out the best in people. Nobody comes to a social dance in a bad mood. Or if they do, they get over it pretty fast.

A bunch of handsome men who would like nothing more than to guide me around the dance floor.

As a graduate student, one's social life becomes very insular. You have no interaction with the university outside of students in your program. Dancing has let me interact with people at my school outside of my discipline and reminds me that there is more to life than international relations theory and the rational actor model.

Oh, and I have great legs now :).

[Joyful Dancer]

Wow.. I knew I would enjoy reading these.. awewsome posts everyone.. keep them coming.

[Lioness]

It helps me feel pretty, graceful, and completely in control of my body.

The music compells me to dance. There's no choice about it.

I get to dress up.

Strong leads from handsome men.

But mostly the first one, to be honest.

[megeliz]

Besides the social aspect...

Dance is something I have absolutely NO natural inclination towards. My mom never had me take dance lessons as a kid because I was so clumsy. I was the one always clapping on the off-beat at church. Whenever I would dance, my friends would tell me to stop, no, seriously, you're embarrassing us. So when I walked into my first lesson (chasing a guy, of course!), I told them 'OK, I've got 2 left feet, no coordination, and no rhythm - GOOD LUCK.' So, I get a lot of satisfaction challenging myself to do well at this dance that is not particularly beginner friendly, and to see how far I've come!

[bluebereft]

because in dancing i catch glimpses of the impossible, and a sense that i can, if not reach, at least approach it. (however slowly!)

[nucat78]

It's cheaper and safer than driving a BMW down the freeway at 2AM at 110 mph but gives the same feeling.

[dancingirldancing]

Why I love dancing it is because I cannot live without it !

I have tried quitting dancing many many times ... it is almost like smoking to me.

Addiction ? I don't know ... I just seem to have this need ! Lol !

[Oldgeezer]

For the love of dance I'm on the floor,
Naked for all to see.
Nerves and tension strike,
"What's the dance, what's my steps,"
Panic is setting in.
Then I stop and look around to see, people naked all around me.
I smile and Dance!

[roxie333]

It is one of the few times in a girls life where she can have a dozen different guys in one night and no one will think badly of her ;)

[latingal]

Welcome to DF roxie333!

[Phil Owl]

because in dancing i catch glimpses of the impossible, and a sense that i can, if not reach, at least approach it. (however slowly!)

YES!!!! I LOVE that, thank you!:D

[Phil Owl]

It's cheaper and safer than driving a BMW down the freeway at 2AM at 110 mph but gives the same feeling.

No argument there! :mrgreen:

[Phil Owl]

Got me to dig a bit deeper:

In learning to dance, I learned how to get out of my shell. I was by nature VERY shy and reserved, but dancing gave me a way to conquer that by degrees. It helped me ot start being more confident around those of the opposite sex a bit at a time. And to this day, if I feel myself starting to draw in, dancing somehow pulls me right back out.

In time I thought, what could be better than the beauty and romance and sensuality of a Rumba or Waltz, the panther-like ferocity of a Tango, the sexy playfulness of a Hustle or Cha-Cha or the sheer fun of Swing.

In addition, it helped me to start taking myself far LESS seriously and loosen up in a lot of ways.

Not only were there health benefits, but it aided me as a musician too in the respect it solidified my sense of rhythm and timing.

[liz]

because it gives me a the chance to express what my soul feels.

[Joyful Dancer]

because it gives me a the chance to express what my soul feels.

Exactly...There is a certain degree of expression that I achieve only through dancing... at times, moments of "intimacy" with the lead of a particular dance, other times a "spiritual worship" of my creator for the gift of dance, and often just the "sheer joy" of being alive :D

[CANI]

Wow.. I knew I would enjoy reading these.. awewsome posts everyone.. keep them coming.
I agree! I loved reading them. Thanks for starting this thread!

[Joyful Dancer]

I agree! I loved reading them. Thanks for starting this thread!

Sure, I look forward to seeing additions to this from time to time... always lovely to share in the dance journey of friends.

[Yana]

I dance because of how alive and free it makes me feel. It's an escape as well as a journey to find myself. I dance because it challenges me on all levels and gives me courage and strength and confidence. I dance because without it, life just isn't the same. It's my healthy obsession :)

[sambanada]

Let's finish the sentense. Why do you love to dance?

I love to dance because it is self expression.

[fascination]

pretty sure we have a thread like this...hopefully TC will rescue us

[Ray Sison]

One reason is that dance is another way to enjoy many of my favorite songs and express them in our own way...

[singndance]

I love to dance because it is singing with my whole body, not just my voice.

[Jim Chad]

I love to dance because that is when I feel most alive.

[Ray Sison]

I love to dance because it is singing with my whole body, not just my voice.

Yes... so true... :cheers:

[Ray Sison]

I dance because of how alive and free it makes me feel. It's an escape as well as a journey to find myself. I dance because it challenges me on all levels and gives me courage and strength and confidence. I dance because without it, life just isn't the same. It's my healthy obsession :)

Yana, how wonderfully you put this into words... :cheers: I share your sentiments completely... :)

[wonderwoman]

What Julie says in Julia & Julia, when she has a bad day at work and comes home to make the chocolate cream pie:
"You know what I love about cooking? I love that after a day when nothing is certain, and when I say nothing.. I mean nothing. You can come home, and absolutely know that if you add egg yolks to chocolate and sugar and milk.. it will get thick. It's such a comfort."

If that's off, I typed it from memory.
This is what I like about dancing. Nothing in my life is as it should be, everything is up in the air, some days I feel so lost. But I always know where to go, have a glass of wine or two, see familiar faces and of course dance. It's the one thing that makes the world seem all right, for a little while.

[Ray Sison]

What Julie says in Julia & Julia, when she has a bad day at work and comes home to make the chocolate cream pie:
"You know what I love about cooking? I love that after a day when nothing is certain, and when I say nothing.. I mean nothing. You can come home, and absolutely know that if you add egg yolks to chocolate and sugar and milk.. it will get thick. It's such a comfort."

If that's off, I typed it from memory.
This is what I like about dancing. Nothing in my life is as it should be, everything is up in the air, some days I feel so lost. But I always know where to go, have a glass of wine or two, see familiar faces and of course dance. It's the one thing that makes the world seem all right, for a little while.

I love that movie--so to me, this is sooo perfect, wonderwoman! :rocker:

[Vikic]

love this thread! I dance because it makes me feel like I'm actually living! it allows me to think about nothing else, none of life's other woes, and I can just lose myself in it!

[Ray Sison]

love this thread! I dance because it makes me feel like I'm actually living! it allows me to think about nothing else, none of life's other woes, and I can just lose myself in it!

Yes! I feel the same way... :cheers: