Feedback on Simmer; Putting Dance in the Wok

While I wait for more feedback (or the chance for it), I'd like to write about something more fun. Dance.

How is it a mental thing, an acquaintence asks?

Well, if I had a certain thought in my mind, and I then used my eyes, face and body to transfer the thought to your mind, we have then just communicated. Nothing was spoken out loud, yet something was just experienced, or just learned. That's mental. At least that's my idea.

The next TV show or movie you watch, try this: try to gather the character interaction as portrayed by the actors, during all the filmed moments where *no words* are spoken. Does this sound dumb? The movement of the eyes, shoulders, the direction of attention all say so much--they fill out so much meaning. In fact, just as there are things we can say in speech that can't be said in body language, there are many things that can be said in the body that cannot be expressed verbally.

These little things... the eyes, the posture, the expression on the face-these are the smallest kinds of dances. If there is any artistic element in speech, then there must also be an art form in body language. Have you watched a professional dance? Say, the Nutcracker. True, the sets and costumes say much. Take these away, and would you still be able to gather a story from the movements of the dancers? Yes. Tschaikovsky wrote music to compliment the artistic story-telling performance of a dance.

Now just because we dance to words does not limit the range of artistic freedom in expression. I don't have to work so hard to transfer what is in my mind, to your mind, quite as much. The words of the song, and the tone in which they are sung, can take you most of the way there. I am actually more free to spin my own interpretation and my own emphasis on the words of a song. This is more interesting, to me, than the performance of a dance without any words (although being able to do both are important).

Let me see if I can give an example.

Here are some lyrics to a favorite song of mine from the 80s:

"Till now
I always got by
On my own
I never really cared
Until I met you

And now
It chills me
To the bone
How do I get
You alone?"

Okay; now I am going to try to use WORDS to express what I might choose in DANCE....

Do I express this with anger? How about anger with a sense of fear, or else anger with a sense for loss of hope? How about starting off with a sense of anger twinged with fight, and then throw in a picture of a revelation half-way through, transitioning into straight fear?

Do you see how the word "anger" or "rebellion" is a good start but simply is outdone by what my body language can say? There is so much richness there that no words can ever capture. And I can variate the point meant to be taken by switching up the body language of my choice.

I hope I can shed some light on how awesome it is to dance. Yes, there is the flexibility, the coordination, sense of rhythm, mind for choreography, etc., which are necessary and variate in talent from person to person, but my favorite practice is in relaying the messages I choose to send.

I take so much delight in dance. Isn't it awesome??