How to Dance and Why

A Note on Dance: How to Dance and Why

5/7/2024

Lord, defend us from superfluidity. Yeah, this is probably going to be one of my first fruitful essays, in the sense that it was constructed in a state of grace rather than one of mortal sin. Everything written in regard to the fireplace dialogues, that came from my past where a series of grave decisions led me to being evicted out of the castle of my soul. Either way, in spite of this, I am in a state of grace now so I may comment on all manner of good and evil practices, the first of which I’d like to speak about being dance.

First, why dance? To keep it short, I’m writing this note as a reminder of its benefits. Obvious benefits include exercise, good health, and better physiognomy (i.e. a physique more liken to a Renaissance painting where the practitioner in question may look more like God on the cross). Less obvious benefits, more important for the progress of one’s soul include a weapon against depression, and praise of God. There are a million articles about the obvious benefits, but barely any in the modern day in the less obvious benefits. Still, to comment on the obvious, I’ll say dancing, especially as it pertains to its social aspect is one of the many sports which shall benefit a practitioner through one’s whole life. Where other sports, such as football and boxing, will always require another to practice, dance as an exercise may be performed with a partner but also alone. Furthermore, while other sports will require the necessary equipment for their practice, dance requires only that which God hdaas gifted to man, the body. While man invented for themselves balls and sticks to simulate games of war, God invented for man the body for which on it alone may become the source of every manner of graceful movement. This movement being dance, without the need for external equipment or expansive fields, which only requires the willing body and willing soul, is our gift from God to always have access to a means of worthy health.

Now, at this point may ask how to dance. From personal experience, in my junior year of high school I got started by looking at my reflection, and copying what others did, in particular those dances found in Persona Dancing and Yakuza.

In sum, I looked at choreographed dances, and followed them in the mirror. Then, after feeling confident enough in replicating all the dances I’ve learned, I began to practice in the mirror by stringing together a Frankenstein of choreographies. This, they call freestyling, but I will comment that dances like these are only impressive because most people in the States, rather than can’t dance they simply aren’t willing to dance so anyone that can dance will be relegated to a status of good dancer no matter how objectively wrought their dances are. Excuse me, I’m off-topic. As I was saying, I learned by watching others, and then danced by watching myself in the mirror. This a worthy method of learning how to dance, since one already starts by learning from what they want to be like. However, I will offer the warning that one should try to distance themselves away from the mirror as soon as possible.

If you were like me, going from unfit to fit, there will come the temptation, where you realize that you’re starting to look good in the mirror, both in your physique and your dancing. At this point, kill the vanity, because if you nourish it like me then you set yourself up in a terrible difficulty where one can only feel comfortable dancing when they see their own pretty reflection facing back at them. No, to reap the full benefits of dance, one has to see themselves without the mirror, and this is most attainable when one hasn’t become full of themself like I have. So, to avoid sin, and better dance, get rid of the mirror, and only use it when you find yourself learning a new dance. Otherwise, you’ll get stuck admiring yourself, and one day to throw you back on the right path, God will shoot a cannonball through your ribs to remind you who gives beauty and who takes. Of this, I did not get a cannonball in my ribs, but I for the sins I sowed through the mirror I did reap.

Back on topic. There is no “how to dance” which I may properly express in writing. It’s best learned by doing, but there are exercises one may do to better prepare themselves. As a Catholic, Yoga can go to Hell. The jury may be out on Quigong, but for the safety of the soul that practice should be banished as well since “Chi” is really just a demonic parody of our Holy Spirit.

In sum, I will comment from experience that pagan exercises are all parodies of what God may offer. On this, the Christian world used to have a more rich tradition of physical exercise developed by our monks. Unfortunately, it seems that the training of Court Jesters and knights may have dwindled to obscurity. They are difficult to find, and because of this… perhaps it is a Satanic trap, the pagan eastern traditions have filled in what the Church has given up. Yea, today we may learn how to unwittingly invoke demonic powers, but we’ll never learn how the training methods of Roland the Farter. Still, for what I recommend, I’ve most benefitted from today from Swedish Gymnastics developed by Henryk Ling, as well as everything on the “Physical Culture Historians” channel. Exercises found here may be their own kind of dance, but they develop every necessary strength, top to bottom, whilst improving one’s capacity for breath.

Still, while preliminary exercises are good, they shouldn’t prevent one from dancing since if one isn’t fit, one shall soon become fit through dance.

Excuse me Lord, I feel this essay is wholly uninteresting. Perhaps I should summarize in verse. If not for others, then for myself. Okay, here we go.

Dance should express the soul.

Dance should praise the Lord.

Dance may be done alone,

Or in a group with one’s own.

Dance makes the unfit fit,

By it are given reasons to be vain,

But dance is not for self-worship,

Dance is the gift which God has gave.

For other sports will require,

The inventions man has made,

But dance just asks of man,

To make use of their feet and hands.

Yea, feet and hands, only dance demand

Which God willing, be with man to his end.

A beginner may practice in a mirror,

But the mirror they should leave,

To practice in the open air,

To save themselves from self-worship’s snare.

This I say, not from profession, but experience.

Dancing turns mourning to joy,

When mourning through the feet and hands,

May be sent to God.

Yea, King David danced with all his might,

But many forget his fright.

He danced not to sin,

But to repent before the God who held his life.

(Yea, the king literally danced for his life).

On this note, I’ll say. If you’re too shy to dance, that’s okay. A little room and some earbuds is what I started with. You may start with that too. A little room, some music, a mirror, and a dance you wish to copy. That’s all you need, and you don’t have to worry if you’re dancing sucks at first or seems ridiculously simple because it’ll get better over time. Actually, nevermind choreographs, for one who has never started the most important part of developing this practice is having fun doing it, but to have to have fun you need to know how you’re doing it right.

So as someone who has had the unfortunate experience of dancing alone for other people at parties, I will tell you this. Literally, anyone can do this, even Grandpa with his cane or Grandma on her wheelchair.

To dance, you listen to music, and you follow the beat. That’s it! Tutorials may inundate you with dancing terms, but this is it, and it’s only because dance culture in the States has kind of died that most people say “I don’t know how to dance.” Call it a cancer of social media, but when people say this, they mean to say, “I don’t know how to dance like this dance I’ve seen other people dance,” and to this I’ll say there are styles, however, every style of dance is born out of the same principle of listening to music and forming steps around the beat. Dance can’t exist without the music to birth it. First there’s music, and then there’s dances, and though the dance may be performed without music, it is often the case that music or rather the soul of music precedes the dance. Reverent music warrants reverent movements, licentious music warrants licentious movements, and so on.

In summary, if you want to dance, just listen to music and follow the beat. This beat can be the drums, the singer, the choruses, whatever. Either way, you’ll learn this intuitively as it happens because every song has been constructed to invoke a manner of dance (or stillness, such as in the case of Gregorian chants, but note, stillness is also an element of dance for the soul moves though the body does not). Now, this will be enough from me. There are better writers on this subject. I’ll just say, that if you’ve never started, just dance, like alone in your room or something where nobody can demean you. Listen to your favorite song, and dance through it instead of sitting.

But, before I end let me add, even if you’re sad, and perform a sad dance, a sad dance shall be much more productive than sad idling. By God, we aren’t to be stuck in a state of Hell, but we are to move to Heaven in spite of Hell for so long as we’re on Earth. As creatures, we may either wallow in the marsh, or wade out of it, and much of our escape comes from our ability to create things which shall help others move out of it. But again, here’s the balance. God has given every one gifts, some more than others admittedly but not without their curses to balance them, however, as a general gift available to most people, the rich and the poor, there is the body for which most will have able hands and able feet. Not everyone can read, and not everyone can write, but everyone through movements God has granted us may be able to train their body, mind, and soul in expressing the glory of His resurrection.