dance & RHYTHM

“It’s almost impossible to walk without engaging in rhythm.”

It’s always amusing to me when people say they have no rhythm, then turn around and walk away with a beautiful even step, i.e., rhythm. Rhythm is innate and finds many expressions within our experiences of life. We find rhythm of the heart, breathing, and daily biological cycles such as eating. These are regulated sub-consciously and are related to our survival. Other rhythms such as those related to movement can be initiated by sound and music. The close relationship between the auditory and motor centers of the brain means that our bodies move naturally to rhythm, such as tapping our foot or clapping our hands. This is not a skill we have to learn, as studies show that babies respond to music and rhythm naturally. If anything it is a skill we unlearn as we grow up.

So how does it happen that we can walk naturally with rhythm but become a jumble of arms and legs when we try to dance? This is even more astounding when we know that dance is a natural phenomenon that has existing in all cultures. While a small percentage of people suffer from amusia (the inability to recognise musical tones) the majority just need a little nudge.

This nudge is to shift attention away from the thinking head into the sense-filled body. Both our ‘outer’ senses of sight, touch, and hearing, and our ‘inner’ kinetic sense and proprioception, play a role in how and where we move. Our brains, and bodies, are able to connect to music, through rhythm, pulse and tone. This is strongly connected to the limbic system which gives music its emotional content. Our bodies express emotion naturally, which can translate into dance.

To dance and express ourselves means giving the thinking mind a pause and dropping into the body. We connect to the music and as we respond to the cues it gives us we can unconsciously give expression to not only what we are feeling but even to our very essence. Rhythm is a doorway into this world of magic. Just as we naturally tap our fingers to the beat, so we can gently open the space for our body to respond to music. When we are self-conscious, trying to plan the movement, and concerned about how they are going to be received – we shut down the spontaneity and become that jumble of arms and legs as our mind tries to keep up with the body. Letting go is the key. Find a simple rhythm. Give your mind the day off, and let your body move into the dance.

_Christos Daskalakos