dance ENTHUSED

"To dance is to be out of yourself. Larger, more beautiful, more powerful."

- Agnes De Mille

There are moments in the dance when movement and rhythm are mesmerising – transporting us into altered states of consciousness which some even call, “Divine Madness”. The notion of being possessed by the gods is in essence that quality of dance that can evoke a sense of wonder and awe of that which ignites the human spirit. To dance is to be transported out of the profane into sacred spaces of deep cosmic connection.

When the ego mind is out of the way, we are able to surrender ourselves to the music and allow our bodies to become the vessels of pure expression. This beautiful transcendent state is where the boundaries of the mundane world dissolve, and we are transported into the realms of pure life. This flow state has an otherworld feeling which we often equate to the spiritual – the divine. No wonder then that the ancient Greeks in Dionysian ecstasy danced into a state of frenzy which they identified with being possessed and overwhelmed by that god.

As we let go into the dance we shed inhibitions and self-consciousness allowing those dormant energies of self-expression to emerge, to take form, and to move into our awareness. Banished are feelings of low self-esteem, poor body image, and any inadequacies. Dance illuminates the wonder of who we are. Graceful movements transform into moments of beauty and artistry that inspire and captivate our senses. This somewhat mystical and mysterious power of dance can stir our souls and remind us of the boundless potential that lives within each of us. Through the dance, we are enthused. Enthused with ourselves. Enthused with life. Enthused by the wonder of our own existence.

_Christos Daskalakos