TRINITY DANCE

“Dance is fun! It lifts the spirit, strengthens the body, and stimulates the mind.”

_Wayne Sleep

Three separate words, BODY, HEART, and SOUL. Which often leads us to conceptualise them as separate. The soul “resides” in the body. We “connect” with the heart. My body “feels” pain/pleasure. Yet we are ONE, simply, “I am”. In scientific language, we could turn to cybernetics and speak of a system. Our existence is a system that incorporates many facets. When we move into this conceptualisation, then what we do as conscious dancers makes more sense. When one part of the “system” is changed, then there is a ripple effect throughout our being.

And so, we dance! We enter the system through an easy doorway that is immediately accessible, our physical body. Through the dance we access our heart and feelings, we let our soul sore into the great expansion. This process is symmetrical. On the one hand, we use the dance to express and give a face to our feelings, our thoughts, and generally our state of being. However, sometimes these are stuck in emotional blockages or repetitive stories that keep us prisoners to a state of being that is less than desirable. However, we can change these, not by tackling the emotions and stories directly, but by dancing into existence new ones. When we engage in CONSCIOUS dance, we become agents of our lives. We give form to that which we desire. We create beauty and joy that makes life a pleasure, not a pain.

_Christos Daskalakos

dance RADICAL CONNECTIONS

“You dance love, and you dance joy, and you dance dreams.”

_Gene Kelly

Everyone knows about the five senses of perception, yet there are two senses involved in dance that have a profound effect on our experience of self and the world. These are our kinetic sense and proprioception. Both these senses are intricately involved with our physicality. They contribute to our awareness not only of our bodies and their movements, but also our relationship to the space around them. Moving through space with a greater awareness of ourselves and experiencing this through our bodies is a powerful way to connect with a sense of self. Usually, these movement experiences are carried out unconsciously as they form part of our learnt patterns of behaviour. What dance can do is bring awareness to the forefront so that our connection to our bodies and self is deepened.

In essence, dance serves as a transformative practice that opens up the possibility of a profound journey of self-discovery. The integration of music and movement means that not only are we experiencing the dance physically, with all the benefits that may have, but also emotionally through the music. The integration of physical and emotional aspects expands our perception. It feels as if the dance unveils the hidden secrets of the world, inviting us to participate with others and the world around us in more meaningful ways.

The movements we make in the dance are not only experienced physically. They are imbued with emotion and meaning leading to a richer experience of life. With greater awareness comes compassion, empathy, and love. We learn to love ourselves, others, and the world when we dance through it with passion and intensity – the complete opposite of gently strolling through life!

_Christos Daskalakos