Dance is the Doorway

“To dance is to be out of yourself. 

Larger, more beautiful, more powerful. 

This is power, it is glory on earth 

and it is yours for the taking.”

_Agnes De Mille

I wonder if the hesitation to dance is really a fear of being in the body. We have inherited centuries of negative perceptions, opinions, and beliefs about the body—stretching back to Plato, who idealized abstract perfection over tangible reality. Mind over body—a history of subjugation, repression, and guilt. Perhaps this fear also arises from what might surface if we allow our dancing body to speak—sensations, memories, and stories long held within us.

And yet, this very aspect—the one so often feared—is the true power of dance. The moving body is not only a doorway but also the key to healing, enriching, and expanding our connection to life. To live solely from the mind, disconnected from the body’s wisdom, is to remain disempowered, never fully trusting the sensations, intuitions, and perceptions that arise from within.

Dance is a profound journey of empowerment—one that awakens a deeper connection to ourselves, teaching us to trust, to find safety, and ultimately, to stand in awe of our miraculous existence. Our body is not an obstacle but an ally, holding infinite intelligence. When we embrace it, we discover that life is not a burden to be endured but a mystery to be celebrated.

_Christos Daskalakos