The Origins of Dance

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The Origins of Dance Every dancer has a purpose in creating movement, be it simply for pleasure, exercise, exploration, spiritual or religious purposes. It’s safe to say that the origins of dance reside in cultural dance, which has been in existence for thousands of years. Dating back to the indigenous tribes of Africa and the courtship rituals in Medieval Europe, there is no doubt that these community based dances have an influence on dance genres today. Earlier this year I was in Ghanzi, Botswana visiting a San Tribe. They are also known as the Bushmen, the oldest group of people on Earth. The dances and songs they perform are believed to be the same as they were 20,000 years ago. I attended a tribal dance and this is the first time I recognized true purpose, connection and spirit in dance. This tribe uses dance to pass folklore from generation to generation, and also to heal one another, which creates an intense spiritual experience. The story the tribe told in their dance, when I was there, was about the men hunting; a huge part of the tribe’s life. Although we couldn’t understand the song, their dance was so expressive I could comprehend the whole story. It was apparent that this was truly important to each generation in honoring each other, their ancestors and their origins. Considering the Bushmen are the very first humans to roam Earth I think this is evidence as to why dance has evolved and gained importance in today’s society; it is a part of our human nature. A lot of dance today focuses on the portrayal of a specific topic, feeling, era or element, and will often mimic and develop the movement as best as possible to recreate the dance. Recalling that people have such purpose in their movement is inspiring as a mover, because it is a reminder that the roots of dance come from a place of spirit and connection to the Earth and our ancestors.

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