Dancing is Defiance

It has been the core of my philosophy that dance is a form of social justice.

Let me break it down:

Throughout history, power has been exacted on one party by another through manipulation of the body. An idea cannot be silenced unless the body that houses that idea is silenced. The body holds the stories of an individual and of a people. Knowing the body provides an opportunity for one to know the self and the self in context of the larger community.
Dancing connects the body, the mind, and the spirit of an individual. Through regular practice of dance, the practitioner develops a better understanding of these entities (the body, the mind, and the spirit); therefore, developing a deeper understanding of the self. Understanding produces empathy. I believe that empathy produces a sense of respect and community. Through developing an awareness of the self, the dancer develops an awareness of other bodies in space in his/her community.
In our 21st Century society, our identities are relegated to e-mail addresses, two-dimensional photos, and cell-phone numbers. Dancing reminds us that we are three-dimensional beings. Dancing provides an opportunity to live and engage with the very thing that makes us human: our bodies.

Thank you, Psychology Today for this article:
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/what-body-knows/201111/dance-is-radical-act

And keep dancing!