Dance Lets People Escape Themselves Essay, Research Paper

?When you start dancing and you feel cool, you feel like the whole world belongs to you? (Esther Boateng 87). This quote caught my attention because it was so interesting. Dance has been described as a variety of different things, but I think I never look at it as having the power to change ones total being. When I say this I mean dance enables one to take control of themselves and their world. This quote emphasizes people using dance as a vehicle to escape ones self and become bigger and stronger making the entire world your oyster. I think this quote can be used in a variety of different instances but I chose to focus on three. The first is looking at it from a historical perspective, then a modern perspective, and lastly as therapy.

I think this quote is very true if we look back though history. In the days of slavery in this country as well as in Latin America and the Caribbean, the slaves would dance whenever they got a chance. Although they were in a state of bondage and had virtually no control of their lives they were able to escape their situations if only for a moment through dance. For them it was very freeing because for once they could say when, where, and how their bodies move. It was a freeing experience for them and I would even go a further and say it helped them survive all those years of abuse and neglect.

Even now days the same can be said when someone is sad or happy they can move their bodies in a particular fashion to express that emotion. By doing this they are energizing themselves creating their own little world where they are free to move as they please.

Another way is that it serves as a therapeutic exercise, which allows individuals to release all their worries and problems. Thus enabling them to focus their brain and creative energy on something else, which will help the world seem like it is at their feet.

In conclusion, the quote ?When you start dancing and you feel cool, you feel like the whole world belongs to you? (Esther Boateng 87) is very true. It has many ramifications in our society. I believe that we individuals can learn a lot of things by exploring the many aspects of dance brought about by this quote.