About Dancing
"Dance is the hidden language of the soul."
Martha Graham
Ever since people have got involved in music they have danced. And of course in all these centuries much has been said about dancing. We intend to collect and quote some of the most fascinating and deepest thoughts about dancing in the years to come...
Felix Chavez about Pure Dancing
"Pure dancing basically is performed loyally to the time, rhythms and harmonies in the music in tune with those rhythms within your own Heart. Purest yet, at that moment a solo dancer reaches that synthesis within him/herself, dancing 'in' the music concurrently with-in the rhythms of Life. A duo, a man and a woman in complete connection, reaching this same rhythmic harmonies together experiencing the exalted feeling of 'Becoming One' in dance movements in relationship with our 'Internal emotional characteristic Expressions', a complete 'Dance Euphoria!' 'The Zone'!
Clearly attaining these magnificent degrees, it will not contain any fixed concept interferenceís, even brain remembrance will not come into an action or into a performance! This state of being is essential, certain teachings must be forgotten! Though on the other hand, there is what one might call a 'reminiscence'. Something that springs forth from an age-old-wisdom, when you learn a dance you must also know how to forget it. The fundamental basics assimilated during the learning process do remain within the subconscious and the cellular memories, that reflect these basics moment to moment, an essential element, then movement through movement through every level. In essence taken to heart without brain remembrance but through the muscular cellular memories combined with all internal emotional energies and memory, brought together as 'One'. The body (The Human Organism) absorbed the lessons in its silence, at which point, movement (motion) the particular language of our basic nature follows as a natural result. Its standards are as solid and exacting as those of the most demanding dance schools.
A dancer of course does not improvise his/her outer techniques, they sense the greater possibilities of their inner technical capabilities at that moment creating a special something of their own. This is why the inner techniques akin to the genuine dance artist will be something like a safety valve, the performerís 'inspirations' will utilize them and attain a high unexpected creativeness in precision with its natural outer technical supports. In total harmony, effortless, relaxed and flowing with increased maximum expressiveness. Nothing intellectual or outside influences controls their movement, the dancers then move by their own natural feelings and impulses floating without exertion or restriction, there will be nothing impeding these dancers.
Their conscious training by way of the normal and characteristic actions of the dance has been of use to the dancers in order to eventually allow themselves to be free from all the laws of cerebral measure. Now their Soul will model a unique work of art via the the most amazing and loveliest unity between rhythm and movement. This becomes more distinctive than dancing with 'engrossed' concept techniques only. Thus; attaining a total FREEDOM for each individual or a couple to express their own personal unrehearsed feelings through dance.
'Instinct' is as valuable to reach these dance goals at some point in a dancerís aspiration. This instinct, the natural intuitiveness has been growing and assimilated subconsciously from the beginning of Life. In due course this instinct (if allowed) combines with the external techniques will arise resulting into a new found creative freedom without measure. Everything depends on the dancerís outer knowledge and correspondingly recognizing and supplementing them with the inborn rhythms. The results will be soaring from their own heart, on that occasion a higher technique that is not easily perceived by the external senses or the brain, will then soak beneath his/her creative liberty. Beginning within the Soul consequently taking flight above and beyond any mundane dimension. From this source, attracting a new life in a dancers expression moment to moment, 'living' it, and 'being' it!
By courtesy of Felix Chavez, Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.
Felix Chavez, famous American dancer and teacher in the art of Partner Dance, dance champion, choreographer, winner of the 1991 and 1992 Feather Award for Best Tango Performer/Professor.
More Quotations about Dancing
6th/5th Century BC
"Dancing is silent poetry."
Simonides of Keos (approx. 556-468 BC), famous Greek lyric poet.
4th/5th Century
"Learn to dance, otherwise the angels in heaven won’t know what to do with you!"
St. Augustine (354-430), Bishop of Hippo Regius (North Africa)
16th/17th Century
"When you do dance, I wish you
A wave o' the sea, that you might ever do
Nothing but that."
(from the "Winter's Tale")
William Shakespeare (1564-1616), famous English dramatist, poet, actor, numerous plays.
19th/20th Century
"So you can't dance? Not at all? Not even one step? . . . How can you say that you've taken any trouble to live when you won't even dance?"
Hermann Hesse (1877-1962), famous Swiss poet and novelist (born in Germany), staunch pacifist, Nobel Prize for Literature in 1946, most famous novels: "Steppenwolf" and "Das Glasperlenspiel" ("The Glass Bead Game").
"Dancers are the athletes of God."
Albert Einstein (1879-1955), famous Swiss physicist (born in Germany), Nobel Prize in Physics in 1921.
"Master technique and then forget about it and be natural."
Anna Pavlova (1881-1931), famous Russian dancer, the first ballet super star that Sergei Diaghilev brought to Paris (together with Vaslav Nijinsky), Mikhail Fokine choreographed the "Dying Swan" for her with music from Saint-Saen's "Carnival of the Animals". During her lifetime Pavlova inspired thousands of young dancers and has probably done more to bring ballet to the world than any other single dancer before or since.
"There are times when the simple dignity of movement can fulfill the function of a volume of words. There are movements which impinge upon the nerves with a strength that is incomparable, for movement has power to stir the senses and emotions, unique in itself. This is the dancer's justification for being, and his reason for searching further for deeper aspects of his art."
Doris Humphrey, 1937 (1895-1958), famous modern ballet dancer and choreographer (pupil of Ruth St. Denis a.o.).
20th Century
"Dance first. Think later. It's the natural order."
Samuel Beckett (1906-1989), famous Irish novelist and playwriter ("Waiting for Godot", 1952: "We all are born mad. Some remain so.")
"Then come the lights shining on you from above. You are a performer. You forget all you learned, the process of technique, the fear, the pain, you even forget who you are, you become one with the music, the lights, indeed one with the dance."
Shirley MacLaine (born in 1934), famous actor, dancer and singer, best actress/Oscar winner 1983 for "Terms of Endearment" with Deborah Winger and Jack Nicholson (German title: "Zeit der Zärtlichkeit").
21st Century
Felix Chavez about the Tango
"The Tango is not a dance but an obsession. For the
tanguero, it is as much a part of life as eating and
sleeping. Erotic and passionate, haunting and melancholy,
it involves not only the body but also the soul..."
A vision of a future dance for life and peace:
"The dance of the future will no longer be concerned with meaningless dexterities of the body... Remembering that man is indeed the microcosm, the universe in miniature, the Divine Dance of the future should be able to convey with its slightest gestures some significance of the universe.... As we rise higher in the understanding of ourselves, the national and racial dissonances will be forgotten in the universal rhythms of Truth and Love. We shall sense our unity with all peoples who are moving to that exalted rhythm."
Ruth St. Denis (1878-1968), famous American dancer, choreographer, pioneer of contemporary dance in America.
