Dance Challenge

By Justine Jamieson

March 8, 2020

The below video is me expressing exhaustion and anger last Monday after a traumatic experience for me. This should give you the sense of how a dance can progress from not feeling and being out of the body, to seeing the energy shift into feeling the emotion and allowing it to release. With this dance I put the intention to understand how I was relating to community in this moment.

Emotional expression dance

Dance is a great way to get in touch with our emotions. Sometimes at the start of a dance we can feel disconnected and caught up in the stories in our head. Once we sink in and let the music and our body take us into the untapped parts of our self we can get in tune with the wisdom that’s inside us. This is not about looking good while you dance this is about dancing like nobody’s watching and letting your body talk to you. You can also go into a dance with a question you want answered if you like.

Conflict, anger and revenge can be expressed by fast movements, stomping and chaotic movement with the hips and arms and then softening into graceful soft movements.

Sadness, depression, hopelessness can start with soft gentle movements shrugs while sitting on the floor and move to jumping or spinning out the energy.

Guilt and shame can be your shoulders curled over, covering your face and shaking your head and end up opening your heart space.

Joy, bliss and ecstasy may look like wanting to fly, spinning and jumping or it could be touching your body sensually and moving your hips.

However your body chooses to hold tension in your posture has been correct based on your experience until now and should be listened to. Now it’s time to free yourself of how you want be. Search for open floor, five rhythms or ecstatic dance in your area and go express. Or turn up your stereo and be free.

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