Dance is expression. Dance is movement. Dance is a way of expressing feeling using your body as a transport to release emotions. As defined by webster dictionary, Sacred dance encompasses all movement that expresses or enhances spiritual experiences. There are many forms of sacred dance but they all revolve around spiritual connections within oneself and the world around them. Yoga is one form that one looks within to find inner peace to gain relaxation through different bodily positions.
One section of sacred dance is called dances of imitation. This style of dancing is influenced by all living things in the natural world. Choreographers were inspired by animals, plants, and any other things found in nature. Asadata Dafora, originally from West Africa, constructed a dance that was influenced by the king of birds, the ostrich. This dance piece titled Awassa Astrige/Ostrich debuted in 1932 as a solo piece performed by Alvin Ailey that expressed what the choreographer experienced while in …show more content…
Historically it is performed by shamans, priests or priestesses in hopes to please a particular god well enough to ward off evil spirits and restore health. Also this dance is performed prior to a disease or cultural epidemic in hopes of preventing it from happening. This style of sacred dance is similar to the dances for spiritual connection. The difference is most cultures encourage the performer to enter a trance-like state to elevate themselves to connect with gods. Typically these performers inflicts pain on themselves in order to achieve this different state of consciousness. Another way performers achieve a trance-state is by whirling in a circle. In the Sufi Muslim whirling dervish dance, the whirlers attempt to create achieve divine knowledge and a love connection with God. Both sacred dances of medicine and spiritual connection function is to reach out to gods through dance in hope of healing or approval from
One section of sacred dance is called dances of imitation. This style of dancing is influenced by all living things in the natural world. Choreographers were inspired by animals, plants, and any other things found in nature. Asadata Dafora, originally from West Africa, constructed a dance that was influenced by the king of birds, the ostrich. This dance piece titled Awassa Astrige/Ostrich debuted in 1932 as a solo piece performed by Alvin Ailey that expressed what the choreographer experienced while in …show more content…
Historically it is performed by shamans, priests or priestesses in hopes to please a particular god well enough to ward off evil spirits and restore health. Also this dance is performed prior to a disease or cultural epidemic in hopes of preventing it from happening. This style of sacred dance is similar to the dances for spiritual connection. The difference is most cultures encourage the performer to enter a trance-like state to elevate themselves to connect with gods. Typically these performers inflicts pain on themselves in order to achieve this different state of consciousness. Another way performers achieve a trance-state is by whirling in a circle. In the Sufi Muslim whirling dervish dance, the whirlers attempt to create achieve divine knowledge and a love connection with God. Both sacred dances of medicine and spiritual connection function is to reach out to gods through dance in hope of healing or approval from