Courtney Maxfield Professor Austin Dance 261 14 April 2014 For Which There are no Words Dance is not

only a hobby, it is a way of life. It is a more perfect expression of human emotions that better allows us to experience those emotions, and celebrate the wonder of the human body. A means to an end, dance allows us to fulfill emotional needs and, as Martha Graham put it, venture into the unknown. Dance is the expression of the human soul. It allows us to clearly see perfect, pure joy as well as the angry bitterness of sorrow and hate. It is the tool that allows us to convey that for which there are no words. Words are, all too often, too easily misused and misconstrued. But movement is a language that can never lie. A physical manifestation of that which is in the deepest depths of the soul, dance is a beautiful window to the core of a single human being. Dance is instinctive and intuitive. You do not think about it, you only move. It is influenced only by the mood of the dancer, and based on the dancers actions and reactions to their surroundings. Dance is not an ambition; it is very nearly a compulsion, an obsession. The trained dancer, in any form, has the skills to more completely give life to instinct. A dancers power comes in the form of spontaneity and simplicity, costing no less than absolutely everything (Graham). It is risky because it bares the soul for all to see. It is the need for people to see me that suggests that I should dance, but also, it is the need for me to see myself that drives me to

the movement. When I dance, that is when I understand and when I am at peace with myself and my surroundings. Movement is the lens through which I can clearly see not only myself, but also the world around me. It is a heightened form of reality. It is the means by which I can finally see the good and the beauty in this lonely, cruel, and difficult world. When the music comes on, and the dancer is set free, the ugliness of the world is pushed away and the pure beauty of the soul can be expressed. It strips away the excessive walls that surround us all, and allows us to see the intricate way in which we all act and react to each other and our surroundings, both the familiar and the unfamiliar. It allows us to explore the many facets of ourselves. Exploration is key to dancing; not only emotionally, but also physically. Pushing our bodies to their absolute limits allows us to fully recognize and understand the miracle which is the human body. As Martha Graham stated, The body is a sacred garment. Its your first and your last garment; it is what you enter life in and what you depart life with, and it should be treated with honor, and with joy and with fear as well. But always, though, with blessing. Dance allows each of us to celebrate the God-given miracle of our bodies, and their capabilities. There is almost no boundary to what the physical body is capable of. Our own personal fears are the only locks on the door to the fullness of our potential, and exploration through movement is the key. If movement is the key, practice, then is necessary for turning that key in the lock. As Martha Graham stated, To practice means to perform, in the face of all obstacles [It] is a means of inviting the perfection desired.

Perfection is not requisite for the understanding of the human soul through movement, but rather, it is through our repeated efforts of striving for that which we each deem to be perfect that finally allow us to achieve our potential.