Whats the point in dancing?

I see you, baby. Shaking that ass.

It’s fun, good for you and…yeah, that’s all you need to know.

I’m not a dancer of any kind, so I can answer impartially, I think.

It is natural for us to respond to rhythms. Nine months under our mothers’ heartbeats, and we take it in. Heartbeat rhythms have been used in various experiments in calming infants. The earth and its process are filled with rhythms, from breathing and blinking to night and day, the seasons, and the movements of the stars. We relate to them all in some elemental way.

A natural response to rhythm is to echo or emulate the rhythm. And a natural way to echo the rhythm is to move in synchrony with it. Dance.

Rhythmic movement, especially to music or a beat, is pleasurable and natural.

I wish the church I was raised in had seen it that way. Dancing was “worldly” (yes, it was, exactly! and “of the devil.” One of the many reasons why I no longer subscribe.

@jeruba,i just cant get the feel for it,i’m not selfconsious,i just dont feel comfortable doing it.
So why would someone love it.

Different strokes for different folks, Goober.

@Goober, maybe you have something specific in mind when you say “dancing.” I am talking about everything in the full range from vigorous rhythmic clapping with full-body engagement to the most artful ballet. This takes in joining hands in a circle and stepping in time, letting your body sway to a tender melody, and shaking everything from your toes to your hair in a nightclub. As a nondancer I still feel the rhythm and often start to move unconsciously, but I don’t get up and burn the floor.

If you don’t feel comfortable with movement to music of any kind, in any form, then for you there is no point, but that does not make dancing pointless. I don’t watch any kind of professional sports, but my total lack of interest does not make the game pointless to others.

Goober, GQ for you! I have asked that question myself many times. I haven’t danced for the last ten years, I just can’t see the fun in it. It used to be fun when I was a kid, but not anymore. I just hate crowded dancefloors. I enjoy more watching others dance.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dance

@Jeruba,maybe i should of phrased the question,i don’t see the point so can someone explain what the point is?

OMG!! Have you never watched Footloose?

Or dare I say; nobody puts baby in a corner!!!!!!

@Goober, well, with that redefinition (psst: “should have”), I think Asmonet’s first answer fits. Even if you don’t think about either tribal rituals or the group high of feeling the vibe, it feels good and exercises your body and gets the blood flowing. There is a particular pleasure in disciplined movement, whether acrobatics or tai chi or marching in time.

But again, it goes to a deep instinct and can’t engage you through the intellect. My question back to you is, are you just trying to figure out why others do it, without feeling drawn to it yourself? Different strokes is the answer to that. Are you trying to find a way to engage yourself? If so, forget about rationality and think about making love.

@Jeruba,i love music i tap my feet,so i got the beat,but i have no draw to throwing myself around a dancefloor and screetching with glee.
However you question back to me and the statement after it made me think of a reason as to why people dance,is it to attract a mate?some sort of ritual?

Have you never heard a piece of music and felt the urge to move along with it?

I am not musically inclined nor a great dancer, but I took ballroom dance lessons at one time. There really is something nice about contact dancing, two people interacting to interpret music. There is also a non-sexual pleasure in making physical contact. If this sounds weird, then look into the post about cuddle parties: http://www.fluther.com/disc/29351/have-you-ever-attended-a-cuddle-party/

I never got to do any ballroom dancing outside of class, apart from some swing dancing. Philadelphia has a swing dance society.

One problem with ballroom dancing is that some women resent the idea of the guy doing the leading. Well someone has to lead. I would be open to occasional role reversal.

Dancing is fun as hell especially if your drunk. Its a good way to get close to strange woman at a bar or club. Dancing has got me some booty before. I wouldn’t have got that piece if I had been sitting on the sidelines. I don’ t know any real dances. That’s a lie I know the cha-cha slide, hokey-pokey, electric shuffle, and boot scootin boogie. I think it would be really fun to learn to ballroom dance. I respect all the B-Boys and B-Girls out there break-dancing and doing headspins. Those kids dance because its who they are.

The idea of not dancing is odd to me. Certain rhythms just enter the body and the body has to obey.

Entertainment. Along with many other things that you probably like to do.
If I am at a dance I just bounce up and down and clap my hands or something because I can’t dance. I know that is lame, but I just am too quiet of a person to be dancing.

@Goober, for the answer to that, see the link that tyrantxseries cited.

Dancing is the best way I know to get high without using chemicals. The dancing that I do probably is helping save my life. I was very depressed Friday, so I decided to dance that evening, instead of doing my gig. I felt normal by the end of the night. Dancing shoved the depression aside in such a visceral way. It makes drugs seem like playthings.

Of course, there’s dancing, and then there’s dancing. Different kinds of body movements lead to different states of mind. People here have talked about dancing to connect, dancing to get frenzied, and dancing to create form.

Someof these are more intentional that others, but the kind of dancing I do is even more intentional. It’s designed to create a kind of community and a communal experience. It takes you on a journey every time you do it. It’s the best kind of meditation I know.

Honest, I feel sorry for people who don’t dance, or who have not had a good time with dance. Most people don’t have access to anything but the traditional forms of dance, which usually don’t speak very clearly to people.

The stuff that I’m involved in reaches people on a spiritual level as well as physical and aesthetic. I would do it every day, if I could. I probably would never have gotten sick, had I been able to do that.

It brings good vibes to your mood,...it is used also for praise and worship, a celebration, a preperation for war/s.

I’m a caucasian and I have no rhythm whatsoever so, for me, there is no point to me dancing at all because I just cannot do it without looking like a buffoon.

Disclaimer: this is not to say that other caucasians can’t dance and dance very well for that matter. I’m speaking entirely for myself and I totally suck at dancing.

There is no point, and that is exactly the point! If you are too vain to dance because you are worried how you look, then you are missing out on one of the most enjoyable activities you can do with your body, second only to sex. If you are too closed minded to see it as more than just moving your body to a rhythm and can’t see the fun in it, you are def missing out! Of course dancing with your self is not nearly as fun as billy idol leads us all to believe, So dance with a girl or guy, if you don’t know one dance with your friends, or even your mom for cryin out loud. Cause your friends don’t dance and if they don’t dance
Well they’re no friends of mine. Plus its a great way to relieve stress,you can act like you’re out of this world, and leave the real one far behind! I don’t typically think of real world problems when I’m getting my groove on.

For those who partner dance, the lead-follow relationship is a wonderful, wordless conversation. There’s a back and forth communication between dancers that feels elemental to me. Now that I dance, I can’t imagine my life without it. It is probably my very favorite way to spend an evening.

@LKidKyle1985. Most of what you said in your answer is opinion only so I won’t feel so bad when I contest or disregard a decent portion of what you wrote. Vanity has nothing to do with it and you are only assuming I’m close minded and we all know what it means when someone assumes something. Have a nice day.

@bluefreedom its funny because you assume I was directly talking to you with my answer. talk about Irony. In fact I was talking to the world of general nay sayers about dancing. You may not be close minded, but you definately appear to be self centered.
And btw, there are no real facts on why people like to dance, other than medical evidence that it makes them feel better.
So why dont You and your Snide remarks have a “nice” day

I’m having a great day, actually, and thanks for mentioning it. LOL

@Bluefreedom If vanity has nothing to do with it, then why would it matter if you look like a buffoon when you dance?

Take dancing lessons with a friend or girlfriend. It doesn’t matter what in really, but it’ll loosen you up and you might actually get quite good at it. I used to hate dancing, now I’m usually dragging someone else out of their seat.

This is why confused white kids dance
Its called hardcore.

@RandomMrdan. It’s complicated. :o)

I don’t understand why some of the people here who like to dance feel that it’s their business to make personal remarks about those who don’t. To me that’s just as much out of line as criticizing people who don’t share your religion, sexual orientation, or politics.

Dancing is part of my daily workout. I love it! You can’t dance and be mad at the same time, so sometimes I dance when my son is being a tyrant. I have always wanted to take lessons but I live in a tiny town and I feel like I’m too late to start now. Unless it was ballroom or something…Which I would love that too!!

these are not personal remarks, they are just what they are. If you are afraid to dance because of what people will think, thats vanity. Sorry if that offends people. If you are unwilling to go out on the dance floor and dance with someone to see for yourself what its all about, thats being close minded. I am sure we can all find things we have been vain or closeminded about at some point, or currently. God forbid anyone be guilty of these sins… If what I said offends you then maybe its because it hits home, and maybe you should step out of the box and dance like an idiot or go to a club and just have a good time. I’m just calling it as I see it thats all.

I’m pretty self-conscious about dancing in front of a crowd (with the exception of a slow dance), but will dance at home. With my kids, with my husband, alone…

heh what people mix up is they arn’t dancing in front of a crowd, they are dancing in a crowd :D but theres nothing wrong with not wanting to go to a crowded place and dance, its more about preference at that point.

@LKid: You have a point, there. When I was younger and did dance at bars, I always went right to the center of the crowd…I felt much more ‘invisible’ there than on the edges of the dance floor.

Dancing is another form of communication, and I find it sad that someone would ever choose not to do it. We’ve had people in wheelchairs; people with broken arms and legs; people with headaches, stomach aches, and all kinds of other limitations dance with us, and they do just fine. In fact, most of them feel better afterwards.

Of course, communication depends on the extent of your vocabulary, and to my mind, most people’s dance vocabularies are fairly limited. This is not, I believe, due to any lack of dance intelligence. Rather, I believe it is due to social pressure to express yourself only in certain, very narrowly defined ways.

Raves, bar dances, clubs, even ballroom dancing are all pretty strictly limited as to what is acceptable. I prefer improvisational dance, or contact improv, which let you do what you need to do to express yourself, with the only rules being those necessary to keep you and others safe. These kinds of dances develop a much more sophisticated language, and the conversations you have can be quite amazing.

You can speak to many people at once, and it isn’t like the Electric Slide. You can touch each other, and it isn’t all about sex. It’s more like being innocent the way you are when you’re five and just tumble around with all your friends. Except it isn’t innocent at all. It is very sophisticated.

There are contact improv dances all over the country. Dance New England and the Barefoot Boogie folks also run dances that approach this kind of language. I’m sure there are places out in the San Francisco area—perhaps graduates of Anna Halprin’s school run them. I hope there are such things in other parts of the country, too.

@daloon,why would you feel sad?That does not make sense.

I don’t dance so you feel sad!!! WHAT?

@goober: I guess it’s the emotion of a true believer. We love it so much, and we “know” other people will love it if they try it, so it makes us sad that the others are not availing themselves of it. Same as a religious proselytizer, unfortunately. Don’t worry. I’m not coming to your doorstep to try to convince you to “convert.”

Honest, though. People who do this often express a wish that everyone would do it, because it’s hard to imagine there being any conflict in the world if you do it. It’s like meditation and philosphy and love and exercise all in one.

Sorry. I’m getting carried away. It has saved my life, I’m afraid. When I’m depressed, I go dance like this, and boom! My mood is elevated, and not just temporarily. I could go on an on, but that is the burden of a true believer!

I used to Tap Dance until i fell in the TUB.

see, now only a person who loves dance will try tap dancing in a tub! LOL. I trust you’re joking, but if not, don’t worry. Be happy!

@daloon,please inform all of your dancing partners not to feel sad for me as i am tootling along nicely without Saturday Night feever.Keep smiling x

dancing…is amazing
i remember this time where my homegurl turned up the music on her truck while we were just chilling inside the apartments…it was close to night time around, 8pm -9 and a lot kids were outside…We just randomly started dancing in front of everyone, her, me, two or three other friends with us…it was so FUN like i’ve never felt so free, we didnt care what anyone thought of us, we just…DANCED
=]

i mean, then again i see your asking for a point, not everything has a point to it, dancing goes way back to the beginning of history, it was just a natural action that humans did whether it was culturally, or even religiously. I mean i think that’s why it’s considered more like an art now..but heck i just dance for fun

It FEELS GOOD!

I have no idea what the point of it is for me, but I love doing it!

What is the point of breathing? To me the questions are interchangeable.

@Pumkin_Etoile You got that right!