John Scott- Dance

This week we talked a lot about dance and how it is the most basic and first form of art. At first I disagreed with this belief because I thought that music was necessary for dance. I thought that music is the most basic form of art. We talked about it for a while and I read Van Der Leeuw’s chapter on dance. He writes, “ To dance, one needs nothing, not paint, nor stone, nor wood, nor musical instrument; nothing at all except one’s own body” (12). We talked in class about the dance and how all you need to dance is rhythm which is contained in creation and the heartbeat. All creation rotates and walks in a certain rhythm. The sun and moon rise and set in specific pattern. We breathe and our heart beats to a specific rhythm. When we walk we walk in a specific rhythm. This is a sort of dance that we perform. The pilgrimage is a dance before God. It is movement and dance toward the heart of God. I struggle to relate to dance and this rhythm however. My body is not able to dance and move to the rhythm as well as people with more normal abilities. I desire to engage in this art form and to feel the presence of God in this work of art. Unfortunately, it is difficult for me.