A couple of weekends ago there was a “So You Think You Can Dance?” marathon on television, leading up to the live finale. My daughter and I didn’t get much done that weekend, seeing as how we were glued to the TV, giving our own critiques, and arguing for our favorites (and booing the judges when they dared diss our boy Joshua.)

My daughter is 12, and still is young enough to think I can do anything. “You should try out for that Mom! You used to dance!” I then explained to her how very, very long ago it was that I danced, and that while I still love doing it for fun, there is no way I could compete with these young people. Besides I’m too old for the cut-off (which is 30). So then she decides she’s going to try out one day, and I am all for that – we still have 7 years before she will be eligible.

But I do love dancing. I kept finding myself grooving on the couch when the fast songs would come up. They would play a samba, and my body just moved on its own, short-circuiting past my brain and going straight to my hips. Those drums just kind of get to you.

And watching the dancers is amazing. You can see the emotion all through their bodies, not just their face and eyes, but in every line and muscle. There were a couple of routines that just made you want to hold your breath until the end they were so beautiful and emotional. One dancer said, “I have to dance, I just have to!” and I totally believed her.

But dance has been around for a very long time, and can find its roots all across the globe. It has been used for celebration, supplication, ritual, and bonding.

We hear the words “Rain Dance” and automatically think of the American Indians, and while tribes all over North America do perform various rain dances, they can also be found in tribal Africa, South America, and even some European countries.

Native American tribes also have a rich history of dances for both ritual and social purposes. Some examples of ritual dances are the Rain Dance, Green Corn Dance (to celebrate and pray for a good harvest), War Dance (to bless warriors before going into battles), and Beginnings Dance (to bless the crops as they are being planted). One of the largest social dances is performed by the Cherokee Nation and is called the Stomp Dance. It is also performed by other tribal nations, but for the Cherokees, has come to replace many of the other dances and turned into a celebration all its own.

Drums, gourds, rattlers and other types of “shakers” make up the majority of the music used in Native American dancing, with occasional pipes and human voices.

The drum is also the most important instrument used in African tribal dancing, representing the heartbeat and the sound and rhythm of life.

African dances are more spontaneous and voluntary than Native American dances, which have very precise steps and forms to follow. But there are basic moves that are passed down and basic forms of dance that are followed. Also, visitors are allowed and even encouraged to participate in most African dances, with the exception of their Spiritual dances.

African tribal dances include Warrior Dances, Dances of Love (such as wedding celebrations), Rites of Passage (for example the “coming of age” of teenage boys), Dances of Welcome (to honor visitors and guests to the village), and Dances of Possession and Summoning. These are the spiritual dances that can be likened to the Native American’s Rain Dance and Green Corn Dance. But tribes will call on not only the gods, but also spirits and ancestors, sometimes even the spirits of nature such as trees and the water.

This is reminiscent of other “Natural” religions, such as Druidism and certain types of Paganism that worship Gaia, the Mother Goddess, sometimes known as Mother Earth. Dances in these religions often call on the spirits of nature; trees, the earth, water, air, and fire.

Even Christianity mentions dance as part of celebration. From the Bible:

“To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven…
A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance….” Ecclesiastes 3:1&4

“Let them praise His name with dancing and make music to Him with tambourine and harp.” Psalm 149:3
So dance is naturally a part of us. It is a way for us to celebrate. Tapping your toes when you are happy is not just a fluke; it is part of your soul.

So if you are feeling particularly down one day, grab out that CD that seems to always get your blood pumping, and dance around your house. It is sure to lift your spirits, and also give your kids a reason to smile, too!