Finding Flow on the Dance Floor, Part 4: Social Dance as Art
“Flow is a harmonious experience where mind and body are working together effortlessly, leaving the person feeling that something special has just occurred…This is because flow lifts experience from the ordinary to the optimal, and it is in those moments that we feel truly alive and in tune with what we are doing.”
- Susan A. Jackson and Mihaly Csikzentmihalyi
It has been called flow, peak experience, optimal experience, the zone, and deep play. The concept has been widely experienced and researched, and yet it remains elusive. Generally understood to be a rare, short-lived, and unexpected occurrence, it can’t be controlled, summoned, or grasped. However, the pure joy and freedom it brings prevents us from just dismissing it altogether. We continue to seek these moments because they hint at something greater and validate the time and effort we spend in their pursuit.
For the social dancer, flow provides the unrivaled feeling of deep connection with his or her body, the music, and another human being. Every social dance – from salsa and Argentine tango to the ballroom dances and west coast swing – requires physicality, musicality, communication, problem-solving, and creativity. These exhilarating challenges open up opportunities to experience flow. Although we can’t guarantee its occurrence, we can approach the dance in a way that will maximize our receptivity and, therefore, our likelihood of feeling that transcendence.
Because dance has so many layers or levels of meaning and understanding, it helps to look at approach flow in social dance from several different angles. Though there could never be an exhaustive or comprehensive list of approaches to the dance, my research of flow and the social dance experience have revealed four main approaches that help illuminate and cultivate flow on the dance floor:
Social dance as Sport.
Social dance as Game.
Social dance as Conversation.
Social dance as Art.
Part 4 will address how social dance can be approached as an art. Please see also Parts 1, 2, and 3 for how to approach social dance as a sport, a game, and a conversation.
Social Dance as Art.
“The Dancer believes that his art has something to say which cannot be expressed in words or in any other way than by dancing… there are times when the simple dignity of movement can fulfill the function of a volume of words. There are movements which impinge upon the nerves with a strength that is incomparable, for movement has power to stir the senses and emotions, unique in itself. This is the dancer’s justification for being, and his reason for searching further for deeper aspects of his art.”
- Doris Humphrey
When we think art, we think imagination, creativity, and – above all – passion. Artists show a passionate devotion to their craft, an endless pursuit of excellence, and a burning desire to explore possibilities and push limits. While there can be external rewards for creating a work of art, the experience itself is the primary motivation of the artist. They find a sense of identity, expression, and self-discovery in their art form that makes them hunger for more.
The word amateur comes from the Latin word amator: lover. Regardless of skill or experience, the true artist strives to remain an amateur at heart, always a student, always in awe of the inexhaustible riches of their form. The dancer’s love for the art of dance is deep, not superficial. He or she is enamored with every aspect of the dance, fueling an internal motivation to explore further. “Passion isn’t just something we do with feeling or emotion, it is something that compels or defines the artist,” writes Barry Green in The Mastery of Music: Ten Pathways to True Artistry.
Passion is necessary to create art, but it is incomplete without a physical, mental, and emotional investment from the artist. Passion must be translated into art through discipline, a commitment to learning the techniques needed to flesh out the object of one’s devotion. In order to make an art of one’s movement and partnership, a dancer must build the proper technique and knowledge, from body mechanics to leading or following to musical interpretation. Rather than being a burden, for the passionate and committed artist each skill represents another challenge, another avenue for discovery and expression.
True artists do not just study the technique and background of the art form to attain a goal; they show a desire to explore the details for sheer enjoyment, a quality that Andrew Cooper calls craftsmanship. Dancers who demonstrate artistry are committed to exploring the depths of their form, including the history, culture, music, and various styles and interpretations. They seek inspiration from other dancers and disciplines, work on their weaknesses as much as their strengths, and consider the intangible qualities as well as the physical aspects of the dance. These are not just details; they are the lifeblood of passion itself. Writes Cooper in Playing in the Zone: Exploring the Spiritual Dimensions of Sports, “To mean anything, the lofty devotion to excellence must be translated into a practical passion for detail.”
Having a deep love for the art of dance and committing one’s time and energy to the discipline and the details are both required to develop artistry. Without passion, dance becomes empty and lifeless. Without discipline, there are no tools with which to express oneself through dance. It is only when passion and discipline (as discussed by Barry Green), or devotion and craftsmanship (as discussed by Andrew Cooper), intersect that the artist becomes immersed in and absorbed by the dance, losing him or herself in a transcendent state of flow. But there are two things that can either contribute to or interfere with the pursuit of this meaningful expression: one’s partner and one’s performance.
The essence of partner dancing is two bodies dancing as one. Moving in harmony with another requires the intangible quality of connection. Connection can refer to a collection of leading and following techniques, an elusive feeling of chemistry with the other person, and/or a commitment to being present and responsive to one’s partner. It can therefore be considered a physical, mental, emotional, and even spiritual reality. The stronger these connections are, the greater the capacity for passion and discipline to produce a work of art between two people on the dance floor. These connections do not happen by accident. Art is not passive; it is active, fluid, and committed. Therefore, each partner in social dance must include the other person in their artistry and attempt to fuse their visions together in united movement. They must also exercise a devoted discipline with respect to their partner, not only adjusting to the other but making him or her a source of inspiration for their own movements and musical interpretation. Surrendering the need to control the dance opens up the partnership to greater artistic expression and revelation.
Art is intended to be a form of self-expression. Therefore, dance as art necessarily implies performance, even if spontaneous instead of planned or choreographed, before an audience. Performance brings out the best in the artist, motivating him or her to share their best and truest colors through their art form. Passion ignites the performer during the dance, and discipline and technique become the vehicle for communicating that emotion to the audience. True artists enjoy sharing their artistry with others, not for the attention or validation but for the pure pleasure they find in their art and the desire to share that pleasure with others.
Both partner and performance are important elements in artistry on the dance floor, but they can also become obstacles to artistry on the dance floor when the ego interferes. When a dancer puts their own enjoyment above that of their partner, they are no longer communicating for the purpose of mutual expression within the partnership. Similarly, when the performance becomes more about showing off than about genuine artistry, the dance ceases to be art but rather an instrument of selfish gain and temporary satisfaction. It is important that both partners remain responsive and attentive to each other and the creative impulses of the moment rather than trying to achieve a particular response from others.
Just as one’s ego can be an obstacle, so too can insecurity. While an unhealthy ego is undesirable, it is important for the dancer to be confident in his or her artistry. While some love the limelight and have to resist the temptation to make the dance about showing off, others have the opposite challenge. They love to dance but feel shame or embarrassment dancing socially in front of others. Similarly, some dancers have no problem being selfless with their partners but often don’t allow their own individuality into the partnership. Humility is an essential component of true art, but the painfully shy lack the confidence to truly express themselves. This can be a hindrance to true artistry. There is a balanced ego that is healthy and necessary for the performance of art. It finds comfort and peace in an authentic expression of self and appreciation of others. Passion can be quiet, but it is always expressive and unashamed.
For authentic artistic expression, the dancer must show both devotion and craftsmanship, confidence and humility. Cultivating these seemingly opposite qualities brings the dancer to higher plane of personal and communal experience. It is at the intersection of passion and discipline, ego and humility, that dancing takes on a whole new dimension and explodes into art. This is the place that welcomes flow. As Barry Green writes, “Creativity is a matter of translating messages of passion, excitement, and soul into our own musical language through structure, harmony, rhythm, and style… the broader our exposure [through discipline and details] and the more sensitive our inner listening [through passion and investment], the richer our unique voice will be” (additions mine). The “unique voice” of the dancer’s artistry is one of the gateways to achieving flow on the dance floor.
Like this article? Please share!
