Dance as healing
“An experimental film is about how people express their depression through dancing. Life can be difficult at times and because of many reasons. Therefore, I want to assist depressed people release themself, release their stresses of life through dancing. I believe that expressing oneself’s feeling and creativity is a great way to loosen up positive emotions.”
A few years ago when I was going through the pain of separation and divorce, something led me to dance. I had never done it before, and if I attempted it would be the most embarrassing kind of ‘Dad dancer’! Although I was pretty awkward for quite a while, by attending classes in Brighton I started to learn how to move without inhibition. I attended classes in 5Rhythms, a ‘movement meditation’ practice.
And I made a remarkable discovery. I found that problems manifested as pains and blockages in my body, which made dancing difficult, but when I ‘moved’ the problem, it transformed into something else. I’d been previously accustomed to think or talk or write about my problems, which didn’t do much. But dance actually made a difference.
I love this film by Trang Doan. It balances the pain of emotional struggle with the release of movement. If you can move, everything changes. Although I work as a talk therapist, I do believe that if more people danced their problems they would be happier, healthier and less in need of my help.
