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“Why does dance matter?” Isn’t it obvious? Not when the answer is different for each individual. For some people dance is an outlet. For others it’s a workout. But for some, the act of taking a beat, rhythm, emotion, or story is a way of life. It’s not for the purpose of “mattering.” For most people who perform in front of thousands of patrons or just a commuter on the subway (to potentially steal from some famous philosopher)… Dance just “is.”
In fact, there is an active online conversation on this very topic. You can participate in the discussion and provide your own answer via Pinterest, Facebook or by using the hashtag #WhyDanceMatters on Twitter.
We’d like to offer up a variety of responses to this question as well - as told to us from a Chicago youth program. We recently attended a rehearsal of Touch of Soul, an original commission by Chicago Dancing Festival in honor of Maggie Daley, performed by After School Matters, to be shown during “Chicago Dancing” and “Celebration of Dance”, part of this season’s Chicago Dancing Festival. After School Matters, (no relation to Why Dance Matters), is an organization whose mission is “to provide teens with opportunities to discover their potential and find their path to a meaningful life.” It was an opportunity to witness over 30 high school kids grooving, stepping, sliding, spinning, and jumping to contemporary beats in an urban dance choreographed by Nicholas Leichter. With 4 ½ days of rehearsal, in front of TV cameras and Twitter-bound iPhones, they produced a wildly energetic, precise yet authentic performance that, for them, was more than movement or music, it was an expression of something much bigger.
“Sometimes I dance just to let people know how awesome dancing is.”
“I dance to let people know this is me.”
“I dance because it’s who I am.”
“I do this to feel free.”
“We dance to find ourselves.”
“I dance not for me, but because it’s a family.”
“I dance to find my way.”
“I dance because I love it.”
The many touching and insightful comments made the day a truly unique experience and reminder of why we are proud to be artists. These student dancers will show how awesome dancing is on August 20th at the Harris Theatrer for Music and Dance and again on Saturday, August 25th at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion, Millennium Park, where you can see them perform among many other grand Chicago talent.
Before you go, we want to know: “Why do you dance?” Let us know by commenting below, or by posting your reply to twitter.com/chida_fe or on Facebook.com/chicagodancingfestival. If you tweet, don’t forget our hashtag, #CDF12!
