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Catherine Russell
Edwin Austin
Dance 261
30 March 2016
A Joyful Dancer
There are many things in life that can bring us joy and happiness and there is something
to be said about the ways in which one can share their joy with others. The question is, what
joys are worth sharing and how does one share such a powerful emotion? To me, faith in our
Father in Heaven and the knowledge of an eternal family is the most significant reason for
having joy and thus it is the greatest kind of joy one can experience. Often times words are not
enough, or perhaps, in some cases, too much when trying to share this knowledge with others.
This is where the blessings of dance come into play. But what is dance? And what makes it so
significant that one would use it as a tool?
To dance is to, move rhythmically to music to, lead (someone) in a particular
direction, to sway, whirl, prance, caper, leap, and even flicker. Flicker relates to dance the
sense that a flickering light, or a light that is changing in brightness appears to be dancing.
Light relating to us as humans is due to the fact that we reveal a brightness about us when we
are happy. That light is seen in our eyes. As members of the Church of Jesus Christ of LatterDay Saints we have been told countless times of the importance of sharing our light with others.
In the bible we read, Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works,
and glorify your Father which is in heaven. (St. Matthew 5:16, pg. 1192). I believe that the
light we are to share is the light that comes from happiness and true joy.

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Dancing is one of the many things in this life that can bring us happiness, but it is best
when paired with a life centered around the gospel. Finding a testimony is what brings us true
joy, and allowing others to see our joy can help inspire them to find a testimony of their own.
Sometimes our light, our happiness cant be understood by others and when words dont get
through either, body language is the only way to speak to them. We use it everyday, it is a
natural means of human communication, it is the universal language.
Body language is one of the first forms of communication we learn as infants. It is
through postural habits, the intensity and timing of our movement, and even facial expressions
that babies learn how to read emotions and tones. Those learned habits then help us to make
better sense of the meaning of specific words, such as yes and no for example. Body
language that is in unison with the words being spoken makes it twice as easy for the listener to
understand. If one were to use their body language to speak oppositely of what their mouth was
saying, it would just confuse the listener. In instances where only one of these forms of
communication can be used, body language is more accurately interpreted than words alone. For
example, a text message or conversation held over the phone is common place for words and
tones to be misinterpreted. As dance requires one to use their body in interpretive ways, I feel
that dance is a perfect way to speak to those who are not easily influenced by words, or even
overly sensitive to them. Through dance and positively using our body language we can express
our light and reveal our joy to the world.
The significance that dance plays in my life is that it is a form of art. Before I even knew
that dancing was in my future I was an artist. I enjoyed, and still do enjoy creating numerous
things using mediums such as paint, charcoal, clay, etc. and even attempting to write my own

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music. So what makes dance stand out, or even above the other forms of art for me? I think it is
the fact that it carries multiple arts within its self. As a dancer I get to be both the artist and the
medium of my work. The movements and body positions create shapes that one could find in
paintings, sculptures and photography. There is even the opportunity to be a musician as a
dancer. Tap dancing, clogging and stepping are just some of the dance forms in which the dancer
can create their own rhythm with their bodies. In other, more common types of dance, one can
expect that music will be involved somehow. So even if one isnt creating their own sounds they
can still be very much so influenced by its beauty.
Music is such a motivating element for me. In an ordinary day it is what reminds me of
the powerful feelings we receive from the spirit. In fact, it is how the spirit best speaks to me;
especially when that voice is combined with dance. Music fills me with an overwhelming
happiness. A happiness that manifests the truth that there is a power beyond what we can see,
that there is more to us than the life we live here on earth. It is a happiness that I cannot and
would not want to contain and dancing is my best outlet.
Outside of the spiritual reasons I have for loving dance there are other factors. I feel that
dance plays an important role in society as a positive contributor in creating successful
communities. Through dance, both young and old can discover who they are and who they want
to become. It teaches them that confidence is a necessary means of progression in life. When
youth participate in studios or dance for a company or team they can learn how to trust
themselves and become trustworthy individuals as well. Dance opens the door to creativity
which enlightens the mind. Neil A. Maxwell once said of creativity that it, permits us to see the
wondrous order of things, their infinite beauty, their scope, but also their incredible detail.

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Koresh Dance Company of Philadelphia is one of many dance companies that also understands
the importance of dance on society. They hold an after school program for kids called Koresh
Kids Dance-Outreach. This program is set in place to promote arts and bring art education to the
underserved children of their community. They, provide an educational program for youth to
learn new skills and improve their quality of life through dance. With their successes many
youth have been positively influenced, however a comment of one particular 5th grade boy
especially stood out to me. He said,
I like this program because it taught me how to express myself and express my feelings
through dance instead of violence. It taught me how to be myself instead of trying to be
someone I'm not.
I truly believe that dance is a blessing from our Father in Heaven and that He gave us this
gift to be used as an instrument in bringing others closer to Him. It is my dream to dance as an
advocate of our Savior, and to share His glad message to those close to me and to others
throughout the world. When I perform, I want people to see more than just choreography, or
fancy costumes. I want them to see that I have a testimony of our Savior and of our Father in
Heaven. I want them to see that I know we can have eternal families because of Gods wondrous
plan. I want them to see the happiness I that get from music and dance. I want them to see that I
am a joyful dancer.

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Works Cited
Apple, Pages, Dictionary (dance). 18 Mar. 2016
http://www.helpguide.org/articles/relationships/nonverbal-communication.htm#tips. 23 Mar.
2016
http://koreshdance.org/outreach_kidsdance.php 29 Mar. 2016
Maxwell, Neal A., Creativity. Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, August 1982.