DarkHorse Ministries

The Dance of Life

In 1993, I began attending a spiritual dance class on Sunday mornings. This became 'my Church' for the next five years. It was started by a well-known local alternative therapist and many of the attending members learned of it through their own therapy or recovery process. The format was non-verbal and followed a sequence of five basic rhythms as pioneered by a former professional dancer named Gabrielle Roth in her seminal work, Maps to Ecstasy: Teachings of an Urban Shaman. According to Roth's theory, in moving successfully through all of life's processes or activities there are the five basic rhythms of flowing (fear), staccato (anger), chaos (sadness/letting go), lyrical (joy), and stillness (compassion). This sequence of rhythms, if successfully achieved or lived through, constitutes a spiritual death-rebirth cycle, thus facilitating a holistic movement both in and through the process of life itself. In this class, the dance activity was used as a tool or metaphor for allowing the body to learn the process of this death-rebirth life rhythm sequence.

For each weekly class, a facilitator brought instrumental soundtracks to match the five basic rhythms and gave verbal instructions such as asking members to pair with a partner or to switch partners. The first three dance rhythms are heavily grounded to the earth, with a rhythmic stepping back and forth between the left and right feet. The rhythm of flowing is basically feminine in nature and involves smooth, flowing, unending circular movements through which fear may be navigated safely without becoming destructive to self or others. This is followed by Staccato — a masculine rhythm — characterized by sharp, straight, angular movements initiated upon each powerful exhale and often directed outward from the body, symbolically representing directed anger. The chaos movement then starts as a slow rocking between the two feet and builds up to a flailing of the entire head, arms and upper body, like a loose ragdoll completely losing control. It is accompanied by intense and powerful drum music building to the climax of completely letting go.

The lyrical rhythm is not earthbound, but rather thrives in the air. It is the leaping energy of a childlike sprite, spontaneously emerging in those that have learned to truly let go. It belongs to the magical world of playful innocence, that is each person's birthright. The final rhythm, stillness, is the deep peace, wisdom, and connectedness that emerges after having found and lived one's childlike spontaneity and inner joy.

Reference: Roth, G. (1989). Maps to Ecstasy: Teachings of an Urban Shaman. New World Library.