Bernard Wosien regarded the essence of dance to be spiritual and that the dance, in turn, nurtured our own spiritual essence and development.  His motto had to have, "Dance, dance, dance!"  He emphasized the quality of joy as a natural outcome of the dance and studied the ancient dances of Greece as embodiments of ancient wisdom.  He called this way of relating to the dance "sacred."  Once we view the dance as sacred all sorts of avenues of investigation and ways of experiencing the dance open up.  There is the continued exploration of ancient dances and the dance as a source of wisdom which is most beautifully exemplified by the work of Laura Shannon.  There is the exploration of the dance as a spiritual practice, as a form of meditation and source of healing and wholeness.  There is the exploration of  the dance as a form of worship in many different cultures and various cosmologies of which dance has been a vital part.  There is creation of wonder and awe in ourselves through the use of poetry and the words of many songs which are also sacred text.  But the most simple, and possibly most profound, way of relating to the dance is to simply name it "sacred" stepping into "sacred" space as we begin to dance attuning to ourselves and to others as the spiritual community.  



I would like to share a video in which Mary Anthony, a 93 year old dancer and teacher, was interviewed.  She makes a number of comments each of which is a gem.  When asked, "What do you try to teach your students?" she answers, "Through dance you find your emotional, physical and spiritual center. Being centered is what I try to give."  When asked, "What is the secret to being 93 and still able to dance she says, "Dancing itself."   her comments about muscle memory, dance as a source of ecstasy and as a form of prayer are equally illuminating.