Astrology is a language. It speaks of movement and positions of varying celestial bodies and how those things impact us on a personal and collective level here on earth. Dance too is a language of movement and positions, bringing insight to our internal and external experiences as human beings here on this plane of existence. When we incorporate the language of astrology into our movement practices and artistic endeavors, we gain an even greater understanding of the energy available to us which can help us expand our creative edges and find deeper meaning in our craft.
The 12 zodiac signs are archetypes that help us to understand energetic patterns found in the cosmos. We can further break those signs down into four areas of focus that help us to understand kinetic energy experienced or observed in the physical body. Those four areas are: Element, Polarity, Modality, and Orientation.
1.) Elements Expressed Through Dance
The elements are a form of energy that can be seen in various movement qualities. We can look at things like shapes, levels, and areas of the body being activated to identify which element is being expressed by the dancer.
- Earth signs (Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn) move slow and steady in a regimented and structured manner expressing concise shapes and clear boundaries.
- Water signs (Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces) move gracefully and intuitively in a fluid and cyclical manner expressing emotion and exhibiting a sensitivity to the inner working of the soul as well as the unseen realm.
- Fire signs (Aries, Leo, Sagittarius) move quickly and powerfully in a bold and confident manner displaying strength and determination to express their will.
- Air Signs (Gemini, Libra, Aquarius) move throughout space with precision and in a detailed and expressive manner that communicates information or tells a story.
2.) Polarity Expressed Through Dance
Polarity helps us determine the charge of energy (+/-) in order to determine how the dancer is choosing to work with energy. The 12 zodiac signs are split in half into the categories of Yin and Yang. Yin polarity is connected to Earth and Water signs and represents our need for security. Yang Polarity is connected to Fire and Air signs and represents our need for freedom.
- Yin (-) signs (Taurus, Cancer, Virgo, Scorpio, Capricorn, Pisces) display a receptive flow of energy that is lunar (or feminine) in nature. A dancer moving with this energy would have an internal focus, movements would tend to flow inward, and the shapes and sequences would be expressed close to their body. Yin movement descends and contracts and is often done on or near the floor with little to no travel throughout space. .
- Yang (+) signs (Aries, Gemini, Leo, Libra, Sagittarius, Aquarius) display an outward flow of energy that is solar (or masculine) in nature. A dancer moving with this energy would have an external focus, movements would tend to be shared with someone or something outside of themselves. Shapes and sequences would be expansive and travel throughout space.
3.) Modality Expressed Through Dance
The modalities help us to understand the type of energy being expressed. Each of the 12 zodiac signs can be broken down into three categories of movement. Those 3 categories are Cardinal, Fixed, and Mutable.
- Cardinal signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn) INITIATE movement - they are generators of energy.
- Fixed signs (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius) SUSTAIN movement - they preserve or finish what has already begun.
- Mutable signs (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces) CHANGE movement - distributing energy in the realm of their polarity (often spiralic in nature).
4.) Orientation Expressed Through Dance
The orientation of a sign points to the stage of energy so we can understand the dancer’s motivation and how they are approaching the world in which they find themselves in. The three astrological orientations are: personal, interpersonal, and transpersonal.
- Personal signs (Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer) move in a manner that expresses something about themselves. I personally view Jazz and Tap dance as styles that display a personal orientation.
- Interpersonal signs (Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio) express a longing to form a connection with someone or something they’ve encountered along their journey. Ballet and Contemporary are two styles that feel very interpersonal to me, especially when there is a focus on partnering.
- Transpersonal signs (Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces) are concerned with the bigger picture, exploring concepts and philosophies that have a deeper meaning and impact the collective as a whole. Modern dance feels very transpersonal to me as do cultural and spiritual dance forms. .
Please note that the style designations I made above are not black and white - you would want to take in several other perspectives before classifying any type of dance or movement style. Take hip-hop for example, it would be easy to classify that as a personal expression of energy. However, a hip-hop dance battle would be better classified as interpersonal because of the energetic exchange happening. I’ve also witnessed some powerful hip-hop productions sharing the cultural history or tackling issues of injustice which would be a transpersonal expression of energy.
Putting It All Together
So to give you an example of how I would work with these concepts, let’s imagine a dancer performing a leap (go on you tube and look up “dance leap” if you’re not familiar with this move). Here are the classifications I would make for that particular move:
- FIRE - a leap is a quick and powerful movement that displays determination
- YANG - leaps travel away from the body
- FIXED - there are usually a few steps done prior to executing a leap therefore the leap completes the action that has already begun
- INTERPERSONAL - leaps can be seen as an interpersonal expression if you're trying to get to someone or something outside of yourself
- ZODIAC STYLE - based on all of the findings above, I would say this is a great move to work with when you want to embody LEO energy
Studying astrology through the lens of kinesthetic energy is incredibly helpful when engaging with spiritual dance and movement practices and vice versa. You can develop these concepts through mindful observation. I would encourage you to watch dance, any dance (again search for dance on YouTube or any social app) and try and pick out the qualities I've listed above. Or take note of them in your own movement and/or choreography. The more you look for astrological energy in that way, the faster you'll be able to detect it. Then you can utilize that information for yourself by embodying the energy that will best support you as you reach for your goals or pursue spiritual growth.
I go over these concepts in great detail whenever I teach Dance Divination so that my students have additional reference points for interpreting channeled movement, which is supernatural messages expressed through the physical body. You can learn more about Dance Divination through this BLOG ARTICLE and PODCAST EPISODE. I also have a BOOK and an ONLINE COURSE on this topic. Sign up for my NEWSLETTER to stay in the loop about my upcoming trainings and events.
