In 2019, I began a journey of searching for spiritual dance communities that existed outside of religion. At first, I found myself in several different conscious dance communities. These groups placed a strong emphasis on freedom in movement, meaning moving intuitively without any structure or choreography. As someone who has a strong background in modern dance, I have a deep appreciation for improvisational movement practices. I was excited to be in communities with people who were eager to move however they pleased. However, I kept finding myself in conversations with people who disliked the idea of choreography and even thought it hindered those seeking spiritual growth through movement.
I realize I have a very different background than many people in conscious dance spaces. However, I feel strongly that choreography can be incredibly beneficial to those on a spiritual dance and movement path, especially for those who don’t have a dance background.
To choreograph is to gather and organize movement into order and pattern.
For dancers, choreography creates opportunities for practicing and expanding their craft. It's also a tool for birthing creative works into this world. There are so many incredible benefits that this tool can offer. I've listed some favorites below:
- Choreography can function like training wheels. Not everybody is comfortable moving their body without some form of guidance or structure. When I used to teach worship dance, so many people would freeze when I asked them to just move freely. But if I gave them 30 seconds of choreography to start with, they were usually able to keep moving on their own after performing the choreography.
- Choreography can be a platform for practice. It can provide structure and focus to help us grow in our technical abilities as we perfect new moves and skills. But it can also deepen our spiritual connections through the mindful execution of movement.
- Choreography supports our artistic expansion. If you’ve had any dance training, you’ve probably learned some choreography at some point. Each choreographer you work with has a different background, different perspectives and values, and their own unique flavor that they bring to their work. So each time you learn a dance from a new choreographer, you’re expanding your movement vocabulary and opening yourself up to new possibilities. In my early years of dance education, I made a point to study under as many different teachers and choreographers as I possibly could. This provided me with access to an extensive well of steps, sequences, and styles that I could then pull from in my own choreographic endeavors. But also, if you are working with a channeled movement practice then you have access to even more movement because the choreography that comes from spirit is infinite. This is why I like to say that spirit is our best dance teacher.
- Choreography amplifies and illuminates musical vibrations. Intentional synchronization of our bodies with music creates a type of synergy, allowing us a deeper glimpse into the motivation behind the composer, and adding another layer of interpretation. Choreographers spend a significant amount of time getting to know their music - understanding the structure, sounds, the emotion it evokes, and the journey it takes you on. Could you interpret all that in an improvisational manner, sure. But in my opinion, choreographing is a different and more thorough approach whereas improvisation is more intuitive - which has its own benefits.
- Choreography helps us to utilize the power of repetition. Repetition teaches us the value of dedication. Every time you commit yourself to the execution of a particular movement sequence or collection of sequences, you gain a more profound understanding of the movement and an even greater opportunity to integrate that wisdom. Repetition also leads to self-mastery on a physical level which can create an incredible boost in your confidence as you learn new skills and grow in your craft.
- Choreography is Mantra in Motion. A mantra is a powerful tool that utilizes repetition to help us shift the way we think and act. It is a type of condensed prayer where we are focusing spiritual energy with the goal of personal transformation and/or the regulation of emotions. Usually, we think of mantras as being spoken verbally, but nonverbal communication done with our whole body is just as if not more powerful, in my opinion.
- Choreography can support and enhance our manifestation practices. Back in my episode on elemental dance magick, I talked about how embodying the energy we long to attract will help magnetize that energy to you more quickly. By carefully creating and performing a dance that is mindfully infused with our intentions, it’s like we’re using a megaphone to communicate with the universe. It brings direction and focus to our energy, anchoring our vision and supporting a single-minded, unified presence. This allows us to create a kind of kinetic inscription into the cosmic field of oneness. It’s an embodied declaration to the Universe of what you long to see or make real in the physical plane. And I believe that those kinds of declarations have ripple effects, shaping our reality in ways that our minds can’t even conceive of.
- Choreography can amplify collective energy. The difference between a solo performance and a group performance is undeniable. If you’ve ever been to a symphony or a choir performance, then I know you’ve felt that - the rise in energy is so tangible. The same can be said of dance! Have you ever watched a flash mob or maybe a performance at the halftime show? That many people filling up a space and moving in unison does something - it’s a feeling unlike anything else I’ve experienced in my life. One of my favorite things from my church days was the act of corporate worship. Coming together with a group of people to sing the same song, and in my case dance the same worshipful dance - creates a powerful swell of energy. And I believe if we engage in that kind of group movement with intention - we can move mountains. I’ve been in group rituals where we’ve done movement in unison to support a collective vision, sending our energy to someone or someplace where it is needed - and that is SO POWERFUL!
- Group choreography can expand our capacity for movement and connection. To dance with others well requires a deeper level of presence. We need to bring awareness to the other beings in our space not only for everyone’s safety but also to learn the power of interaction and communion. Learning to dance with others is incredibly inspiring and lends itself to healing. There’s a give and take that happens on the dance floor and that dynamic has a lot to teach us about the world we inhabit (both seen and unseen).
I believe this concept of group choreography for amplifying collective energy is a process that could also be applied to our planet and the communities we’re a part of. I have dreams of creating full-scale works of movement art that can shift atmospheres and bring healing to the land we inhabit as well as those precious souls in our sphere of influence. This is my vision for the launch of Synergy Dance Collective, a spiritually-focused dance company I am slowly bringing to life.
COSMIC CHOREOGRAPHY
As a spiritual dance guide, the primary way that I work with choreography is through a process called Cosmic Choreography. Cosmic Choreography is the practice of composing and collecting movement sequences designed to embody and reflect the attributes of different celestial bodies and their energetic influences. The techniques I use are derived from both dance and astrology principles and aim to help people expand their awareness of themselves, their bodies, and the cosmic forces at work around them. It is a method of integrating, embodying, and expressing the medicine available to us through various cosmic archetypes so that we can find energetic alignment. You can learn more about this process through this BLOG ARTICLE.
