As an art, dancing may tell a story, set a mood or express an emotion. A ballet dancer's movements might illustrate the fluttering of a wounded swan. Some Oriental dances consist of symbolic gestures that tell a story completely through movement. Some believe that modern dance is perhaps more easily defined by what it is not than by what it is. Dance is truly an art form if feelings and ideas can be expressed and communicated. Sharing rhythm and movements give a feeling of unity among a group of people. In some societies, dancing leads to a different state of mind. These states can be interpreted as a signaling of spirits by possession, or the

y may be recommended as a way to relieve emotional distress. A state of ecstasy may enable people to perform remarkable accomplishments of strength, endurance, or danger, such as dancing through hot coals. In some societies shamans dance in trance in order to heal others physically or emotionally. The modern field of dance therap!

Humans throughout time, have always been compelled to dance as a form of ritual. Prehistoric people danced in worship and made up religious dances to gain the favor of their Gods. Many tribes continue this tradition today. During the 1800's, the religious group, "Shakers," attempted to shake out the devil by doing twirling dances. A U.S. dancer and choreographer, Martha Grahm said, "Nothing is more revealing than movement." In Australia, the Aborigines follow their old customs of showing the gestures of hunting during a religious dance before an actual hunt. Dancing in many cases offers a sense of unity between tribes, religions, cultures, etc. Ballet Folklorico explores the history of the trad

Some common words found in the essay are:
Dance Dancing, American Frontier, Indian Hindu, Nietzsche German, Mexico Spain, Australia Aborigines, Ballet Folklorico, Martha Grahm, art form, tell story, explores history, form recreation, recreation ritual,
Approximate Word count = 699
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)