Dance is a language because it is used to communicate and can tell a story. From its earliest times, dance has always been used as a form of expression and communication. When the Native Americans would ask the Gods for sun, they would engage in a sun dance and when burying a member of their tribe, would engage in ritual dances. Today, when we watch people dance, we can see a story or expression in their actions. When we watched “The Prodigal Prince,” performed by the Alvin Ailey Dance Company, the actions of the dancers, the pace of the music and the elaborate outfits effectively portrayed the story of a man visited in his dreams by a goddess and spirit and the visions he later experienced. Although some parts were vague and hard to interpret, the dance movements, energy, music and costumes together created a language that words could not express.
Dance is not a language in the strict, traditional definition of the word. However, if we think about what language is, a way to communicate, dance qualifies. Our body movements and facial expressions as we dance are understood, even by those who speak different languages. If we watch a dance performance where two lovers embrace as the piano is played, the dance can be interpreted as one of love. If we watch a performance where dancers emphatically pound their feet and shake their bodies in anguish, we can see this as a dance of passion and anger. Emotions are universal and dance elicits them. Words do not need to be expressed in order for a language to be effective. Since people can watch a dance performance and through their actions determine the story, the emotions that drive it and how the characters feel, dance is a language.
