If the deaf can communicate through sign language, then we could certainly communicate through dance. Although exact quantitative information is difficult to translate through dance, emotions and concepts can be conveyed through movements and facial expressions. After all, the best dancers don’t just know how to move, they also know how to act. The other day at the Alvin Ailey performance for instance, the expressions of the dancers changed with each different piece. At times they held agitated, tormented, even fearful faces, but at others they were jubilant and excited. Their facial expressions were imperative in establishing the moods in each dance so that the audience had a good idea of what was going on, even though nothing was being spoken.
That isn’t to say that movement should be discarded. Dance is movement. While expressions in dance convey emotions, however, movements in dance convey ideas, sometimes using only the hands or feet, and sometimes incorporating all parts of the body. Think back to the video we saw before the performance of Revelations at Alvin Ailey. There was one part that talked about a section of Revelations called “Take Me To The Water,” in which a male dancer must produce fluid movements, imitating water. That’s one example of dance being used to communicate an idea. Other movements can similarly depict concepts. A shimmy can be used to establish a sensual tone and perhaps express attraction to another. Rough, jerky movements can show anguish, while gentle and graceful movements may express lightheartedness. Although primitive and limited, dance can be considered a language.
