A student slouches into class one early morning, drops his bag unceremoniously on the floor next to a desk, and slumps into a chair. He rubs his eyes a bit, then lets his arms fall slack at his sides, sliding back slowly to stare at the ceiling. This student has not spoken a single word, but to the people around him has spoken volumes. Clearly apathetic, he is not thrilled with the prospect of being awake so early and announces through his movements that he is bored and uninterested in the class. This is an example of body language.
Body language is defined by the Merriam Webster dictionary as “the gestures, movements, and mannerisms by which a person or animal communicates with others.” Simply by observing a person, you can often deduce their current state of mind, particularly their mood, because is transfers directly to their body movements. Someone feeling bright and energetic might appear to have a spring in their step; another feeling determined might appear to walk with strong, decisive steps. As our most primal form of communication, we need not to learn a spoken tongue to understand it: body language is universal, transcending the boundaries of spoken word.
Dance is an extension of body language, a conscious effort at communicating through body movements. It allows for great personal expression and the dancer controls the message they want to convey. I have found dance similar to spoken languages in that different styles remind me of certain tongues. A dance with great fluidity of movement might evoke a romance language whereas rough, raw movements could be akin to German. However, each person is an individual in dance, they have their own language. Another person can perform the same moves as the first, but slight nuances will be different and it cannot be a carbon copy, unlike the way humans can learn multiple spoken (and written) languages. Even though one cannot copy another’s dance exactly, it does not mean one cannot understand the emotions being expressed. The exact message might be perceived differently, as it often is in interpretive dance, but the general feeling remains the same. Thus, watching someone perform a dance is like a story, but more of a personal experience.
