Cameron Harris dancing at Luisa’s Artisanal Street Food, Ferndale, MI. Photo by Jaylen Harris

“It’s freedom of speech in a way. You’re moving your body to tell a story that can only be told by movement,” says Alese Baskin when asked about dance. Baskin is a Henry Ford College sophomore and a theater major. Between sold-out weekends of “Freddy, Mabel, & the Pirate King!” and the weeks leading up to finals, we found time to discuss more pressing matters…dance.

What dance means to me is to speak without words and to express feelings through movement. Performers like Baskin would agree, adding that it’s also a way to be “free”.

“Dancing just makes you feel free…it’s like shaking the weight off…” says Jonneshia Doss, a community organizer and first-year public health major at Henry Ford College. Doss is also the Vice-President of the Cultural Dance Club. She explained that her initial purpose in dancing was to be more active, especially with Henry Ford College’s large campus.

Dance comes naturally to many of us. Baskin herself states she came out of the womb dancing, and I personally remember my desire to dance and move as a child. We see babies dance as an expression of joy, with or without music.

Though people usually dance with music, it isn’t needed. Sometimes the want to move is spontaneous, and the flow of movement follows. Baskin and Doss agree that you don’t need classes to dance, though Baskin would recommend it if you’d like to be a professional dancer. But Doss mentions that dance classes and clubs allow you to explore different cultures through different dances, like salsa.

However, many are afraid to dance due to concerns about how they’re perceived, whether it’s a critique of their dance moves or fear of being seen as childish. In response to critics, Baskin says, “They aren’t dancing for you, they’re dancing for them, so why are you judging them, or judging their moves when that’s what they feel?”

Doss says, “Things don’t always have to be so serious…It could just be something to do to have fun.” Dancing for the sake of dancing is often seen as childish. But is that so bad? “If some of us got back to what you consider childish ways or having fun, maybe everything wouldn’t be so serious,” Doss continued.

In my times of juggling studenthood, home responsibilities, and work, I find time to dance whenever I can. Getting to relieve stress and express myself through movement is a part of how I function, though that wasn’t always the case. I used to fear judgement from others, but missing out on the chance to join a dance circle taught me that spontaneity and expression are parts of me that I have neglected for too long.

Since then, dance has helped me become more social and expressive. It inspired me to write this article with the hope to open up readers to the world of dance.

Remember: you don’t have to be a classically trained ballerina or an Olympic-level breakdancer. There doesn’t have to be music playing, and you shouldn’t feel judging eyes telling you that you’re off beat. Dance only asks that you express yourself.