How Dance Helps Women
Reclaim Their Bodies and Empower Themselves
Dancing as Embodiment and Liberation
To go dance is to be fully embodied, and somehow to forget our bodies all at once. Dance allows us to connect with our energy, release judgment, and step into our sacred feminine power.
A Childhood Witness to Sacred Feminine Energy
When I was fourteen, my mother began belly dancing. She would return from errands with bags overflowing with hip scarves, beaded hair medallions, zils, and velvet bras dripping with coins.
Soon, she danced at Moroccan restaurants, fully alive, her hips and tummy folds moving in rhythm with tribal drums. Her body expressed a shakti energy I would come to understand as sacred feminine power.
I was mesmerized by her troupe—women with white hair falling to their elbows, bodies like mother earth, and the carefree energy of a child. And they all smiled knowingly, proud yet sly. I thought: This is what it means to be a woman.
Finding My Own Expression Through Dance
I started dancing too—musical theater, jazz, contemporary—but my truest expression happened alone at home. Feet stomping, hands exploring, eyes closed, I entered a sacred place where:
- Every cell felt connected
- The boundary between body and earth blurred
- Empowerment replaced negative self-talk
Being present in my body through dance made all critical thoughts about my physical “flaws” vanish, leaving only awe at what my body could do.
Dance as a Lifelong Practice
At 30, I can let dance take over even in public, unbothered by body insecurities. I feel more womanly, grounded, and free.
Recent inspirations—twerking, lap dances, shaking what my belly-dancin’ mama gave me—have deepened my connection to my body. What I once dismissed as “not spiritual” now feels transcendent and empowering.
The Message for All Women
I yearn to shout:
“It’s OK to express yourself! Take what society has shamed you for, and empower yourself with it!”
If women everywhere danced freely, eyes closed and feet stomping, perhaps we would all learn to embrace our bodies and celebrate what it means to be a woman.
