Groove; we all have a relationship to it, and it is one of the most important tenants of my artistic interest. Some people love to get with it, others think they don’t have it. Regardless of outlook, we share the uniquely human capability to relate to it. This is why we let loose on the dance floor after a tough week. It’s why we are so taken by an excellent tap dancer. It’s why we quietly hum catchy rhythms to motivate ourselves 🙂  Sharing in these experiences gives them the connective power that makes grooving serious play, what I call practices that are equal parts joyful and powerfully purposeful.
Next time you go out dancing, think on the way home about what made the experience what it was; smiles, laughter, sweat, sharing the rhythms of the music with your friends while expressing them in your own way, watching others do the same. This is what it is to simultaneously connect to yourself and others through the embodiment of music. It is a powerful way to successfully define how to be an individual within a group.
In numerous and complex ways, learning how to thrive as both an individual and a member of a group or groups is certainly at play in many world issues. Sometimes the scope of these issues is so large we feel as though there is little we can do. I’d like to counter that with a reminder that embodying music is a joyful way we can experience the interaction of personal expression and tolerance. I truly believe that everyone’s experiences of this add up to make a quiet yet substantial impact.
And there you have it: one perspective on the serious play of music embodiment. Serious play happens on the stage as well . . . [Click here for an additional perspective on these ideas 🙂]
Erinn Liebhard: Dance Artist 