Dance is definitely as old as the world, as I am sure the alien astronauts who reached the confines of their conscious space weren't so square as to not dance? So why not be more open to an idea that the universe of rhythm music and dance is connected as well.
Whatever can get you there.....
Rhythmic beating of the drum in one place is similar to choral rendering in another and then there is also didgeridoo which is both I suppose.
The ritual begins, but its fun, like a prom dance, and everyone is slowly revealing their inner animal as they feel more and more comfortable with the beat being played by few crazy-looking characters on the side. These "crazy-looking characters" are actually priests, who don't just play the drum - they speak to the gods, i.e. to the higher consciousness, as well as the protector-revealer force of that gathering.
We start off unsure of ourselves, but as the beat goes on, we become more and more sure that no matter what we do and how we move - it's just fine, and no matter how freaky we may think that movement is, the protector-revealer of the gathering will benevolently smile upon our efforts and will find us another one and another one and yet another one who will move just the same.
As the ritual continues, wondrous things start to happen. The fire in the middle of the dancing circle, like a forever built-in live monument dances and communicates with the participants giving them signs, "don't burn yourself!" he says, "don' get carried away and burn yourself on me", "or instead of a benevolent warm element I will become a killer" . We benevolently listen to his utterings and while forgetting our social selves we keep in mind who is the real boss - it's the bonfire in the middle, and there is a special person in charge of feeding it with new branches, prepared in plenty beforehand.
While many are here for fun, many are here for a reason. We notice that they can barely move, and others may be just lying down - that is because they are ill, for one reason or the other they are searching for healing from the accumulated energy of this dance. Some of them are moaning as the cathartic experience brings out their pains and worries, others are moving better and faster as their bodies and spirits are getting oiled and receive the healing.
Others are here to find spouses, they are mostly young and dance better than everyone else - their movements are fancy and like colorful birds they stand out - many are successful as they are being joined by the beautiful opposites with the signs of affection, sometimes merging into one - these will be joined later officially with the help of the priestess.
The drummers are doing a hell of a job - they are masters in their art, and their beat flows non-stop from the wicked instruments in their possession - it syncopates, talks, slower and faster, and sometimes it feints stopping while resuming with a new force cascading on both listeners and dancers with the ecstasy of drum melody.
Their music is sacred as it is directed to the overlords of the gathering, and many times they are so into it, that they don't even notice how the music starts flowing all by itself, with rhythms that they never heard before, and the complexity and emotion of the spoken language.
The fire calms down, and most participants are lying down asleep, some grunting and some smiling in their renewed dreams. There are a few who are not asleep and are waiting for the dawn with open eyes, sometimes sitting by and embracing each other. They are happy to have found each other in the sometimes lonely world.
The ones that came for healing will feel better when they return to their huts. Their limbs will work better. Others who came for internal ailments will feel how their internal processes are given new life. As they are giving offerings to their ancestral gods by their places of birth they will sigh, and marvel at how much better they are feeling, and how much more energy to accomplish new things they have stored. All is well, and the Always Gracious Mother Goddess is embracing all her children with the benevolent smile as there is nothing that is not good and not empowering here, and as we let go of many of our bariers and limits to our imagination we truly feel more united with that great organism that supports and nourishes us, the Earth.
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