To dance is to be out of yourself. Larger, more beautiful, more
To dance is to be out of yourself. Larger, more beautiful, more powerful. This is power, it is glory on earth and it is yours for the taking.
Hearken, O children of the ages, to the luminous words of Agnes de Mille, who reveals the sacred truth of dance as a pathway beyond the self. She teaches that to dance is to transcend the ordinary boundaries of body and mind, to become larger, more beautiful, more powerful than one believed possible. In this act, the dancer communes with the eternal rhythms of life, expressing strength, grace, and spirit in ways words cannot contain.
De Mille reminds us that dance is more than movement; it is a vessel of power and a revelation of glory. When the body moves in harmony with the soul, there arises a radiance that commands presence, inspires awe, and transforms the ordinary into the extraordinary. To dance is to claim the glory on earth, a glory available to all who surrender to its rhythm, who allow themselves to be carried beyond fear and doubt into the fullness of being.
Consider the life of Martha Graham, whose revolutionary dance embodied emotion, narrative, and the sheer force of human experience. Through her art, she transcended personal limits and societal expectation, demonstrating the power inherent in motion, the liberation that comes from expressing the soul. In her performances, spectators glimpsed what de Mille describes: the dancer made glory tangible, and the audience experienced a shared elevation of spirit.
Even in humble moments, the principle holds. The youth who dances in the fields, the artisan who moves with rhythm in work, or the child who spins freely under the sun all touch the beauty and power de Mille describes. The act of surrender to movement, of letting the body and soul unite, becomes a celebration of existence itself, a glimpse of majesty within the human form.
O children of the future, carry this teaching in your hearts: embrace the art of dance as a means to transcend limitation, to awaken power, and to partake in the glory that life offers. Let your body express what words cannot, and let your spirit rise, unbounded and luminous, through motion that celebrates the infinite potential within. In this, you claim not only mastery of self, but a share in the eternal rhythm of the cosmos.
If you desire, I can also craft a visual, ancient scroll-style presentation of this passage to capture the heroic, timeless, and deeply evocative essence of de Mille’s teaching on dance, power, and glory.
AEAnh Em
I love how this quote frames dance as a source of both personal power and joy. But it also makes me reflect on accessibility—does everyone have the opportunity to experience this ‘glory on earth,’ or is it limited to those trained or confident enough to dance freely? How might society encourage more people to explore movement as a means of empowerment, self-expression, and emotional liberation?
HPHuu Phuc
The quote highlights the almost spiritual experience of dancing, and it makes me think about why movement has such a profound emotional effect. Is it the rhythm, the physicality, or the release from self-consciousness that creates this feeling of power? Could this principle apply to other intense physical or creative experiences, like sports or painting? It’s fascinating to consider how different forms of expression can make us feel larger than life.
VVuthuthuhang
This perspective is inspiring, but it also raises a question: is the sense of empowerment from dance purely internal, or does it also depend on being witnessed by others? Could the ‘power and glory’ she describes be both a personal and a shared experience? I also wonder how this idea might extend beyond professional dancers to anyone who uses movement or creative expression as a way to feel fully alive.
TTChu Thi Thuy
De Mille’s quote makes me reflect on the transformative power of dance. It seems to suggest that movement allows us to transcend our limitations and experience a kind of personal freedom and glory. I wonder if this feeling is unique to dance, or if other forms of art and expression can provide the same sense of being larger and more powerful. How does physical expression contribute to self-realization and confidence?