Dance like everyone's watching

 

Haka illustration, c. 1890   (Public Domain)

Dance is one of the most powerful means of expression. 

It can convey a range of human emotions, including spiritual ecstasy.  You might recall that King David danced with passionate abandon as the Ark of the LORD entered the Holy City.  As his people blew rams’ horns and shouted with glee, David’s own wife was far from pleased.  Let’s just say that their marriage did not go well after that.

One way or another, dance is hard to ignore.  The Maori of New Zealand have a ceremonial ritual called the haka.  Its “vigorous movements and stamping of the feet with rhythmically shouted accompaniment” can signify intense feelings, ranging from joy to sadness to anger.

When Maori lawmaker Rawiri Waititi became extremely dissatisfied with a perceived “constant barrage of insults” from his colleagues within Parliament, he employed haka as a means of protest.  Right there within the debating chamber, Waititi began to emphatically dance. 

As the song goes, “Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance, And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance.  Dance... I hope you dance.”

Resources                                                                                                 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmBSGlXqC4Q                         https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haka                                                     https://news.yahoo.com/indigenous-zealand-lawmaker-censured-haka-075305400.html

Copyright May 15, 2021 by Linda Van Slyke   All Rights Reserved