"Dance is as old as man, as old as his desire to communicate, to give shape to his joys and concerns expressing them with his most immediate instrument- his body"
Walter Sorell
Dance as a tool of expression
Roots and Contents
Dansexpressie has its roots, on the one hand, in the introduction of the progressive teaching movement within gymnastic and rhythmic education at the beginning of this century (e.g. Bode, Loland, Dalcroze and others) and on the other hand, in the revolutionary new approaches of expressionist dance (e.g. Duncan, St. Denis, Wigmann, Laban, etc.).
KIT WINKEL, the founder of Dansexpressie, initially developed principles of teaching for personal development through dance in the late 50s. She assumed that every person could dance, no matter their age or sex and that everybody should be able to move independently and without competition.
Our body, along with its movements, gives us the opportunity to express our daily life experiences, as well as our thoughts and emotions in various different ways. Movement allows us to communicate directly. Through dance, we can convey our feelings in ways that are not possible through words.
The goal of Dansexpressie is to discover one`s own personal dance, especially the joy and pleasure it offers, and to share it with others. This process is supported by stimulating music, painting or poetry. By moving and allowing ourselves to be moved we can explore our outer and inner selves. We can experience images and feelings that arise from our personality and consciously mold these into the dance.
Dansexpressie is dancing without training stress or fixed step combinations. It is an offer to rediscover often forgotten means of expression, as well as moving the body in harmony with the soul.