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By Roger Piantadosi
Rappahannock News Writer
It's funny, but you can hear the same tune a thousand times—the one about how successful self-improvement ought probably to involve both mind and body—and never quite get it. , * Next time it comes around, though, try dancing to it.
Which brings us to the fundamental purpose of SynergyDance, a relatively new form of holistic movement based on Polarity Therapy, and created some 15 years ago in Washington, D.C. by dancer and polarity therapist Charmaine Lee: the aim of SynergyDance classes is to promote self-healing. Beauty and art, in other words, are byproducts; joy is the goal.
Of course, the idea—of dance as a healing art—isn't so much new as it is very, very old.
"Most ancient dance forms were based on universal, archetypal energies and principles," says Lee, "and around the world, there appeared to be a common knowledge of the ancient healing qualities of the elementswhich are literally,the elements of earth, water, fire, air, and ether, which is space. These elements are also a part of Polarity Therapy and form the structure of Synergy's movements and are also found in the music we use.
Through history, Lee says, it's been dance that "strengthens and binds a people, and helps them understand their cultural values...In America, they used to have such a thing-there would be square dancing every Friday night, and people would come and clap their hands and shout-and boy, they didn't need any therapy. It's when you have this contained, ritualistic, regular thing that you can vent your emotions and your pain and joy-and not carry it in here"-she taps her heart-"as so many of us do." * After several visits two years ago to the farmland and foothills between Warrenton and
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