The Universality of Dance

I almost entitled this post Dance: Crossing Boundaries. Instead I settled on “The Universality of Dance” because that is what this video is truly showing: how people across different cultures and nations still express themselves and have fun through dance. The main dancer in this video is Matt, a self-proclaimed “bad dancing” White guy from Connecticut. He had a quarter-life crisis and decided to travel the world. He started dancing in front of landmarks but eventually decided to start dancing with the people who lived in those countries.

The end result is an amazing video that spans six continents and includes a scene underwater at the Great Barrier Reef. There is a popper from Iran and fire dancers from Hawaii. It was incredibly clever to have the Viennese Waltz performed in Vienna. One of my favorite scenes was in Lyon, France when there was clearly a man jumping at the wrong time. As a causal observer I laughed, but as a choreographer, I cringed. He eventually got it right. Every time I watch this video I get slightly emotional. It is a powerful display of people coming together despite of their differences, whether they are cultural, ethnic, religious etc. Enjoy!