George Breeden Blog 3
Ecstasy of Motion
Van Der Leeuw writes about a very powerful experience in his discussion of dance. He explains that this experience comes when: “We are no longer concerned with the round dance and its well-defined center, but with the whirl of the leaves. Here man does not subjugate the world by mastering a rhythm, but by being himself caught up in and ruled by this rhythm.” (p. 24) This is truly a beautiful image of being caught in the power of the moment. Though Van Der Leeuw is applied this to dance in his statement. It could be easier argued that this idea of residing within the rhythm that surrounds us, can be applied to a many of the actions in life. This idea reminds me of the Daoist conception of Wu-Wei, or “effortless action.” The doctrine of Wu-Wei encourages a release of worries and distinctions, in order to elicit an experience of clarity. This is exactly what Van Der Leeuw is talking about, and it is interesting to observe that it is an ideal that could be universally applied. Be it for clarity or the ecstasy of the moment, many cultures can be observed partaking in the experience of letting go.
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