Watching the grand final of "So You Think You Can Dance" last night I reflected on my passion for the arts. Dance has always captivated me but I haven't really understood why.

Dance is a powerful form of non-verbal communication. It is a means of expression of the soul.

"Could I say that I wouldn't exist without dance? Without the capacity for expression it has given me? Without the confidence I have found in it to overcome my fears, to avoid dead ends?" - Mourad Merzouki

Why then have Western communities allowed dance to shift from its rightful place of being embedded within the thread of the community cloth. Indigenous cultures honour this deep knowing with a venerable respect for the role of dance in individual and community wellbeing. How have we allowed this critical form of self-expression to slip into the world of theatre and performance only. Why isn't it acceptable to dance in the supermarket line or when waiting for a plane? Why would it be frowned upon to dance your message in a community meeting whilst it is perfectly acceptable for the disgruntled ratepayer to angrily rant and rave for half an hour with no rhyme or reason to his argument?

Perhaps we should honour the ideas of Rene' Char when he said "push your luck, hold on tight to your good fortune, and take your risk. Watching you, they will get used to it. So try, fail, start all over again, but above all, dance. Never stop dancing!"

Mourad Merzouki International Dance Day Message