Dancer's Prayer

 

The Dancer's Prayer is done at the beginning of each class to help people set their minds and hearts and spirits to dancing, as well as to honour the space, the dancers and the soul of dancing. It is also the beginning of exercising.

 

Palms are placed together in prayer, and the dancer bends at the waist, saying Namaste - I greet the light in you.

Standing up straight with palms together, the hands are pulled away from each other until only the fingertips touch.

The right palm is turned towards the dancer and up, then the right arm spreads out reaching forward, then to the side, then around the back of the shoulder and returning to the front position again with palm down.

This is repeated with the left hand.

The above movement honours the sacred space chosen for dancing.

The heels of the palms are brought together, with the hands turning so the left is in front and the right is closer to the dancer.

Both hands rise up, representing the lotus flower rising out of the mud up to the universe.

The hands turn so the right hand is in front and the left hand is closer to the dancer, as the hands come down and the dancer's right foot goes back, left foot in front, left leg bent and right knee to the floor.

The hands separate and touch the floor to honour mother earth.

The fingertips touch behind the dancer's ears to honour the music.

The hands go back to the earth then go into a prayer pose again, and as the dancer's torso comes up straight, the hands touch the forehead for good thoughts, the mouth for good words and the chest for good deeds.

The beginning turning of palms is repeated, right palm and arm going out, then left palm and arm.

The above movement honours the other dancers who have come to dance.

When both hands are in front of the dancer, the palms face the floor and the dancer pushes up with left foot to begin to stand.

As the dancer stands, the hands push down, honouring the dancer's self, then spread out in a wide circle at the sides, going up above the head, then coming down in a prayer pose before the dancer.

All the above movements are repeated a total of three times.

The dancer bends at the waist again saying Namaste to end the prayer.