Essay on Understanding the Underground Dancer - 1303 Words

Understanding the Underground Dancer If you have seen him--in clubs, in parties, and even in the street--you will surely remember him. The Underground Dancer is a figure of the modern world that cannot be dismissed. Anthropologists explain dance as the expression of sexual desires, but the Underground Dancer is different, and therefore, often misunderstood. It is hard to pinpoint what he is, and what he looks like, all I can provide is shots in the dark, a desperate attempt to shed light to this misunderstood personae. The underground dancer is a spiritual beggar, a metaphorical call for freedom, a revelrying Dionysus, an artist and a work of art--he matters not merely because he is different, but because he gives us new eyes with†¦show more content†¦It is his favorite song and all the dreams are flushed away, his spiteful stare returning to this oh, so dramatically cruel, vastly uncaring world. He is not a spiteful man; he is merely sick and tired of routine, of the day-in-day-out, of the same ol, same ol, of everyday existence. Like an ill man he may swear inside him, and like Dostoevskys Underground Man he will let out a high-pitched cry that speaks: Enough! This world is not enough! He is still motionless for although he wants to dance, his mind is not at ease--what is the use of dancing anyway, when all the troubles of the world burden his shoulders (Kaufmann 71, 72)? He remains inert, perhaps slightly trembling, a tingling anticipation of an unknown surge tickling his soul. His inaction drives him insane because if he refuses to dance without a reason, he will remain inert but if, on the other hand, dances without a reason, his lack of determination will manifest itself as self-consciousness and fall pray to the eyes of his audience. But who ever heard of rationality as prerequisite for action? The whole of History is littered with examples of irrational choices, where man acts without consideration for reason or advantage. The Underground Dancer realizes this, and does not wish fo r himself a good, virtuous or advantageous choice but simply to satisfy his own caprice, in a sense, feed his own desire for the single most advantageous advantage: independent choice (72). He must dance,Show MoreRelatedAlvin Ailey Cry2056 Words   |  9 Pagesslaves escape from southern plantations to the North via a loose network of safe houses as early as the 1780s. This practice became commonly known as the Underground Railroad, gaining momentum towards the 1830s and although estimates are varied, it is believed to have achieved freedom for around 40000 to 100000 slaves. 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