How Dance Can Unleash Your Inner Joy | Ryan Heffington | TED

What is your --

Thank you.

(Cheers and applause)

What is your connection to dance?

Do you love the ballet,

or maybe you watch those dance competitions on television?

Or did you jump into the hora at that bar mitzvah one time?

I want you to reconsider your connection to dance,

because I believe it to be a simple and successful way

of accessing happiness within.

What do you need to participate?

Virtually nothing ...

but your will to explore and have a little fun.

No music,

no partner required.

When I choreograph for film, television and commercials,

I often generate moves that are based on the human experience.

I take these moves, I string them together,

twist and play with their pace,

in order to create more meaningful work.

Let me show you what I mean.

Here's a music video, "Chandelier,"

that I choreographed for Sia,

featuring the incredible dancer Maddie Ziegler.

("Chandelier" by Sia)

(Lyrics) Won’t open my eyes Keep my glass full until morning light

Because I'm just holding on for tonight

Help me, I'm holding on for dear life

Won't look down, won't open my eyes

Keep my glass full until morning light

Because I'm just holding on for tonight

On for tonight

Sun is up

Ryan Heffington: Now, let's play that video one more time.

And I want to show you what inspired those moves.

You may be surprised at how rudimentary the sources are.

(No music)

RH: And fork, fork, fork, stab it in the wall,

toss it and pass out,

come to

and look;

Charlie Chaplin, Charlie Chaplin, cockroach up the wall,

clean your mustache,

a possum, sink ...

Is it time for lunch yet?

(Laughter)

Thanks.

(Applause)

See, even a cute little cockroach can inspire a dance move.

But it really is that easy.

And, look ...

Most people can't dance like Maddie,

including myself.

And that's the point.

We all have our own beautiful ways of moving,

and this is worth celebrating.

It’s time to extract the judgment out of our dance experience

and set free the preconceived notion of what "good" dance is.

And instead ...

find out how your own body loves to move,

and find out that inner rhythm

that feels so good.

Think more body ...

less critique.

So you may ask, "Well, how do I access or unlock this dance magic?"

Well, once you have the perspective that life is dance,

yeah?

You'll begin to see dance everywhere around you, all day long,

like I do.

Like now.

Witness how you're sitting in front of me.

Your posture.

Are both feet grounded?

Is one leg crossed over the other?

Where are your hands placed?

Or envision ...

a parent rocking their child.

It's a playful flourish, right?

Tying your shoe.

A grand gesture.

Drinking a glass of water.

The stylized head release.

So check out this proof of concept.

In the first week of the worldwide lockdown in March 2020,

I decided to teach this online follow-along dance class called SWEATFEST.

I was hoping --

(Cheers and applause)

I was hoping that a couple of friends would join in,

but over the course of the next couple of weeks,

tens of thousands of people from all over the world

joined SWEATFEST ...

turning our collective isolation

into a worldwide community.

It was absolutely beautiful.

People checked their critical minds

and really unleashed that joy from within,

doing these goofy dance moves,

while the world was in disarray.

Take a look.

(Music)

(Music ends)

(Laughs)

Who would have guessed that moves like the Pretty Pony

and the Bob Ross ...

would be so life-changing.

(Laughter)

So, I've been a student of dance for 42 years.

My relationship with the art form runs deep and quite intimate.

This helped me through trauma,

it has paid my rent,

but most of all, it's been an unfaltering joy in my life.

And that's why I'm here.

Because I believe there's more joy for you,

only steps away,

via simple and rudimentary moves

that you already know.

So, I'd love to invite you to be your own choreographer.

Grab your kids or go solo,

and let fun and laughter push the boundaries of ridiculousness.

Who knows?

Maybe brushing your teeth

or whisking up mac and cheese

will become your new favorite dance move.

And once you have a dance move or two or three or four under your belt,

respectfully call yourself a dancer ...

because you've earned it --

and share those moves and that happiness with those around you,

because a world of more dance

is a world of more joy.

(Music)

(Music stops)

(Music)

(Lyrics) Sit down and begin playing.

If you feel good about yourself and the world,

it will show in your painting,

and all these little things will happen.

(Music continues)

(Music ends)

(Cheers and applause)

RH: Thank you.

(Cheers and applause continue)