Sacred dance refers (in our region) to mostly quiet choreographies by 4 to 100 people danced predominantly hand in hand in a circle.
Sacral stands for sacred or holy, also referring to 'healing'. In English-speaking regions is this loaded word use sometimes shunned and the Sacred Dance also called (Sacred) Circle Dance. This also includes, according to The Sacred Dance Guild since 1958 Indian dance, liturgical, religious and ritual dance as a means to strive for a better world.
The German description of Meditation Tanzes (Sakraler Tanz) makes a link with a spiritual dimension and expression. Repeated joint movements help to meditate, and to (re) discover the connection between body, soul and spirit. The dancers experience contact with others and with that in which the dancer believes, the one, the cosmos.
The term stilling dance is therefore appropriate, especially as an event in which all participants keep their mouths shut. Which already makes it quiet and restful.
Some dances are somewhat exuberant, others still. It appears to be beneficial yoga music.
Move together is much more important than technically perfect dancing. It's not about performance but about the experience. There is no explicit right forms or (symbolic) steps, there are no errors. You learn and evolve in solidarity.
Everyone is a learner, a journeyman and a master (3 levels). The dances have a simple choreography in repeated patterns on the ground. These consist of strong symbols such as the cross, the circle and the spiral. They are respectively associated with initiation and gradual growth from self-conscious pupil over socially conscious journeyman to spiritually aware master. The cosmic circle evolves through movement and dance to spiral.
The circle dances around a symbol in the middle. This core (of the self or the life) is a beautiful, natural (often thematic) object (a flower arrangement, candle (s), ...) that will help participants to focus on to dance around it.
It is danced to different kinds of music, originally quiet classical music, traditional folklore and folk music (Greece, Israel), but also religious music, new-age ,.. You wear soft dance shoes or socks.
The beginning
Ballet dancer and choreographer Wosien Bernhard (born in 1908 in East Prussia - 1986) graduated as his father wanted to theology. He stopped prematurely and devoted himself to his passion for dancing ballet, and was ballet choreographer.
He was 68 years old when he was invited in 1976 to teach folklore dances to the living community in Findhorn (New Age center in Scotland). The community inspired him to choreograph some dancing, which he called "sacred dance" and in which religion and dance are combined. First he wrote the Balance, later the Sun Dance.
Anyone who since 1976 passes sacred dance does this with its own accents.