The influence of cultural perceptions in the development of dance and their connection to peak performance spiritual lived experiences

This chapter highlights the connection that dance has had with spiritual experiences from ancient times to the present day. This review focuses in particular on how ballet dance performance in the West has been influenced by cultural perspectives from ancient Greece, the Roman. era, medieval European Christianity, and the Renaissance period. Spiritual lived experiences during dance performance of well-known ballet dancers such as Isadora Duncan, Anna Pavlova and Margot Fonteyn will also be explored, as will recent research into the self-reports of peak performance spiritual lived experiences of former professional dancers. The chapter concludes with a case study of world renowned ballet dancer Li Cunxin, of Mao’s Last Dancer fame, to provide a brief East/West cultural perspective of ballet dance. His perceptions on the importance of achieving peak performance spiritual lived experiences while dancing are also included