I was privileged to participate in two celebrations this past weekend, which both happened to involve couples celebrating their 40th Anniversary. Both were extraordinarily joyful occasions, and I realized no significant celebration, to me these days, would feel complete without an element of dance.
Dance, however, is not just a one-trick pony. In her article I went to a grief rave – here’s why everyone should try it (The Independent, Aug.7, 2025), author Helen Coffey says “It is a curious feeling to couple raving with suffering as well as celebration – perhaps because, culturally, it’s become an alien notion to associate dance with anything other than abject happiness. But,” Coffey continues, “it’s completely natural to express all emotions through physicality.”
The London grief raves, where people can request a song for a lost loved one or other sadness, started as an experiment and proved very popular; speaking to, says Coffey, “the power of collective human experience to help us heal.” Coffey cites a study published in The BMJ (2024) which concluded that dance was the most effective form of exercise when it came to reducing depression symptoms. I know for myself how dance has helped me through some very tough times over the years. Some of my wildest, most expressive nights of dance have emanated from overwhelming feelings of grief or upset, and left me feeling cleansed, afterwards, as if a storm had passed. With so much to feel depressed about right now in our country and world, a grief rave might be just the thing. As they say, when in doubt, dance it out!
See you on the dance floor. —Sean Donovan