How is dance used as cultural expression around the world?

The answer

Dance is a universal human behavior found in every known culture, serving purposes from spiritual ritual to social bonding to political expression. The Sufi whirling of the Mevlevi dervishes is a form of active meditation seeking divine connection. West African dances like the djembe-accompanied dunun preserve historical narratives and mark community events. Indian classical dance forms like Bharatanatyam originated as temple devotion and encode entire mythological stories through precise hand gestures (mudras). The haka of the Maori is a war dance now used to express cultural identity and challenge opponents. Flamenco emerged from Romani, Moorish, and Andalusian fusion in Spain. Research shows that synchronized dancing releases endorphins and oxytocin, strengthening social bonds, which may explain why no culture has ever existed without dance.