If you've read their classic study of feline
artists and the long and distinguished tradition of cat art (Why
Do Cats Paint?) you'll be delighted to know Heather
Busch and Burton Silver have once again tracked down the history
of a little
known feline phenomenon that has recently captured the cat-loving
public's imagination - cat dancing.
Historic documents dating back to at least
1692 refer to the practice,
as we can see in the original version of a popular nursery
rhyme Busch and Silver have uncovered and interpreted:
"Diddle daddling" was a jerking,
side-to-side movement, and the "cat's
fiddle faddle" refers to the contemporary craze of "joyful
leaping
about with cats." A slightly later version of this line,
"the cat has the fiddle," indicates a widespread belief
in the cat's musical powers while making a sly reference to the
cat's wailing fiddle-like song that frequently gets people up
and dancing.
The fourth line, "The little dog laughed
to see such craft,"
clearly implies that dancing cats channel the power of the universe.
Their dance makes the Lesser Dog Star in the Little Dog constellation
laugh
with delight at their craft. The final line requires some esoteric
knowledge of the early English terms "dish," referring
to a maid, and "spoon," meaning a crazy person. Obviously,
the musical powers of the cat not only can make the cows jump
with joy ("over the moon"), but also drives young girls
quite mad.
The moral of the rhyme is crystal clear. Cat
dancing is powerful stuff and, in the wrong paws, can be made
to do the devil's work. It's hardly surprising that cat
dancers and their enchanted human partners provoked harsh criticism
from the medieval church, whose leaders were quick to brand them
witches and promptly ban all "unnatural" consorting
with cats.
The dark ages were dark days, indeed for cats,
who were cruelly persecuted,
and cat dancing was all but wiped out until the 1970s,
when a revitalized interest in witchcraft and pagan practices
brought it back
into the light of day, if only among counterculturalists
and communes. As their interest in spirituality spread into mainstream
society, however, cat dancing classes and societies have proliferated.
Yes, cat dancing is an intensely personal and
private
activity between you and your cat, but classes may help you feel
part of a larger, global community of cat dancers, and you may
pick up
some useful tips as well. Of course, you'll need a good stuffed
toy cat to
use as your partner - the presence of strange people and cats
in the unfamiliar, noisy environment of a dance studio is highly
unappealing to most cats.
Most classes will cover the basic techniques
of shoulder dancing, chukra aligning dance, remote stroking dance,
prone dancing, leg rubbing moves, and the standard
cat step. One of the most common mistakes beginners make is expecting
their cat to spontaneously dance when they put on some music.
First, you must align your respective dynamic vibration systems
to build energy and channel the infinite power of the universe
through your dance.
In their raw state, human and feline energy
systems resonate at
very different levels. Without proper alignment, our attempted
dance would be discordant. But once our energies are aligned,
the dance we perform will create intensely harmonious vibes that
can lead us to a deep sense of empowerment. The Museum
of Non-Primate Art's web site details a simple mirroring exercise
you
can try at your computer: purring in time with your cat.
As cat dancer Warren Leckie of New York testifies, "One
of the
great barriers to dancing effectively with your cat, is allowing
your thoughts and prejudices to interfere. I find ten minutes
of deep purring completely stops skeptical thoughts by connecting
me with my feline spirit within."
For the best results with your cat dancing,
you'll need
the appropriate music, and biomusicologist
David Parsons' Dancing with Cats albums provide the perfect blend
of sounds to appeal to both cat and human dancers. Parsons studied
with Tibetan cat charmers to learn the secrets of "driving"
the
cat's purr frequency with sound combinations that synchronize
the cat's respiratory rhythm with the rhythm of the music. "The
cat," according to Parsons, "has its own unique rhythms
and patterns of sound vibration," and the feline nervous
system shares important structural similarities with musical forms.
What can we achieve by dancing with our cats?
Obviously, a closer and more meaningful relationship with them,
for one. Many cat dancers feel they've attained a kind of spiritual
partnership with their cats through dance. Others claim they are
more alive and have become more outgoing and generous people.
Yet so far, we've barely scratched the surface of the potential
benefits of cat dancing. Interspecies communication has been advancing
on many fronts over the past few decades, but dancing with cats
promises to produce a dramatic breakthrough that may take us to
a whole
new level of understanding and harmonious atunement with our fellow
creatures.
Visit The
Museum of Non-Primate Artists for more on cat art and
cat dancing. And while you're there, take in the spectacular exhibit
of bird art, including
the British Bird Works exhibition of windshield splays. Who knows?
You may have some valuable avian collectibles on your own car.
(If not, try parking under a tree. You may get lucky.)
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