Nonverbal Communication Essay

From the moment we are born, we are bound to use facial expressions, make a wide range of sounds, and use distance and gestures as a way to communicate our emotions and feelings toward certain situations, activity, and people on a daily basis. Nonverbal communication is the foundation of how we send and receive messages through visual cues and wordless interactions between people. It is a basic language we are born with and have all come to learn within the primary stages of life. It is also used in aid of telling a story, to which it may help animate a person’s character and make their story a bit more comprehensible and relatable towards the other person. Storytelling is often correlated with dance as it involves an expressive way to

I have been involved in dance performances that include cultural, and modern/hip-hop/freestyle dance to celebrate debutantes, and holidays such as the Vietnamese Lunar New Year, Moon Festival, and Christmas. From my experience with dance, I have learned to become more hand-eye coordinated and use different parts of my body in multiple ways. By doing so, it has improved my cognitive and social skills to understand rhythm and the way people connect. Not only does it improve my motor skills, but also my memory. Dance in a way, still impacts the way I process my mind as well as the way I move. By working as a barista in a restaurant setting, I have taken steps to memorize the way I carry myself through out the restaurant. To meet customer service expectations and to get the job done, I take certain steps to move swiftly, yet efficiently without bumping into anyone. To be aware of my surroundings is something I have learned from dancing. Not only have I learned to become peripherally aware, but I have also learned to become more observant and to notice body movements, while understanding the meaning behind the gesture. Aside from being on stage, being apart of the audience motivates me to engage in the moment, as well as to interpret what these movements might portray, while bringing out a sense of joy and empathy for those on stage. Dance performances do not only serve means for entertainment, but may also be therapeutic for many individuals. For those who participate in the act of dance, it is a way to release stress, build relationships, and to boost self-esteem. An audience may cheer them on and dance performers may feel as if they are being acknowledged and received in a positive manner. As I am about to become an audience member at the CSULB dance concert, I expect a lot of expression through movement, while experiencing a story told nonverbally through the use of