Learning To Dance

by Michael Mayne

‘My theme is the the dance of life; the dance of the cosmos, of the natural world and the tiniest particles of matter; the dance of music and paint and words; the dance of those cruel times which feels like dancing in the dark; the dance of relationships, of forgiveness, friendship and love; the dance of faith; and finally, that hidden dance that some call heaven.’

Few writers have explored the borderland between faith and contemporary living more eloquently and engagingly in recent years than Michael Mayne. In Learning to Dance he creates a magical weave of poetry, science and spirituality, touching on the longings, doubts and hopes of all of us.

'An enchanted and enchanting book. Michael Mayne has brought us through a dance of treasures of nature and a fascinating store of literature, from the mystery of the galaxies to the intricacies of the snowflake.'
From the Foreword by Dame Cecily Saunders

Genres: Nonfiction, Spirituality

272 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 2002

Reviews

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book which is a balm to the soul. Michael Mayne explores the interface between faith, spirituality, Christian beliefs and 'modern life' through the theme of life's dance, which unties the ages and gives us a glimpse of eternity. He uses the months of the year, the changing seasons and traditional 'book of hours' occupations to structure each chapter's genesis, and he intersperses his dialogue with the reader around many quotes from authors, spiritual leaders, religious works and indeed ordinary people. He covers so many themes and questions about faith that it would be impossible to list them all. I particularly enjoyed; his discussion of his own life and vocation, his engagement with evolution and quantum physics, his themes of letting go and dying a good death, the depiction of God as an artist, and his chapters about darkness and the problem of evil (where Mayne extrapolates the crucifixion as less of an answer from God, rather as God eternally entering into this human question.) Dame Cicely Saunders summarises this book as 'enchanted and enchanting' on the back cover, which describes it perfectly. Mayne's eloquent and elegant exploration of his chosen themes lulls the reader into a contemplative state, which is aided by his thoughtful and well chosen excerpts, and allows the us to journey in union with Mayne's meditations which echo the questions and worship of millions of humans throughout history.

I read this book straight through as one would read a novel, which gave a sense of continuity to Mayne's themes. However I think it would lend itself equally well to a modulated read over the course of a year, following the book's monthly structure, as an aid to prayer or meditation. Whilst the latter half of the book particularly centres around exploring Christian faith, Mayne never actively seeks to evangelise the reader and his beliefs do not enshrine a fundamentalist viewpoint. I read this book at a point of darkness with my faith, where I was struggling to find hope and believe in a loving and Trinitarian God, and this was one of the few books that assisted with both my rational and relational doubts about God. As such I believe that people who may be 'doubting' or 'disillusioned' with their Christian faith will find deep waters of spiritual refreshment in this book. However I also believe that many people who identify as 'spiritual but not religious', or who are have (inquisitive) atheistic or agnostic beliefs and are mystified by the hows and whys of Faith, would also find much to ponder in its pages. Thus, my 5 star rating for this book is as much for its style as its content.

In summary, this is not a intensive theological book that explores science, reason, faith and belief, although its passes through explorations of all these topics. Instead its nature is akin to the dance that it explores, where a raw, and truthful portrayal of the experience of being human gives voice to the universal questions of mankind, which find rest in the mystical spirit of God who unites creation with himself, in the hidden and eternal dance.

[Christopher Sanderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am not a religious person, Michael Mayne is extremely positive about his belief in God.
So we begin from polar opposite positions.
Michael did not persuade me to change my views. I don't know if that was his intent.
What he did do was to talk to me about spirituality in ways that were understandable, enjoyable and which helped me with my own enquiries.
He named lots of artists, especially writers who I followed up on, for that alone I have to thank him.
My friend recently lost his memory, he loves dancing, he is spiritual, I have lent him this book to help him rebuild, I hope it helps.

[Cindy Rollins · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am not sure this would be a 5-star book for everyone but for me for now it most definitely was. This book is about the 12 seasons of the year or rather of life. It uses the theme of dancing and the ideas in the traditional Book of Hours to frame life. It is written from a thoroughly Christian perspective and I found it a lifeline of hope and joy. It is not fundamentalist though.

A beautifully written book for modernity on living and dying.

[Kelly (smeets_books) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book for reminding you of the beauty of God's creation and the passing seasons in the world around us and life itself. An inspiring book with great quotes from literary greats too.

[Louella Mahabir · Rating 5 out of 5]

I surprised myself with this one.