I have taken part in biodanza classes in Italy and Poland this year and noticed a difference between these classes immediately. In Italian biodanza class was more touching which I missed during my biodanza experience in Poland.
To my mind during the Polish biodanza class was about 60% less touching exercises than in the Italian one. Unfortunately, it is based only on my impression, so I cannot give numbers like Dr Ken Cooper whose research about touching in one hour gives clear and interesting results like Paris 110 touching score per one hour and
London zero.
Anyway, it has let me felt directly that taking into account my nationality I belong to the northern European countries where keeping a distance and almost not touching is a standard. So:
- We do not ‘like’ touching as it is not what we are used to do often.
- We feel confused when e.g. someone holds us when we are not prepared.
- We ask questions ‘ why does he /she do it?’ and look for a hidden reason.
- Even strong relations can develop without much touching.
- Instead of one hold, we try to use many words to pass info.
- We accumulate emotion inside without releasing it via touch forgetting that holding is such a healthy thing!
Although I know that Poland is in the ’not touching list’ like Germany, England, USA, Canada, Scandinavian countries and I remember well the story “The Ice Palace” by F.S.Fitzgerald, I believe our score in getting touches per one hour will grow. If you experience power of touch yourself, you would like to experience it more often, but let’s remember that touching is the matter of not only your choice, but first of all of respect and empathy.