“The need for human touch is one of the most basic, primal needs.”
—Nicole McNichols, PhD
WHY DANCE?
For young people especially, it’s a tough — and touch-deprived — world out there.
“Touch deprivation is correlated with negative health outcomes such as anxiety, depression, and immune system disorders.” So wrote Nicole McNichols, PhD, in 2021 in Psychology Today.
As humans we are all created for relationships and community, but anxiety and depression are a big part of many people’s lives. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy has spoken of an epidemic of loneliness and isolation which impacts the physical and mental health of millions. Many young people, besieged by increased use of electronic devices and exposure to social media and pornography, don’t know how to engage in healthy relationships with the opposite sex.
Touch of Dance seeks to remedy these growing problems by bringing back dance to its original purpose, which is to show glory and honor to God through our body. Founded and taught by Uta Trogele, Touch of Dance is an interactive educational entertainment of ballroom dance for young people with a goal of bringing joy into everyone’s life and to be an alternative to what society offers us. As a Catholic-focused program affiliated with Culture Project International, Touch of Dance additionally introduces young people to be a man and a woman in God’s plan for humanity based on Theology of the Body by St. John Paul II. It is a wonderful way to create community especially among young Catholics and ultimately to evangelize.
Dance creates harmony between male and female and offers healthy attention and compliments. Dance can be healing for ourselves and our relationships if we open ourselves to its beauty. Interested in giving Touch of Dance a try at your next gathering of teenagers or young adults? Touch of Dance is available for organization at schools, churches, colleges and universities, and private events.
“It is an illusion to think that we can build a true culture of human life if we do not help the young to accept and experience sexuality and love and the whole of life according to their true meaning and in their close interconnection.”
Testimonials
Hollister, CA
Kathleen Gastello
“Uta Trogele recently came to our parish and put on a dance for twenty-nine 14- to 19-year-olds. The teens listened with rapt attention while Uta explained to the girls how to sit with an open posture, the boys how to ask a girl to dance, and all of them how to do the dance moves. She taught the young men and women how to respect one another based on Saint Pope John Paul II’s ‘Theology of the Body.’ I think all the kids were in shock about how much fun they had and how much they enjoyed the dance. I could not recommend her more highly if you wanted to put on a similar event in your parish.”
Shrine of the Little Flower, Detroit, MI
Brennan McHughes, Youth Minister
“I only really have good things to say about the Dance Party. I thought the event was a complete success and helped teens to be vulnerable in an appropriate and God honoring way! It was a great way to help them see one another’s dignity and learn to take risks. I think it’s just important to encourage them to be brave and explain clearly how the event relates to the Lord. We’ll definitely be continuing with dances this next school year.”