# Dance and music bind us together Dance, according to Barbara Ehrenreich, is a method of binding a group together. "Physical movement—a powerful escalation of typical protest chanting—not only releases emotion, it also creates bonding, trust and equality, dissolving hierarchy and increasing a sense of community," writes Janey Stephenson.[^1] ![[If I can't dance, I don't want to be in your revolution —Emma Goldman]] Janey Stephenson, writing for Waging Nonviolence, says, "Historically, groups who could hold themselves together through dance and other methods would have enjoyed an advantage over more weakly-bonded groups."[^1] This is called entrainment, and it is present in music too.[^2] Joseph Jordania says that entrainment is important for achieving an altered state of consciousness, battle trance, in which individuals feel less fear and pain and act in the best interests of the group.[^3] [‘Collective mind’ bridges societal divides − psychology research explores how watching the same thing can bring people together](https://theconversation.com/collective-mind-bridges-societal-divides-psychology-research-explores-how-watching-the-same-thing-can-bring-people-together-218688) [^1]: [Why joy is the perfect resistance to a politics of fear | Waging Nonviolence](https://wagingnonviolence.org/2017/08/joy-resistance-politics-fear-fascism/?utm_source=pocket_saves) [^2]: [The Music Theory of CBAT (the reddit guy song) - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xl4HDoKMmvQ) [^3]: [Entrainment (biomusicology) - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Entrainment_(biomusicology))