Poetry without words

We often describe movements, particularly dance movements, that are particularly graceful as poetry in motion.  It's funny how we can grow up hearing and accepting phrases and quotes without really understanding their significance.

For instance, I only really just understood, in one of those 'Aha!' moments, the significance of the statement 'dance is poetry'.

Consider: the only words used in poetry are those which are succinct and eloquent, as well as inspired by life.  In essence, that is what sums up dance.  The movements used in dance are distilled from life.

Some poetry has rhyme and meter, but all poetry has rhythm, as does all dance.

But for all I have said I have not really touched the core similarity between these two. It's almost impossible to describe it, although it's wholly tangible. They both share a similar evanescent quality - performed in an instant, but remembered and immortalised for eternity. They are doses of life, of humanity, concentrated and refined into art.