The book serves as the foundation of a philosophy of dance, focusing on broader considerations of meaning in the sensual realm as well as the theory of the subject, and it particularly reflects on the meaning of philosophy itself. Dance has received relatively little philosophical attention compared to other art forms such as painting or music. This study seeks to explore the reasons for this and whether a philosophy can be conceived that does justice to the phenomenon of dance. Starting with René Descartes, it examines the relationships between body and thought, being and consciousness, sensuality and meaning, materiality and ideality, as well as art and philosophy, drawing on the works of Edmund Husserl, Maurice Merleau-Ponty, Stéphane Mallarmé, Paul Valéry, and Jean-Luc Nancy. In particular, Merleau-Ponty’s insights are emphasized.