The purpose of the study was to explore, from the perspective of the phenomenology of the body, the experiences of recreational dancers in dance forms originating from different cultures: West African dances, Oriental dance and flamenco. The study involved 36 dancers between the age of 11 and 70 who had pursued their specific dance forms for 4–20 years. They kept a diary of their experiences of dancing during six dance classes within three months. The instructions were based on the method of writing about lived experience introduced by Max van Manen (2003). The material was analysed observing the two central principles of the phenomenological methodology: bracketing and imaginative variation. The positive meaningful experiences of dancing were interpreted as empowerment created by the feeling of detachment from everyday life through dance, bodily pleasure and flow experience, by learning new, by the connection between dance and music and self-expression via this, and by the support of the dance community. The negative meaningful experiences of dancing were interpreted as disempowerment. The most significant negative experiences were connected with excessively demanding practice for the dancer’s skill level, failures, and self-objectification through the use of the dance studio mirror. Based on the research results, more information is needed on the meaning of empowerment in dance and physical education, particularly for developing the pedagogy. It is also needed in dance and physical education and the related teacher education.