The Significance of Song and Dance

"To dance with someone, to hear their song, it's like... A battle. But not one you win weapons and violence. It's about laying your soul bare before another. When you expose the rhythm of your beating heart, and it resonates with someone else, what victory could be greater than that?"
-Rill, to Bokura

History

Of the three beings responsible for crafting the laws of the universe, The Weavers, The Songweaver was tasked with binding all Souls of the Universe to the contract they had created: The Chronicle. To that end, she created the World Song, a song to be heard by the Universe itself. Songweaver's ability to control the Souls of all who hear her voice allowed her to force the Universe itself to heed the contract The Weavers had created.
From that point on, music, and specifically singing carried many positive and negative connotations with it throughout the generations. Music is a efficient method of linking Souls together. Accepting the rhythm of someone else's song creates a link between the performer and the listener, empowering both in equal measure. It is an unspoken contract, one that many believe goes beyond any contract that could be written into paper. As such, Musicians often have a stigma against them on many worlds, and music is seldom enjoyed as a hobby or a way to pass the time.
In most cultures, music will be played to honor important occasions. Holidays that honor fallen soldiers or ancestors, funeral processions, and weddings are events where one can typically expect to listen to music. The intention of each performance can vary; At events where music is played to honor the dead, songs are often performed in two parts: requesting first, that the dead be ferried to a peaceful afterlife by the Weavers, while the second part asks the departed to impart some of their strength unto those that still live.
In the case of weddings, the playing of music signifies the vows that both bride and groom swore to uphold. Their first dance together as newly weds represents the promise to remain together until their dying days.
Dancing, specifically partnered dance, is often seen as a two-person ritual, one that empowers both participants by allowing their Souls to become in sync with one another. . Souls are not stationary objects, they are constantly in movement, and each follows its own rhythm that changes over the course of its life. Dancing allows one to shift this rhythm in near limitless ways.

Stigma and Cults

Due to the limited need of music, and many stereotypes that plague the profession as a result, Musicians are a rare breed in most parts of the Universe. It is not uncommon for most people to develop prejudices against Musicians, believing them to be witches who only care about luring more people into their covens. This reputation among common folk is further tarnished due to the Big Band, one of the three cults that worships the Weavers.
The Big Band is an alliance of Musicians across the Universe, proclaiming loyalty to Songweaver. They are seen as agents of balance, seeking to maintain equilibrium between chaos and order. They also believe that song and dance are something that can and should be enjoyed whenever and however people want, and often hold daylong revelries and performances to celebrate their pact of devotion toward their cause and to one another. Their sphere of influence allows them to recruit new Musicians all the time from around the Universe, leading to several rumors circulating that they seek out and kidnap individuals to forcibly indoctrinate them into their ranks. Still, their reputation of being lazy partygoers leads many to believe they are the weakest of the three cults, when in reality, they choose their moments to act with great deliberation.

Relevant Locations

Several civilizations make use of the ritualistic power of Music to serve their own needs. While this is not a widespread phenomena, it is possible to draw certain types of energy out from the act of listening to Music. The below planets are examples of making this concept into a mass producible commodity.
Cutopia: The Idols that rule over Cutopia are able to draw energy from the devotion felt by their subjects. Their musical performances allow them to enhance the bond their followers feel, siphoning even more energy to power the entire planet. As such, there are near round the clock performances from at least one of the Idols at any given time, to meet growing energy demands.
Sunnyside: The Shadon home planet of Sunnyside has developed technology to convert happiness into raw energy. The more happiness their population feels, the more energy they can produce, allowing for further growth. The musical concerts held on Sunnyside hold many rituals that allow individuals to offer up their happiness, which is then channeled through the music, before being converted into energy.